FORD has undertaken a U-turn and looks likely to retain the Escort name when it produces a replacement for its top-selling model next year. Earlier this month it looked as though the Escort name was to be replaced when Ford launched its next new lower medium model range next year. But after detailed research on a possible change of badgework for the new car, the company has been provided with a substantial answer to the old question: What's in a name?

'Quite a lot, it would seem. We were taken aback by the sheer volume of interest in the fact that the new car could wear a new name. There is a lot of support for keeping with the current name and maintaining 30 years of tradition,' said a spokesman.

Company executives had considered finding a fresh title for the next-generation Escort, which will feature an advanced new engine line-up and an upmarket specification. In Europe, Transit is the only badge which has been in use for longer than Escort, which has also been used in North America since 1980. The company is reported to have spent around £500,000 to find the Mondeo name when it replaced the Sierra.