The Professionals Forgotten Fast Ford RS2000
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- Опубліковано 27 січ 2024
- Think Professionals, you immediately think Capri's. But there was another fast Ford featured in two series of the Professionals - Doyle's Ford RS2000.
Ridiculed by his partner Bodie, Doyles RS was an icon in its day. And 40 years later they are one of the most sought after RS models.
Join us as we get on the trail of this Fast Ford to see what happened to it.
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Growing up watching the Professionals made me get a Capri as my first car. I drove it everywhere like Bodie and Doyle 😅
Same here...except my Capri 1.6 3spd usually didn't work lol. =)
Bodie is talking about Doyle’s E Type not the RS2000 when he’s dissing in the clip near the start.
I never clocked that before but always thought it was a strange way to talk about a relatively new car at the time. cheers 👍🏻
I know, but makes for a good clip...
@@oscarsgarage447 I would of preferred a genuine clip, rather than a false clip. It doesn't sit well as Bodie wouldn't of said that about that vehicle.
apart from that I enjoy your videos, hopefully some more similar ones such as other Professions, Minder, The Sweeney?
Fair point, I was undecided whether to just voice over the whole clip...
There were any number of ford press motors including a 2.0S cortina and Cowley's stream of top end grannies. The baddy motors tended to be scrappers or for some reason old vauxhall victors.
I recall some of Autocar's test cars having that distinctive style of GB sticker.
I was on set of an episod of the Profesknals .
Spent fitting new windcreens after they kept broken ones on a take.
Was filmed at Alexandrer Palace and Crouch end.
Im relieved that I’m not the only person who was strange enough to know that. Bryan Marshall, a very good actor, was in that episode.
I could never forget that car. I’m afraid I never like the Capri, although today I do.
In 1981 all I yearned for was a signal red X Pack optioned mk2 and would pop by Mike Young’s showroom in Ilford on a Sunday to look at a spectacular selection of RSs
That pic of the spare tyre well in the boot at 6:06 shows how we used to spot the genuine RS2000s from the clones that were made from regular Escorts back in the day; the hook for the strap that holds the spare in place sits outside of the well, as in the pic, due the the wider wheel/tyre of the RS not allowing room for it down inside the well as on regular models. The guys making the clone cars always forgot/didn’t know about that as you could force the wide wheel in past the hook on a regular model - it was just really tight and awkward to do. There were other tells as well but this got overlooked the most.
Do you remember the conversion you could get at the time of an additional fuel tank fitted where the spare wheel usually goes. I never had one fitted but a friend did. The 8 gallon capacity of the original gave the RS a fairly limited range. Not sure if it was a Ford conversion or aftermarket.
@@johnthelwell3244 I heard of them but never saw one.
Good to know, I'll bear it in mind when I eventually buy an RS2000. 👍
sounds like its gone into someone's private collection, hopefully to be restored. Good video, thanks for the memories.
The bronze 3litre mk1 ford Granada from The Sweeney is now restored and back on the road
It was a Consul GT, not a Granada.
I loved that show as kid growing up in the 70s n 80s, especially the RS2000 Eskie Doyle drove, I ended up buying a white one in 2001, but sold it a year later, due to too many project cars at the time.
Great cars.
Your channel is amazing! So informative and interesting. Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
In the early days he drove a white triumph Dolomite sprint, blue TR7 too.
While the Fast Fords are really interesting I'm actually more interested in the early use of BL stuff! What a missed opportunity!
It's great to hear something about this iconic Ford Escort RS2000 after so many years. Truly a classic TV show car favourite for many fans of the show. We've all heard about the Ford Capri's from the show coming up for auction recently, but never anything about the classic RS 2000. Nice to find it's still out there somewhere and probably being treasured by someone.
It's true about the impact of this programme had on sales. Around early 1978 I worked in an office with 6 slightly older guys and i was the only person who did not drive a Capri. At night two of them separately with their own friends would go out to "test drive" their dream cars - 3 litre Capris advertised for sale in the local newspaper (they couldn't afford or get the insurance to own one!). I remember one buying a newspaper at 5 pm to scour the adds to do it. Our office pool car (which the manager could use privately) was a new 1600 ford escort of the same period and style shown here. I used it a few times and hated how you could easily over egg the acceleration on bends and loose control unexpectedly . Can't imagine how an RS2000 handled!! I got promoted and was so pleased I got the new hatch back escort for that reason but now I would go an rs2000! Now reminds me how the guys used to say they liked to handbrake turn their Capris at the weekends. Just realised - Suspect now that part was all just talk ha! ? But I bet they gave the office escort some real stick. hahaha!!
Great detective work. Good to know that it’s still about 👍
Thanks!. Glad you enjoyed it.
In-depth as always Trev. How the heck you find the info is beyond me well done
I enjoyed this series immensely. Great video. 👍
Glad to hear it!
Really interesting video about one of my favourite cars in one of my favourite tv shows. Thanks for taking the time to produce and post it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I must be strange, I always think Capri, Escort & Granada when thinking of the show rather than capri, capri granada.
Love these videos. Really interesting.
Glad you like them!
Interesting. I appreciate your research.
Thanks
I loved that car , thanks for this vid .
Glad you enjoyed it
Looking forward to this one .
Hope it didn't disappoint!
Very interesting,and informative.
Thanks
Another great episode
Thanks!
Excellent work sir
Thank you! Cheers!
I spoke to a salesman last year that worked at Brundall Service Station that sold the Professionals RS2000, he told me that Chris Blyth (Brundall Service Station) brought 2 RS2000 from Ford along with one of the Capris used in the filming. So there was 2 Escort RS2000 used in the series for filming, all be it identical.
No there was one Escort. I have the production paperwork showing which cars were used when. Blyth bought two Escorts true enough but only one was in The Professionals
Brill work mate😃👍
Thank you! Cheers!
Great program loved every minute just wish they made some films like the Sweeney😢
Great iconic show and that opening score duh duh duh…..a simpler time.
Good report well done
Thanks!
Used to love the Capri S, but the RS2000 is the cherry on top.
I spotted that car in an episode of Tales Of The Unexpected. I got a glimpse of it in Slough car park.
That must have been unexpected.....😂
I didn't expect it to be in Slough
Great video Oscar. As the car has FORD badging on the rear does that mean it has a later grille . Early RS2s had FORD badging on the grille
I wonder if a video would be good on series 1 which used BL cars as I seem to remember the TR7 and dolomite sprint had different registrations in the series
Hope you keep the channel going. Best wishes Russ
Thanks Russ, hadn't noticed that on the front grill. The BL cars appear to have been scrapped.
I remember reading in Classic Ford magazine many years ago and they said it had been stolen. Good to know it wasn't.
My dad went to buy a rs1800 back in 1979 and they had the professionals escort for sale, it was like a skip inside and knock about it had come straight from filming he nearly brought it, the car company was city speed in Gloucester they were rs dealers in used cars, he still has his rs1800 and some times wishes he bought the 2000 became he was a big fan.
Love your videos mate, you should be a detective, I remember in the 70’s a show called Crossroads & a simpleton called Benny used to drive a Morris Marina , would like to see what happened to it 👍
I will check it out
Simpleton? 😮 Watch out for the P.C. brigade!
More like watch out for falling pianos
@@ScottC-od6fh three more simpletons right there.
Cheers mate, I enjoyed that video.. lots better than when they started the show running around in P6’s & also didn’t Doyle have a ‘Dolly Sprint’..? 👍
Yup, there was a Dolomite Sprint
Yes I think he did but I believe that the "Dolly" gave a lot of trouble (British Leyland eh!),so Ford stepped in did the business so to speak.A good move I think.
Yeah tell me about ‘Troublesome Triumphs’ had 2x Dolly Sprints back in the day 😖😫never again, stuck to Mexicos….
Brilliant work love these videos. Can you track down all Arthur Daleys Jaguars and some of the other cars he drove briefly, like the Mercedes-Benz W123 and Rover SD1, then a D-reg XJ40 last of the Dennis Waterman episodes.
He also had a further two Jaguar XJ40s in the last series, which were very strange for the time, the silver one being a facelift model on a H-plate.
Minder is on my to do list...
@@oscarsgarage447
Brilliant look for to that.
I have vague memories of an article in the TV Times of all things, (I think) showing a photo of Arthur Dailey's Jag (Blue) being used by Dalgleish (Roy Marsden) in the PD James Detective series, but I can't remember which story, as they were based on the books and didn't have a series name per se.
As a kid in the 70s, I used to quite enjoy spotting 'Celebrity" Cars on various TV shows, got to know the registration plates lol.
Blue E reg one was later used in ‘The Piglet Files’ with Nick Lyndhurst - it was blown up.
I'd almost forgotten about that show lol. I would be surprised if they actually blew the real thing up lol. I don't remember much of that show sadly. Was it made by Thames TV, like Minder, or London Weekend?@@MapleMarmite
Some great info here about such an iconic very rare tv car…. You’d have thought the owner who had the car from 2003 till 2020 and did some restoration to the car would have kept the car and not sold it on.
Surely that dialogue is refers to Doyle's E-Type Jag, from the episode about the big gun?
It does... but don't tell anyone.
I’ve never forgotten it
Video needed on the X Pack Escort that featured in the opening scenes of Minder ...please ..
Believe me I have tried! There is no number plate shown. I have only come across a rumour it was rotting away in Wales in the early 2000s.
Car was BPU 911T original car was Escort 1.3 sport fitted with X pack for show then production decided it was to flash
Car was magazine featured later and used by Street machine who did a jack up kit on it and then it passed around scene until it was for sale in 88 in Wales by which time it needed restoration
I'll send Trevor info have
Grewt stuff! I'd love to also know about the briefly used BL stuff as well.
There is at least one story there we might do...
I think you’ll find it being restored at richard Hammond garage the smallest cog, then to be return to the owner to be stored at the Motor Hub in Bibury near Cirencester along with the two capris from the professionals
What ever happened to the sweeney’s ford consul / Granada? Would be a nice find!.
Already on that one....
Hope you track it down, good luck 🤞
NHK 295M is still around and was painstakingly fully restored over many years by its current owner. It first appeared after the restoration at the NEC classic motor show in 2019 in the entrance to Hall 5. It can usually be seen at the shows during the summer, like the Old Ford Rally at Gaydon Motor Museum. 👍
Well known that car. After a 30 year resto I took Billy Murray who drives it in Stoppo Driver along for a photoshoot.
That’s a Consul GT,sadly all the other cars,all Granada’s are dead.
It was the English _Starsky & Hutch._
Good comparison
I heard that Richard Hammond has got it to do full restoration on it, on one the episodes you could see it in the background with a sign saying it was the professionals car
Oooo... interesting. Don't suppose you remember which episode?
@@oscarsgarage447 it’s on discovery plus towards the end of season 3 might’ve been the last episode which was the one they went to Chris evens car fest and they restored a car live
Also there is short clip on the face book page it might’ve been on car tribe page
I mean drivetribe
Great thanks!
The GB sticker was a British racing and sports car club I had one on my car and I was a member at the time. Think I saw the car in the late Seventies parked in Brands Hatch paddock and at the time thought it maybe driven there by well know stunt and racing driver Valentino Musetti who was racing that day, This was just a guess but he did work on the professionals but can only find one episode for sure. The sticker does indicate a BRSCC member owned or drove the RS2000. Valentino Musetti is 83 now maybe knows more of the back story ?
In series 1 they used British Leyland product.
Wonder what happened to Bodie's Dolly Sprint?
It looks like it got scrapped a long time ago.
The Dolomite is dead but has been cloned.
Well done, another interesting one. Pretty tragic how Martin Shaw went on to great things but poor old Lewis Collins fell by the wayside. Would be good if the Richard Hammond thing turns out to be true. Look forward to your next one.
Thanks!
It is true regarding Hammond.
Lewis didn’t fall by the wayside mate.
He had a great life in the USA until he had to battle cancer for 5 years that eventually took him.
@@mholiday yes, I remember he tragically died way too young in the USA, what I really meant was that he tried to get a lot of parts stateside but only ended up with some very small roles as opposed to Martin Shaw who has done very well comparitively.
Love this stuff! How about doing Cowley’s mk2 Granada’s? There is a special connection there for me because I grew up with mk2’s with my Dad having 4 between 1978, all the way until 95. 😉
I did look for Cowleys cars, but none seem to have survived.
@@oscarsgarage447 😢 that’s a shame, to most they were never as “glamorous” as the Capri’s & RS2000…… well apart from saddos like me 😂👍🏻
Deffo none survived but there is a V reg replica of one of the T reg metallic red one’s.
I can remember some episodes where Austin 1800's (i believe) were used by B+D.possibly earlier episodes.
Think it was a Triumph Dolomite
They used a lot of BL tin in the first series,went onto to fords because BL couldn't supply the same cars ,that effected the continuity of the show
You've dubbed the sound from where Bodie is talking about Doyle's E Type Jag, and made it sound like he's talking about the RS2000.
You don't say 😂
Never mind the sunroof what about the vinyl roof that appeared probably to cover up the botched sunroof install 🤔
Mr Bodie is it ?
Yes, Bodie ….
I think every lad from that era automatically would answer RS2000 if asked, Bodie was the Crapri man, Cowley was the MK2 2.8i Executive Granada owner. British Leyland seriously scored an own goal when denying cheap or free motors for the show, Ford step in like they did with the Sweeney when BL again snubbed the production company and enjoyed massive sales from all their cheapies and freebies given to the company. Worthy mentions BL side would be the SD1, TR7 Sprint and Dolomite Sprint and of course the Jag that ended up totalled thanks to dodgy sniper guy... The actual desire was not for the RS2000 but an RS Mexico, think a banana yellow one was what the production company wanted, they also wanted a different colour to the Capri but they got what was on offer although Doyle got a 3.0S Capri towards the end all aimed at that one shot of racing Capri's running together and halting just an inch or two apart...
Non of the Granada’s were Executive’s.
The Executive wasn’t available in the MkII,only the the MkII and a half aka the 1981 facelift and then it only came out in summer 1984 as a run out version of the
Ghia X with non heated Connolly leather seats replacing the heated velour seats.
Believe it will soon be on show at RSOC
That's interesting - do you know when?
It won’t be going anyway restored yet. We had it at Carfest to promote Richard Hammonds Workshop and currently the show content/resto and appearances are still being discussed.
What happened the two Capris that were to go on sale last year, also from The Professionals???
They are now owned by the same private collector as the RS2000.
As well as the Escort the two V reg Capri’s from series 4 (W reg in the show) live with VHK495S which was UOO303T in the show
What happened to the dolomite sprint
How about Hazels Triumph Stag?? Thanks
Bob Rocca I believe ownes the car now he's an author on everything professionals. He tried crowdfunding to get the money together to get it rebuilt around 2023.
He has sold it on, but I have been in touch with him.
@@oscarsgarage447
He wanted people to pledge money to get it restored. I think he got annoyed that it wasn't received as he'd hoped. He tried to crowd fund £30k.
pno, ive noticed on sweenet too..
Merle The Earl would have jazzed this car up.
Hi there was a very rare mint green ford fiesta xr2 in a early episode of a touch of frost . I would love for you to find it . Episode stranger in the house .
I believe the car to be a rare special order as many have said the xr2 did not come from factory in green but . I believe it to be a factory special order .maybe you could try and find it. .thanks
I think my old boss got the granada 3.0 L off bristol Street motors after the sweeney.with original reg...that's what I was told!..
Watched a series one episode of The Professionals , ITV X player wasnt playing ball and I couldnt rewind but looked like Bodie was driving a mk 2 Capri with an X pack body kit?
Yup there was one. Believe it is being restored at the moment.
SOO636R is that Capri.
Currently a tricky situation as two people claim to have the car …one in Ireland and one in the U.K./Portugal.
It’s going through a legal process at the moment
3 L Granada that was in The Sweeney have been restored and back on the road
No all the Granada’s are dead from The Sweeney. The Consul 3.0 GT NHK295M has been restored though
forget the escort try to get the rs capri (big arches etc) only seen it once in the professionals ,,
The f o r d. On the boot should slso be on the nisecone on a 76 car .it has a later nosecone too
What about the white Dolomite Sprint Doyle drove before the RS, is there anything of that left??
Believed by some to have been scrapped many moons ago but that said there is one around claiming to be the original wether it is or not I really don’t know.
Had 3 RS2000's between 1976 and 1979. Often wondered what became of them given their value now. Looking on my car check there is no information after the mid 80s. Thought they were fantastic cars at the time. Spent a fortune on my last one. Full Group 1 tarmac suspension. Uprated brakes and engine. Had an opportunity to drive a really good example last year and was unimpressed. Technology has definitely moved on. They were of their time.
It was my dream car as a kid. But got to drive one on a race track about 2003 and was very unimpressed. Even then it was showing its age. I had also by then become a great driver of front wheel drive cars, but could no longer drive a rear wheel drive car fast even though I had learnt to drive in them. Hopefully Martin Shaw has this one in his garage, lol.
I replaced my last RS with a Porsche 911 Carrera which was a big step up. In 1984 l also had a Lancia Prisma which effectively was a 4 door Delta saloon It had a 1600 twin cam engine. 5 speed gearbox and discs all round. Not even meant to be a sporty car. An RS2000 would never have kept up with it on a twisty road it was amazing.
There’s a popular social media page dedicated to these cars.
I’ve made comments about it before but they may have been deleted because I can’t find them
We haven;t deleted any comments? Do you mean the CI5 Cars page?
@@oscarsgarage447 that’s the one
I used to work with a guy that owned the car I think it was a granada that came smashing out of the window at the start of the episodes. Don't know if it's still about.??
It’s a Consul L that comes through the window. Driven by Peter Brayham at Wembley on waste ground with a fake reflection of buildings.
It was scrapped.
Nobody forgot the RS2. He had a custom. In the '80s I drove a non custom that it had been breathed upon. It was RAPID. Point-to-point with a good driver it would have kept up with most hot hatches of the time. With just the 4 speed 'box, it lost out top end.
I had a Mk2 Mexico in venetion red with a custom interior, with a 2 litre pinto, i think the reg no was TWL 273P.. i took 30 yards of hedge out backwards at 100mph!! happy day's, the car survived to be stolen at Croft circuit and found in Sunderland the next day, i then rolled it into oblivion!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
The "old geriatric" refers to Doya'ls Harley he's doing up, not the Escort.
Their was a forum for the show a few years ago a guy in their owns this car
I take it you haven't watched the video then?
He sold it in 2020
Nice video, but wouldn't have said the majority of car fans would have forgotten about the RS, most likely being more desirable than the Capris.
Am I remembering wrong. didn't one of them drive a triumph ?
In the first series there was a Dolomite and TR7
Don’t forget the huge dent in the front valance, stunt accident?
Probably. These cars were just props in their day.
Yea the jag blew up
You should investigate the Terry and June cars like the leyland princess
I'll add it to the list but imagine they are long gone!
@@oscarsgarage447well you never know!
What happened to the Rettendon murders range rover, the proper one ?
I have touched on that one but very difficult to trace.
@@oscarsgarage447 yes l agree, the last reading on this, someone said the proper one has been Bob tailed for off road. How true I do not know.
I was told that rs got stolen and never found
That’s not true ..At one point it was claimed it was stolen from the set etc but the car has a full history of where it went and when through to today
Ok thank you for me me know. When I was very young around the time the series was out I met Lewis Collins at siviter sports he was there to open it up he cut the red ribbon across the door I shouted his set name he looked over and stuck his thumb up I showed him my silver corgi ford capri he smiled will never forget it 😊
Who is claiming it is forgotten?
Forgotten? Not by any ford fans😂
I guess it might be someone’s pension fund…
Probably better than stocks and shares!
Well it was…until I bought it in 2020 and it did pay him enough to be life changing .Then I sold it same day to the current owner.
Who gives a toss
Over 18,000 viewers in the first 24 hours apparently...