The rear setup is not the same as a mk2 escort, although as you've said most folk would expect it to be.

The sunbeam has a longer wheelbase than a mk2 escort with less body overhang and is in fact a superior base car! The shell is stiffer, the transmission tunnel MASSIVE so it takes any 2wd box, (unlike the escort!) and the engine bay is bigger. It's simply the fact the car is not widely available (along with parts) that it does'nt have the reputation or following of the escort. (Though the sunbeams can be worth a fortune, a genuine works RAC car sold recently for £120,000.)

On our car, the rear live axle uses two diagonal links for lateral control, while two heavy duty trailing arms house the coil spring between them and the chassis, similar in principal to the cosworths. The dampers are mounted at 45 degrees rather than vertically as in a turretted escort.

Whilst our setup would not be suitable for a forest rally car due to lack of suspension travel, (mk2 escorts are turretted to achieve a vertical rear damper to allow long suspension travel whilst avoiding acute damper angles i.e. loss of both damper and spring rate with travel), the sunbeam setup is fantastic as a tarmac rally car.

A lot of folk don't actually realise that nearly all mk2 escort parts are as a direct result of forest rallying, yet their cars never see a forest, hence why people like yourself are suprised by our tarmac setup. Generally speaking on most tarmac events we do, there is little that beats us with RWD, and as long as the track is big enough we beat most 4wd too. (TOTB was a bit too narrow and tight to keep the car neat without driving it sideways!! LOL)