Ford Capri Mk III 1.6 Laser at Blackpool, England

The Ford Capri was a car produced by Ford of Europe. Two different models named Capri were built.

1961

The first (and lesser known) Capri was a 1961-1964 version of the Classic saloon (sedan).

1969

The second and much more successful Capri was introduced in 1969. The intention was to reproduce the success of the North American Ford Mustang in Europe, to produce a European pony car. It was based on the Cortina and built in Europe at Dagenham and Halewood, England; Genk, Belgium; Saarlouis and Cologne, Germany. The car proved highly successful, and was revised in 1972; the following year, 1973, saw the highest sales total the Capri ever attained, at 233,000 vehicles built that year.

1974

The year 1974 saw the introduction of the Capri II; although still much the same car as the Mk I, some additional refinement came at the expense of sportiness. The car was more a hatchback, with a third door added.

1978

The Capri Mk III was introduced in 1978, but failed to halt a terminal decline in sales. However, this model was used in the TV series The Professionals, which was credited with keeping interest in the car in the UK.

When the last Capri was sold in 1987, 1,886,647 cars had rolled off the production line. Tellingly, most of those (more than a million) were the Mk I, mostly because the Mk I sold very well in North America and the Mk II didn't, and was not sold in Australia. In New Zealand, it was sold in limited numbers due to tariffs, which essentially killed its chances of sales' success. Mk IIIs are the rarest of the three types in New Zealand and, unlike earlier models, seldom appeared in new-car price lists.

The Capri is remembered for the classic advertising slogan The car you always promised yourself. The U.S. ad campaign featured a line that was short but potent: Capri: The Sexy European. The Capri Club International (external link below) is the largest single-marque Ford owners' club in existence.

Memorable Capris include:

• (1973) Capri RS3100, 3.1 litre Rallye Sport version
• (1973) Capri 3100GT, 3.1 litre, 148 bhp (110 kW) and a huge spoiler
• (1983) Capri Tickford - 2.8i V6 Cologne engine with turbocharger and a scary 205 bhp (150 kW)
• (1987)"Brooklands" Capri 2.8i Cologne V6 and full leather interior

United States

From 1969 to 1977 the Capri was sold in North America through the Lincoln–Mercury organization. These cars carried no brand identification, only the "Capri" name.

Originally, the Cologne-built Capri 1600 was fitted with a British 1.6 L Kent engine. Initial output was just 64 hp. The 1971 Capri 2000 featured the Cologne-built 2.0 L OHC engine for much-improved performance from 86 hp. A Capri 2600 GT was offered in 1972 with a 2.6 L Cologne V6 which produced an impressive 120 hp.

Australia

The Ford Capri name was revived in Australia in 1989 for a convertible rivalling the Mazda MX-5 (known in the United States as the Miata). The Australian Capri, codenamed SA30, used Mazda engines and 323 mechanicals, and had a bodyshell designed by Ghia and an interior by ItalDesign. However, by comparison with the MX-5, it looked dated by the time of its release—some two years after its originally scheduled date.

Two models were originally offered: a standard 1.6 litre model, and a turbocharged XR2 variant.

The Australian-built Capri was also exported to the US—its original primary market—as the Mercury Capri, but fared poorly and was dropped.

Additionally, the car was plagued by quality problems and recalls, though it eventually made good in the early 1990s with models modified by Tickford. It was deleted in 1994.

See Also

• Ford Probe
• Ford Cougar

External links

• Capri Club International (http://www.capriclub.co.uk)
• Capri bulletin board (http://p197.ezboard.com/bcapriworld)
• Ford Capri Legend (http://fordcapri.free.fr)
• Open Directory Project: Mercury Capri (http://www.dmoz.org/Recreation/Autos/Makes_and_Models/Mercury/Capri/)
• 1989–94 Mercury Capri history (http://www.midcomustang.com/caprihistory.html)

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