Oooh, ah. Eric Cantona's designed a car! French football legend pens his ideal Ford Capri
The one-off special has some tongue-in-cheek references to Cantona’s iconic moments
During the new Ford Capri’s launch last year you may have noticed a certain Eric Cantona drumming up excitement for the all-electric SUV – and now he has teamed up with the company to build a one-off Capri to commemorate their partnership.
Working with the exterior designer for the new Capri, Thomas Morel, Cantona has created a Capri in Signal Orange, a historic Ford colour that was used on the Mk3 Capri in the seventies. There’s also a gloss black motif on the side that runs into the number seven – Cantona’s shirt number for much of his career.
In addition, the special edition sports gloss black racing stripes running from front to rear, 21-inch wheels in black and silver, and a one-off rear spoiler. There’s also some more discreet detailing such as Cantona’s signature on the front wing and a crown badge on the rear pillar in a nod to the French footballer’s nickname, King Eric.
For all that, though, the exterior is rather restrained compared with the interior. That’s because here you’ll find numerous references to Cantona’s fairly maverick playing career. On the headrests, for instance, there’s an outline of Cantona delivering his infamous flying kick on a Crystal Palace fan during the 1995 season, which was followed by his enigmatic statement, “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."
The centre console has been redesigned with a removable cover and another typically curious Cantona quote about the Capri: “When a goat follows his hero in his car, it’s because the ruler on the racetrack returns. The Legend is back.” Matching the exterior, the seats come with orange stitching and twin orange stripes along with orange-edged floor mats and a leather steering wheel stitched in, you guessed it, orange.
The Capri that forms the basis for this special edition is the Extended Range RWD with a 77kWh battery sending power to a rear-mounted 282bhp electric motor. While the 0-62mph time still stands at 6.4 seconds, we’re not sure how that new rear wing affects the car’s 369-mile range.
Speaking at the reveal of his new car, Cantona said, “True joy comes from expression, whether that is on the football pitch, on canvas or the stage. This Capri reflects the many facets of Cantona – it deserves the title of ‘Legend’.”
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