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Ford Capri special

Take a look at some of the legendary Capris of the past.

By Tom Philips

April 2008
Ever since Ford unveiled the Visos coupe concept at the 2003 Frankfurt show, enthusiasts have been waiting with baited breath for a worthy successor to the legendary Capri.

But now with the imminent arrival of the new VW Scirocco, rumours are rife that “the car you always promised yourself” is set to make a dramatic return.

We take a look at some of the models that made the Capri a modern classic.
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Consul Capri   Ford Mustang   Capri Mk1   1971 Capri 2000
1. Consul Capri
The first car to bear the Capri name was a two-door coupe version of the Consul, introduced to the European market in 1961. Unreliable engines and disappointing sales meant that the Blue Oval dropped the unloved coupe after just two and a half years on sale.

  
2. Ford Mustang
The Capri as most people know it was born in response to the phenomenal sales success of the original Mustang in the USA. That car was designed to counter criticism that Ford didn’t make cars which young people wanted to buy. The "Pony Car" rectified this, setting sales records when it hit showroom in 1964.

  
3. Capri Mk1
Marketed as “the car you always promised yourself”, the mk1 Capri actually started life as Project Colt – although this was quietly dropped as Mitsubishi held the rights to use this name. Based on Cortina running gear, the rakish new coupe was unveiled at the 1969 Brussels Motor Show.

  
4. 1971 Capri 2000
As predicted, the Capri sold well, helped in no small part by Ford’s commitment to making the car affordable. This was achieved in part by offering a wide range of engines, from frugal 1.3 to 136bhp V6, and by building this special export version for North America, South Africa and Australia.


 
Capri Mk2   Capri 3.0S   Zakspeed Capri   Capri RS2600
5. Capri Mk2
February 1974 saw the introduction of the second-generation Capri. Although 1.2 million mk1s were sold, the oil crisis of 1973 prompted Ford to take a more conservative approach with its succesor's design, making the bonnet shorter, increasing interior space and adding a versatile hatch.


 
6. Capri 3.0S
The 3.0S gained fame as a result of its tyre squealing performances in the Seventies TV show 'The Professionals'. The standard Dagenham-built V6 had plenty of grunt, while large 'S' stripes marked it out from lesser Capris. Driving into cardboard boxes was optional.


  
7. Zakspeed Capri
This fearsome racing version was developed in the late Seventies for German touring car racing. Very loosely based on the production version, it featured huge aerodynamic additions and a 600bhp 1.7-litre turocharged motor, which eventually found its way into the team's F1 challenger.


  
8. Capri RS2600
One of the rarest RS cars of all is the Capri RS2600. Built to dominate touring car racing, it packs a 150bhp 2.6-litre V6. The very first examples had weight-saving glassfibre doors, boot and bonnet, while the cabin did without a heater and paint.
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