1980 Italian Touring Car Championship Runner Up
1979 Ford Escort RS1800 Terzi
Built by Italian specialist Gabriele Terzi, reputedly combining a genuine Escort Mk2 RS1800 with Zakspeed components to create his own FIA Group 2 touring car.
Competed under the Scuderia Vesuvio banner in the Italian Touring Car Championship (ITCC) with Giovanni Miranda between 1979 and 1983, finishing second in 1980.
Briefly campaigned in 1985 by Giuseppe Stanco before being put into storage by Miranda for more than 30 years.
Carefully restored from its original, complete condition, retaining its original paintwork inside and out, along with its Zakspeed Group 2 components.
Weighing just 898kg and equipped with a fully rebuilt 1,840cc engine producing 255bhp; new four-speed gearbox to Zakspeed specification; new clutch, fuel and oil lines; reworked wiring; serviced brakes; and a new exhaust with interchangeable silencer.
Sporting a new FIA Historic Technical Passport valid until 2035, Terzi 08 is eligible for Peter Auto Heritage Touring Cup 1, Motor Racing Legends Historic Touring Car Challenge, Equipe ‘70s, and Iberian Historic Endurance.
Price: £POA
Chassis Number: Terzi 02
FIA Group 2 Touring Car Racing
The late 1970s were a transformative period in European touring car racing. In 1976, the FIA introduced a revised Appendix J to clarify regulations for Group 2 and Group 5 racing. Group 2 was aimed at privateers and lower-budget teams, allowing limited modifications to production-based cars, while the more extreme Group 5 rules introduced a ‘silhouette’ formula dominated by works teams.
These new Group 2 rules placed stricter limits on modifications and on which cars could compete – homologation now required full production-series compliance rather than small batches, wheel-arch extensions were restricted, and engines could be overbored by only 0.6 mm. Dry-sump lubrication was initially banned, creating significant challenges, particularly for Ford’s BDA-powered Escorts, before the rule was relaxed mid-season in 1977.
Teams such as German Ford experts Zakspeed quickly established themselves in Group 2 tin-top racing, campaigning the Blue Oval’s iconic Mk2 Escort with notable success. Zakspeed’s efforts at circuits such as the Nürburgring highlighted the RS1800’s competitiveness, with numerous podium finishes proving the car’s potential.
By the late 1970s, Group 2 had become the proving ground for both skilled privateers and fully fledged works teams across Europe – a dynamic that opened the door for talented independents – such as Italian engineer Gabriele Terzi – to compete on equal terms.
Operating out of a small workshop in Treviglio, Terzi was a respected Ford Escort specialist in Italy. In 1979, he decided to build two new Escort Mk2 RS1800 competition cars using Zakspeed components, fully conforming to international FIA Group 2 regulations.
These machines – numbered Terzi 08 and Terzi 09 – were constructed for the Italian Touring Car Championship, blending proven mechanicals with Terzi’s engineering know-how. While 09 was only used sporadically, chassis 08 quickly became the more prominent of the two cars, marking the start of a racing career that would span several years.
This car - TERZI 08
Completed in time for the Copa Leopoldo Carri at Monza in October 1979, Terzi 08 made its debut in the hands of Giovanni Miranda in the same distinctive light blue with yellow, orange and red striped livery as it wears today.
Before the end of the year, it appeared at Vallelunga for two additional races, establishing itself early on in Italian Touring Car competition. From that point, Miranda campaigned the eye-catching Escort consistently in the ITCC until 1983 under the Scuderia Vesuvio banner. During this period, it faced a mix of privateer and works-supported machinery, including ex-Zakspeed Escorts (one of which was also run by the Terzi team), holding its own as a regular front-runner, with Miranda finishing second overall in the 1980 season.
Following two outings with Miranda’s friend Giuseppe Stanco at the wheel in 1985, Terzi 08 was retired from competition and placed into storage for more than three decades. Remarkably, it remained in complete, original condition. In 2016, it was finally sold by Miranda and subsequently underwent a careful restoration under the supervision of Gipimotor in Belgium.
Crucially, before the restoration began, the car’s identity was confirmed in consultation with Gabriele Terzi himself – still active in the same small workshop in Treviglio whose walls are adorned with period photos of this car – who recalled the build and his time spent with the chassis, further verifying its provenance.
Acquired by its current owner from Gipimotor in 2019, the car has since benefitted from additional work by Melliard Motorsport, including a fully rebuilt Jondel 1,840cc BDA engine (new block, rebuilt head, Lucas 8mm metering unit, dyno-tested at 255bhp), Tracsport four-speed gearbox to Zakspeed specification with a new clutch, as well as renewed fuel and oil lines, wiring rework, brake servicing, and a new exhaust with interchangeable silencer.
In addition, the car received a 2025-issued FIA Historic Technical Passport, valid until 2035. Since then, Terzi 08 has only been run at one hillclimb event and on the rolling road, preserving its mechanical freshness and integrity.
Retaining its original paint inside and out and tipping the scales at just 898kg, Terzi 08 is both a visually striking and highly capable historic racer. Furthermore, Terzi 08 retains its original Group 2 Zakspeed parts from the front struts, big Girling 16/4 brakes and centre lock hubs, to the front splitter which still bears the motive of moulding company Zender GMBH to name but a few details.
Its rare international Group 2 build specification, traceable competition history, long term ownership, meticulous restoration, and top-tier preparation make it eligible for prestigious historic series such as the Peter Auto Heritage Touring Cup 1, the Motor Racing Legends Historic Touring Car Challenge, Equipe ‘70s, and the Iberian Historic Endurance series.
Coming from just its third ownership, the fantastic Terzi Mk2 Escort offers its next custodian the chance to experience one of the purest and most rewarding touring cars of its era.
Get in touch to find out more
Please feel free to get in touch and I’ll be happy to discuss the car with you.
Either fill in the form to the right or call on 0044 (0) 7535 148 470.