1981 Ford Escape: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

2 builds left the factory as a 1981 Escape, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 1 main configuration sell for $4,000–$14,349 today.

  • 1 main configurations
  • 9,053 vehicles built
  • 109 for sale right now
  • $4,000–$14,349 typical price range

Which Escape is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Escape

  • 1981 Ford Escape SE
    SE · 4WD 1FMCU9G9-G

    2L 4-cyl, 240 hp, Four-wheel drive. 9,052 built.

    $4,000 great deal $9,995 typical $14,349 top of market
    Full specs, prices & VINs → 109 for sale now

What people actually pay

145 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
SE · 4WD
$9,995
$3,880 $6,605 $9,330 $12,055 $14,780

What 1FMCU9G9-G means

1FM CU9G9 · G
1FM
the World Manufacturer Identifier Ford registered — assembled in the United States
CU9G9
together encode the Escape line — Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), 2L 4cyl, Four-wheel drive — as Ford filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
G
in position 10 — model year 1981
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
1 rare configuration — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Escape?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.