At first glance, the 1993 Ford Escort GT looks a lot like any other small, sporty hatchback from the 1990s. The owner of this example, Alexander N. DiMartina, told me that someone thought it was a Foxbody, which says a lot about how it blends in and throws people off. But under the hood is something you might not expect – a factory-fitted 1.8L DOHC BP engine, the same motor you’d find in an MX-5/Miata.
To be honest, I had no idea this model even existed. I grew up in the Philippines, where they were never sold. When I moved to the US and met Alex, I was instantly intrigued by his car. After hearing his story and seeing the Escort in person, I knew I had to photograph it.
I love bringing attention to cars that people might have forgotten or never knew about. For me, Alex’s Escort was like discovering something completely new, even though the model has been around for decades.
The Ford-Mazda alliance began in 1979, when Ford took a 7% stake in the Japanese automaker. By the time the second-generation North American Escort debuted in 1991, Ford owned a 25% share of Mazda. While the 1989 Ford Probe was built on Mazda’s MX-6 platform, the Escort shares its DNA with the 323/Familia.
Alex has owned this car for five years and drives it year-round, save for the depths of winter in Buffalo, New York. Over this time, he’s done a lot to the Escort, while preserving much of its original glory.
That includes select upgrades to the car’s original 127hp Mazda engine, which now benefits from higher compression and basic intake and ignition modifications. The custom exhaust begins with a ceramic-coated and wrapped Protege GT header before flowing into a custom 304 stainless steel system featuring Vibrant resonators and a MagnaFlow muffler. It has a deep but clean sound, just enough to let you know it’s not stock.
The Escort’s stance is just right. It sits on 15×7-inch Kosei K1 Racing wheels wrapped in Falken Azenis RT615k tires, with Ksport coilovers at all four corners. There’s a host of upgraded underbody components, including Energy Suspension bushings, AWR chromoly trailing arms, Pierce Motorsports RCAs, and a full KAi rear bar setup. A manualized steering rack enhances feel. With Powerstop calipers and pads, Raysbestos front rotors, EBC rear rotors, and Goodridge stainless steel brake lines throughout, stopping power is solid, too.
On the outside, it’s clean but full of cool little touches. There’s a custom light bar with Hella Comet 500s, Mercury Tracer corner lights, and a one-off ABS front lip that brings WRC vibes. Out back there’s a cut bumper, a CB7 Accord spoiler extension on the roof, GT-Styling tail light covers, a 91-92 Escort GT 3-piece wing, and Vitaloni Baby Turbo mirrors.
Inside, it’s stripped-down and focused. The front seats are from a Mazda MX-3 GS, and the back has been gutted to save weight. The steering wheel is a Momo Prototipo, mounted on a custom Grant hub and extension made to fit right. There’s a period-correct Wink mirror, a custom shift knob and extension, and some cool stickers on the dash to give it personality.
Huge thanks to Alex for sharing his awesome Escort GT with me. It’s builds like this that show real passion, not just chasing trends, but keeping something special alive.
