I remember well the excitement and buzz that surrounded the introduction of the Ford Capri back in 1969/70. People are just not excited by cars in that way anymore. Great video as always.
I worked in a UK Ford dealership 1967-71. I can still remember the excitment at the launch of the Capri in February 1969. Our showroom was heaving with customers for a good fortnight afterwards; we could have sold countless more Capris than Ford could supply us.
I can't see this being repeated again. We drooled over these first cars, in 1969. One in particular example was outside the garage I worked at. We were all gathered around it, It was a 2000 GT XLR if I remember right and one of the mechanics said there was even a bigger 3 litre on it's way. They were exciting, beautiful to the eye and special, like nothing we had seen before. It was a magical era that has long gone, I've never experienced such times since. Cars have changed so much in my opinion, over designed, overengineered, overplasticized, overcomplicated, over priced, unable to be fixed in the home drive which gives me no desire to want one.
You were 100% right. It’s been relaunched as a generic electric SUV crossover. It’s very sad as the original Capri pushed boundaries to stand out from the crowd. The new one just conforms to today’s standard and bloated crossover design.
Over the last 5 years Ford have lost the plot!. Their crap all electric cars have gone down like a french kiss at a family reunion!. 6 years ago i jumped ship & brought a Toyota Hilux, best move i have ever made!
Thank you - great as always! Love those vids with 'hidden' concepts cats, inner histories of models and insights into manufacturers processes and thinking. In retrospective it's even more exciting to see when corporate/board approach won over artistic/designers' one and vice versa. How sometimes dull and boring cars end up selling in numbers and how outrageous and bold ones flop, or how 'persistence of possessed artist', that was seemingly going against all odds, produced a bright hit, at times one that changes the whole industry.
More information on Steve Saxty's excellent books about Ford of Europe's history: www.stevesaxty.com/ Errata: The TT-like car wasn't designed by J Mays but someone in his team. The Cougar was made in Flat Rock, MI, not Flint Rock!
Der puma 1 war super, ich hatte einen Import puma aus England mit 150 PS, der hat im Anzug fast alles verblassen, die rechts Lenkung war etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, genau wie das schalten mit links🤣
@@janeblogs324yeah, the new puma is a crossover hatch, I imagine it’s only sold in Europe. It plagues the uk and I’m really not a fan of it lol. They use it in wrc and I’m still not sold on it lol
My family had a 1987 Mazda 626 LX for almost 19 years before we sold it, worked well even in the latter years and served me just fine as my first car as i got my drivers license.
I remember watching Top Gear with the father years ago and they said that the concept car they were showing would be the new Capri. He was waiting YEARS FOR IT TO HAPPEN, but thankfully he didn’t sell his old one and still drives it to this day .,,,, love the style of the Volvo C70. The Ford Focus drawing looks very similar to the opel astra .
Fun fact: The Ford Capri was the first car ever to be reviewed on Top Gear. The current/new MkII in 1977 by...Angela Rippon of all people! ruclips.net/video/bCLCmOIJLto/видео.html
When my dad was stationed in Germany we had a 1978 Capri. He loved that car. I was only a toddler but I remember it and "helping" my dad wrench on it. He was really bummed when we had to go back stateside because his deployment was up. He ended up giving it to a Colonel because he loved it. Sadly, it was the last thing on his mind as we flew home because his brother, my uncle, had been killed and on the way to his funeral right off the plain and onto a bus my baby sister passed away from pneumonia and being prescribed the incorrect medication. My mother was pregnant and both were severely depressed. The Army took it easy on my dad and just had him be a driver for his base commander who just preferred to drive himself and was actually a clinical psychologist, so that helped. He was honorably discharged a year early and really had to take care of my mom who was not in a good place after my second sister was born. I only got to see her once in hospital and vividly remember what looked to me to be 100ft tall painting of Jesus staring down at me with a slight smile on his face and I told my mom Jesus was smiling and she would be happy. I was only 3 but that entire time in my life is incredibly clear. I've often thought about finding that Capri or a similar one and restoring it for my dad but I'm not sure if it would make them sad or bring back the memories of the happy times in Stuttgart. Cars are incredibly powerful in that way. Everyone remembers their favorite car, cars they wish they never sold, they can bring you back through time. The smells, how the surfaces feel, the sound, how it drives. They're magic if only for a moment but in that moment you can relive the best moments of your life...or worst.
I've been thinking that the solution is fairly straight forward and have been somewhat frustrated that Ford haven't seen it; make a competitor to the Toyota GT86 & Mazda MX-5 RF and call it the Capri but as soon as I learnt that they had attached the Puma name to a crossover I knew they didn't have the sense to do it. I think Mazda, Nissan and Toyota are the only "normal" brands with European operations that give a hoot about this segment now but I guess if less and less people are buying cars like that then that's how it will be. The affordable modern car market gets lamer and lamer.
The 86, BRZ, and Mazda MX-5 have really bad sales. I'm very suprised they are still in production. I guess thats why Mazda is letting the MX-5 get so old. Hard tk jsutify the costs of a new gen. People normally can only afford one car. They can't use a impractical sports coupe with a impractical trunk. Plus insurance costs on those are also higher. They need a one car does all. It makes a lot of sense why the segment is dying or pretty much dead.
The choice of new vehicles in the UK is getting more and more dull as time ticks on. The British consumer is a bit of a crowd following lemming all buying SUVs, now I have very little options for a large affordable estate car. Vauxhall and Ford no longer build vehicles for this segment, Honda no longer sell the excellent Accord in Europe, Mitsubushi canned the Gallant decades ago, the Nissan Primera/Bluebird was also consigned to the history books ages ago too. But these were honest affordable bread and butter family cars that I would still have. I know VW group, BMW and Mercedes all still build estate cars, but they are eye wateringly expensive and not that reliable, Volvo are lovely but again, I do not want a second mortgage to pay for. The Bitish public keep buying large SUVs, that actully have not much more cabin space than a large estate car, coupled with poor centre of gravity, crap aerodynamics and fuel consumption. I suppose the customer is king and the customer gets what the customer wants.
The problem is that it's a generational thing. Upmarket coupes such as the BMW 4 and 6 series or the Mercedes C and E class coupes tend to be bought by men suffering mid-life crisis who've got a bob or two to spare. Lower/mid market coupes are the preserve of the aspiring younger man with a decent job. Or at least they were when the model for the sporty GT coupe was the Ford Mustang which invented that market segment. With the appearance of the original Golf GTI in the late '70s though everything changed. Now that aspiring younger man with a decent job and a young family could kill two birds with one stone, i.e., a practical car that accommodated the wife, the kids and their luggage and something in which he could pretend to be competing in the Monte Carlo Rally on a stretch of twisty country road. The incentive for manufacturers to invest substantial money on what was fundamentally a niche body style shrivelled up. (It should be understood that the two or more car family only really existed in North America.) Since then things have gotten worse. Back when I was entering adulthood in the mid-'70s the first thing any young man entering the job market did was a) get a driving licence and b) go out and buy a used car. It was a rite of passage. By the 1980s girls were catching up with boys in doing the same thing. Over the last twenty years, however, the hassle and expense with car ownership plus the rise of the internet and the smart phone mean that the young are disinclined to spend money they probably haven't got to take a driving course, buy a car that they'll be lucky if they can afford to insure and which they have nowhere to park if they live in a city. Having said all of which, most of the car buying population wants roomy luxury and doesn't give a shit about sportiness because it's impractical and uncomfortable so they buy SUVs and crossovers. The Mustang still exists but these days it's a 5-door softroader available in an all-electric version. The only thing left of the original from 1964 is the badge.
@@baronvonjo1929 Interesting comment, that, but still I wonder: in the 1970s there were many sporty coupes, most of them following capris success: 400.000 of them were sold in the first 2 years. I'm assuming for many people back then, that also would have been their only car when they also had the option to choose a more practical saloon or estate car, even a few early hatchbacks. So there also seems to be a factor at play regarding the car that people think they need, especially as in lots of SUVs I see driving by, many people are sitting alone. I find it puzzling sometimes as a sporty car, coupe or saloon is generally a more handsome car to look at and if you're going to spend a lot of money on a car, why not on one that's more obviously a looker?
Thank you yet again for an excellent video. I love Capri's, my Grandad had a MK1, my mate's Dad drove one with the louvre blind, and I was born shortly after the Capri was introduced, however I think the Capri was the right car at the right time, and unfortunately in today's world, when even car companies need to be careful with their finances, I don't think there would be enough demand to make a successor for the Capri, Maybe the in the early '90s, my opinion would have been a lot different, but not today.
Now everyone "needs" a pickup or SUV to haul their fat, solitary arse all over creation. I love it whenever gas prices rise, the TV reporters go interview people filling up at gas stations, and what gets aired? Some moron filling the biggest SUV on the road, acting all downtrodden about it. If they gave a rats arse about fuel economy in the first place, they wouldn't be driving a barn on wheels. Alone. All the time.
I had a 1976 Capri II S 2.8. I removed all the anti pollution equipment and took off the catalytic converters and put on dual straight pipes. She was pretty fast then.
Back in the day, I judged my progress in life by the cars I drove. Started with a Vauxhall Chevette (please dont judge me) but then went to Capri. 1.6, 2 ltr Laser then a lovely 2.8i in black. Loved them all. Then just started driving cars I thought were fun. Ford Puma was great when I lived in Snowdonia and the roads there. Then onto Mazda. Still love the MX3, and tried to buy one on e-bay recently. You can keep your modern boxes, give me character, fun cars any day.
Had a grey Capri 2.3s, I thought it was great, it had the looks, a V6 and a nice exhaust note. It was the car that got me hooked on fast Fords (till this day). I really like the image they had, affordable and fast, aimed at average Joe.
I have always thought there was some resemblance between the 1999-2002 Cougar and the 1993-2000 Fiat Coupé, and wondered if the Fiat influenced the design of the Cougar at all.
In the United States there was a Mercury version of this car the Mercury Capri it was basically the same vehicle but left hand drive with some Mercury badges now it's kind of rare car to find though
@@maddsheep only found one 2 years ago for sale in mint condition but the price was too high and it was made mainly of plastic the interior, the Puma was kind of a look a like but the fiesta chassi with a sporty body and a 1.7L engine (the first model)
When a kid back in the early sixties I used to get a magazine called Look and Learn. One edition had a photo from Ford of a clay of a two door coupe. This bore a very strong resemblance to the Ford Capri, but NOT the 1969 Mk1, but the 1978 version with four headlights, released 15 or 16 years later.
Sometimes, a legend is best left alone. Cars, games, films, sometimes that magical spark is hard to repeat, but sticks in the memory of those who enjoyed it. With what Ford has done to the mustang, i think its best left in the early 80s where it belongs :)
I had the 1972 American Capri, but everyone called it a Ford Capri. It was attractive, young minded, decent handling, and a 2 liter engine (100 BHP). It wasn't high quality, but the seats looked good, with no radio or air conditioning. No matter I loved my car until I traded it for a Fiat 131 Mirafiori that handled amazingly, rode smoothly, strong engine, air conditioning, Blaupunkt stereo FM radio. It was wonderful, but it never had the pizzazz of the Capri. Two years later I traded it for a Lancia Beta Coupe in Red with leather seats, wonderful stereo and air with a 5-speed manual. It was the best handling car I ever drove, and I have an Audi TT now.
I drove a new 2.8 injection Capri. Beautiful car, I put my foot down and the acceleration was fantastic. The speedo needle moved fast up the gauge and then I noticed the fuel gauge needle. I actually saw the needle move down. I quickly took my foot off.
Had many 2.8s and 3 litres ghia's and S's. Had 6 or 7 at the same time for shows and daily use etc. I've never once seen the fuel gauge go down fast or had a "bag of sand or cement" in the back! They were and still are a fantastic car. The one I have now I fitted a chevrolet 5.7 litre V8 on a 5 speed gearbox...its a real piece of kit and still....the fuel gauge doesn't go down fast. They deserve all the classic status they get now and there have been so many misconceptions about them over the years. As a race car they won absolutely everything for many years too
@@LordFlashheart.11 well I booted it, maybe the acceleration moved the needle but no way were they economical when used to their capabilities. Besides which I’m talking about when the 2.8 first came out. They weren’t show cars then.
@@tridbant well we would never buy a Capri or any kind of muscle car if you're concerned about fyel economy. But they don't half put a smile on your face and to be honest give me one of them any day over anything false narrative following electric with no character. I sat in a Paris blue 2.8i in a local ford showroom in 1986, I remember the smell of leather. Always wanted one that colour but one never came up for sale. Of course now they are well and truly out of reach due to price so I'll keep my V8 powered one. Your so lucky to drive one new back in the day👍🏻
It's a simple solution, take the capable chassis from the Mazda mx5 chuck in a 2.3l ecoboost, wrap it in a retro inspired body and slap a capri badge on the back
I had nine Capri. starting with the 1,7 V 4 and the 74 mkII is still is alive having a Granada 5-speed gearbox and a 180hp 2,8 engine.and a lot of improvements from the RS program and if I had to replace a rusty body part it will be made out of a shreddert Tesla (:-))
I remember back when the Mk3 Focus came out, there were an abundance of rumors saying that Ford was going to bring back the Capri as a 2dr Focus hatchback coupe nicknamed Ford Focus Capri and that the design was going to be inspired by the Evos concept.
@@joelwilliams767 yer, and you don’t have to be a car nut to enjoy it. Also, it’s great to see a channel that hasn’t been lured into -scripted, cringy and fake endorsements- advertising (manscaped, ridge wallet etc)
@@BigCar2 I’m only joking, I understand content creators need to get paid - and rightly so. Love your work. Fair play for supporting the Ukrainian company. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦
It's a shame really. The Capri is one of Ford's most loved models, but I can't help but think we'll never see anything like it again. I believe Ford did patent the use of the Capri, Granada, Cortina and Consul names alongside a few others in about 2020-ish. But I worry what the outcome of each will be...
I guess one glimmer of hope to cling onto is that the way EVs are structured mechanically might bring development/engineering costs on a new coupe down to a level where it makes financial sense to build one for a relatively niche audience once again.
I had a Capri 2.0 litre model 1, 5, the one with the larger head- and taillights and front indicators in the bumber. Only 92 bhp, but after T installed a new head with double Webers and a bit more compression, it delivered a very nice 122 BHP. More than enough to beat those hated Opel Manta's. It was a real war between those drivers back then.
You do a great job in researching and conveying all that information into a nice 18 min video. The Capri of the late 60s to early 70s was a great looking car with good performance for the money. It’s unfortunate that people no longer buy coupes like they use to, I guess the Mustang pretty much meet the needs that a Capri would fill in Ford’s current lineup.
The classic capri defined the shape of a capri and was made at a time of car development that is long past. Extra long hoods and long overhangs, which helped define the capri, are now considered impractical car designs. Nice video. Thanks for the memories.
I had several Capri's, the best was a Mk2 with a 2 litre Pinto engine in it, I tuned the engine a little with a cam, exhaust and Weber carbs and took it round Brands Hatch short circuit, this would have been late 70's and got consistent 58 second lap times with the car more sideways than straight all round the track, a few years later with more work to the Pinto engine and my racer friend Aaron Tucker driving, the Capri was able to lap consistently in the 52 seconds region on road tyres which is actually very fast and only 1 second per lap slower than a modern Caterham R500. Performance wise the Capri was always a really impressive machine in standard form and when properly modified they were unbeatable on the race track 'Sausage' HT Racing Ltd
Geat upload again, Sir. A dear friend of mine has a collection Fords from this era. Granada hearse. V8 Perana. Granada limo. I think also a Capri and some Consuls. Best regards from a car detailer in Norway 🙂
My first car was a 73, Mercury Capri 2.8 ltr, 4 speed. Loved that car. Would love to find one today but they were such rust buckets I doubt there are many left.
Excellent video, unfortunately you left out 1 iteration of the Capri. In 1966 and 1967 the Mercury division of Ford sold a midsized car called the Comet Capri...or as the cars were badged: Capri. In 1966 the Capri lineup included a 2 door hardtop coupe, a 4 door sedan, AND A STATION WAGON. This model was a " step up " from the " base " Comet, the 202. In 1967 the Capri wagon was re-badged Comet. BTW, the 66 Comet Capri sold 34,000 units in its 3 body styles, the 67 was less well received selling about 21,000 in 2 body styles.
Another fantastic and very fascinating Video. I love to watch these, interesting and a trip down memory lane too. Thank you for producing these Videos.
Couldn’t agree more. Everything is so ugly these days. Despite having the disposable income there are few cars that tempt me or are actually as enjoyable to drive. I prefer to leave my iPad at home ( to watch and rant on RUclips 🤣) rather than use it to set the heater or open a glove box. Send the geeks back to their computer games and employ some good designers and engineers instead.
And then you look at the Probe and think "Really?" The Capri had the same problem as the Mustang, at least in Europe. You couldn't slap the badge on just anything. Personally, I think the second-gen Probe had the most Capri-like look, but a true Capri is rear-drive. When Ford was making rear-drive small cars, easy enough. Once they went front-drive on everything, not so simple. Now that the Mustang is essentially its own platform (always previously based on sedan platforms), Ford has to sell it everywhere it can to cover development costs.
Thanks for a terrific trip down (ancient) memory lane! I recall an article around 1970 where the female journalist bought a Capri for a basic price of £1,000 and added around £500 of extras. She included just about every imaginable extra available at the time, including a recorder so that she could dictate her articles while on the move. Did anyone mention another of my favourites, the VW Scirocco, which was similar to the Capri in general concept? VW produced it in two desirable generations, but it has not continued to the present day. Again the market is no longer strong enough for such coupes.
Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a child of the 70's and the capri was always cool, mainly because of 'The Professionals'. More Ford videos please. Great video.
13:21.This would have been a superb re-imagining of the Capri! I have always had a soft spot for the Capri, it was the first car I wanted, and in 1983, I finally got my hands on a 1972 3.0 GTXLR. Loved every minute of ownership, and hated having to get rid of it.. Nearly 40 years later, I am trying to convince myself that I could/should buy a fully restored 1971 Perana!
3:45 Unintentionally hilarious is the fact that, in introducing this Ghia Capri proposal, you say "Under 'TURD,' Ghia offered a coupe version..." Well done, Sir! Well done!
Well, it's fascinating to see how they tried to bring the Capri back. I'm one of the few Americans that got to drive one on a regular basis, and there are some good memories there. But that new one is so cynical that it makes fun of the enthusiasts who owned the original. It almost says that Ford doesn't need car enthusiasts anymore. Sometimes I wonder if the industry is coming to that way of thinking as a whole.
I always felt a real challenger to the Capri came from Toyota with the Celica and Supra models. Strange you did not mention those. Also missing from your story line was the head turning Aston Martin take on what the Capri could have become. The Opel Manta as a rival was also in the mix in its many forms. Still you have done one thing. Inspired me to breath new life into my own Capri. The neighbours will hate you for this... :D
celica supra not celica & supra, the Opel manta mkI ,i kept one that belonged to my father it had a litle manta made of iron on the side front panels next to the door, but later opel released a kind of coupé/sport car with a new name but it looked good later my father bought the late 80´s senator with irmsher parts ,big sedan but very nice to drive and the size of the original steering wheel was much litle compared to the 70´s model
The person who I bought my Capri from had replaced it with an A60 Celica (only sold as a liftback in the U.K.) That was the only car I spent a long time wanting but when I went to test drive one it didn't have enough headroom for me, which was also a problem in the later / more upmarket Capris with sunroofs.
Thanks, very interesting, I thought you were going to miss out on the Ford Consul Capri which predated what most people think of a Capri, but you got there in the end.
My second car was a turquoise Consul Capri with grey and silver inside , I went into the local Ford main dealer, for a gearbox support.and they denied the car existed , loved the car and so did all the local kids
The Capri is probably the design that caught my imagination (along with the likes of the Mk1 Escort and Mk1 Golf) when I was a kid (despite its 'sheep in a wolfs clothing' reputation) but I was never able to afford one as by the time I got a driving licence they had become quite rare and expensive.
Me too. The Ford Capri was the car which caught my imagination when I was young but I never was able to afford one where I live here in South Asia. However one of my uncles owned a Capri 1300 for a short period in the 70's before loosing it due to some legal entanglements.
My first car was a two door MK1 Ford Escort which was full of rust when it was nine years old. After three years I upgraded to a Capri. I was rather surprised when about ten years ago, chatting to the owner of a nice Capri he said that the car he had really wanted was a MK1 Escort but he couldn't afford one so settled on a Capri. The Capri was supposed to be the car Escort owners promised themselves, especially if said Escort was an 1100 like mine.
I had a couple Capris in around 1981 (I think they may have been 1978 models). V6, 4-speed - they were really peppy cars. I like the design of them, too. The later ones, not so much.
Loved my 2nd car, a met blue 1.6s..... Vented 2.8 inj Brakes, 2.8 inj bilstein gas suspension, 128lb single rear leaf springs grey recaro strobe interior......7" inj special RS wheels Everything on that 1.6 that could be off a 2.8 inj special was on there that could be was .........it basically taught me diy spannering which eventually led me to build (with all new parts and healthy levels of ocd) my fantastic ac cobra replica, without the capri the big cobra would probably never have been built, ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I actually like the round headlights of the US-model Capris better than the rectangular ones on the Euro models. Maybe because I'm used to them, but they seem to fit the overall design better.
I light the old glass lights. Because they used to be $7 and you never had a yellowing plastic housing... or a glass lens and rusted out reflector bucket
The RS2600and RS3100 race homologation specials got the twin round headlight setup. The later hatchback (mk3) Capri got them too but with the edge of the hood slightly drooping over them.
all european cars with big head lights in the front ,In the U.S. they made them with two round ones with a frame ,normally chromed filling the space left
the mercedes w114 and w115 were the ones who get their look destroyd by the one round light and a turn signal bellow ,all the rest filled with chromed aluminium the original front lights gave a better shape to the car ,the reverse happened with the S from the early 60´s till 73, they looked better with the two round lights than the one giant glass optics
The thing about the Capri was that it was good value. It was barely more than mundane Cortinas - fair dos as it was pretty similar to produce. Ford today seem to think that making a hatchback into an "active" design (raising the suspension) means the car is now a desirable "SUV" worth considerably more than the basic hatch. I drove a 2.0 Cougar once. It was basically a Mondeo. Which is good.
Raising the altitude raises the price. I like those trapezoids and boxes. Put fins on em. I wish this "bloated bean on wagon wheels" style would disappear.
The Mustang-based Capri we had in the US starting in 1979 was a bit of an anomaly. It wasn't too well known here, and low sales numbers did it in. I found that a shame as I owned a 1986 version with the 5.0 V8 and 5-speed manual transmission (I bought it used in 1989) and '86 was the last year for that version of the Capri because the Mustang changed its shape in 1987 (which lasted pretty much identical through 1993), so Ford killed off the Capri before the new 1987 Mustang came out so they wouldn't have to deal with upgrading the Capri as well. The Capri from 1984 through 1986 had a very large aero rear window on the hatch as compared to the contemporary Mustang, as well as the fenders and quarter panels were slightly flared out. Many people had no idea the Capri existed as they thought it was a special edition of the Mustang, or some did not realize it was available with the Mustang GT's very powerful (for the time, of course) 5.0 V8 and thought it was only available in with the available 3.8 V6.
When I was a teenager you were either a Ford Capri guy or an Opel Manta B guy, when no new Capri emerged everybody went for the Opel Calibra as most cool car. 😁
Why doesn't anyone remember the original UK Capri? A soft topped version of the Consul Classic? Actually, I think it might have been a two-door coupe. Early 60's?
This is such a great video on so many levels. I wish corporates would actually listen to the masses. A retro design would work well, however one needs to be very careful
An affordable sports coupe - that's just the car I would buy in a heartbeat today! Unfortunately, all but the blandest are not built anymore, and the world is flooded with crossovers and SUVs.
With Opel being part of Stellantis, the Manta design looks close enough to a baby Dodge Challenger to make it further towards production, especially if sharing a chassis that could replace the Dart, Neon, and baby Fiats.
The Australian Ford, based on the Mazda 323 was, in fact the *Mazda 323* rebadged as a Ford Meteor. I know because it was the first car I owned. Its bonnet opened forward rather than the traditional backward-opening of other cars. The hatchback version of the Mazda 323 was rebadged here as the Ford Laser. My Meteor was a bugger to drive, it had no power steering and I felt ill-at-ease driving it on any long-distance trips. And because it ran on LRP(Lead-Replacement Petrol), it would just "conk out" when I eased up on the accelerator to go round a corner or through a roundabout.
Though they sold it through Mercury dealers I don't think they ever slapped a Mercury badge on them. It was sort of a stand alone make, some dealers even had CAPRI signs along with their Lincoln-Mercury dealer signage.
Starting to drive in the 80s and being more interested in cars, I don't recall too many leftover 1970s Capris in the US, but I am fairly certain the few I saw that were still on the roads were not badged with 'Mercury' badging. Shame they weren't prevelant because there were so many Pintos running around, the Pintos would have made for great engine swaps. Even back then, people were starting to realize the power potential of the various Pinto engines, and I recall a few hot-rodded Pintos, and swapping Pinto engines into Capris would have kept them interesting (and on the road).
Capri 1.6, my first car. Stuck a Bigger Carb and a hi lift cam on it and got some Ghia Capri wheels,sprayed those gold. I still have nice dreams about that car...
Thank you for shedding light on this mystery for us! I'd always wondered why the Capri nameplate never re-appeared on a European Ford. Vauxhall's Firenza badge seems to have also vanished into history. I did like that EV Manta concept though, so all may not be lost... yet
Oldsmobile did use the Firenza badge, first as a trim option on the Starfire subcompact and then as Oldsmobile's version of the GM J-car, also known as Cavalier MkII and Opel Ascona C.
As a former Capri owner I think a big part of the appeal of the Capri was the halo effect from the top of the range models while having a model range that catered for most budgets. A young colleague who was a massive fan bought a 1.6 Laser when he was 21. I guess a 2 litre would have been out of his insurance budget. Probably the only time I have been complimented in my choice of car was when a young lady (who went on the appear on Page 3) said to her friend "AND he's got a Capri". Obviously I didn't elaborate on the fact that it was a 1.6L in Tuscan Beige :-) All the replacements you showed including ones that made it to market like the XR4i, were nice, but would have been well out of the budget of someone who could just about stretch to an XR3. p.s I have driven a BMW420 (which for bizarre reasons spent a year in the car pool at work) and thought the driving experience was very Capri like. A shame it isn't a hatchback. The Capri was a very practical car. In the Capri history book it describes how someone used to transport Formula 1 engines across Europe in a 2.8i . I once collected a self assembly Pine bed and mattress in mine and was surprised how easily it all fitted in. I also built a garden fence using 4 foot panels brought one at a time (that was all that would fit) from B&Q in my Capri. There were never many sports coupes which could be used for tasks like that.
Thank you for a great documentary. Being a keen driver of these in the 80's(i owned 4 altogether) I have often looked back and wished I had taken greater care of them.
@@MegaSockenschuss My dad owned a 480 turbo two tone. Loved it. All our family drives or has owned Volvo's in the past. Only acception is my mother's Ford Focus.. also a brilliant car imo.
Coupe sales are dropping because, by default, the general design produces good looking cars. Today is all about ugly. Hoodies, tattoos, ripped jeans, SUVs, crossovers, flat faced dogs, obesity, privacy glass, motorhomes - all of them hard on the eye, yet supremely popular. Just look at the number of Nissan Pukes on the road, for God's sake! The poor old coupe doesn't stand a chance.
I agree. I think if one ever did appear it would be a struck on badge exercise on a mundane design. Best they don't do that. One look at how the MG image went from sports to stick on badges gives you an idea.
I had a Mark 2, red, back in the day when you could buy a car for 100£ and it might get through the next mot. Such a fun car to drive. Cool vid, brought back some good memories. Cheers.
@Richard Harrold / We had a 4 cylinder manual transmission and was amazed what performance I could squeeze out of it. It was low tech, with low expectations, but it worked and was surprisingly fun. No comparison to our Porsche Turbo whale tail, of course.
The ford Capri. . or Mercury Capri fox body, is one of, if not my favorite car ever. . theyre kinda rare and hard to find these days, but if i cld get my hands on one it wld be Awesome. . . i had a 82 lx fox body with a built boss 302 in it when i was 18. . . i lost my license with it lol. . but it had a Capri hood, with a functional scoop. . i loved that car.
The video shows that it is very hard to repeat a very successful design in auto industry & that is a fact. A lot of examples, not only the Capri story.
My first car was a metallic blue Capri Mk II 1.6 and I loved it! Basically, Ford got the design perfect with the Mk III, and should have simply made minimal changes to update that.
![ROSÉ(로제) - APT. (Band VER.) (With. 이영지) [더 시즌즈-이영지의 레인보우] | KBS 241129 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IW8qaemx74g/mqdefault.jpg)
watching this now hurts my soul knowing you were right about the SUV theory
Talk about selling the family jewels.
I remember well the excitement and buzz that surrounded the introduction of the Ford Capri back in 1969/70. People are just not excited by cars in that way anymore. Great video as always.
UK, till the 80th ish, Capri was, young guys, first job, no kids!
The Mustang was cheaper than this Capri in the US !
I worked in a UK Ford dealership 1967-71. I can still remember the excitment at the launch of the Capri in February 1969. Our showroom was heaving with customers for a good fortnight afterwards; we could have sold countless more Capris than Ford could supply us.
@@terryjacob8169 Back then, Amsterdam, we made our own Mustang Wagon !! Ford Amsterdam ! no lefties we made, you did make them all in the UK !
@@terryjacob8169 Brilliant reply, thank you! I too remember the street buzz, were we just young back then or have new cars just become boring?
I can't see this being repeated again. We drooled over these first cars, in 1969. One in particular example was outside the garage I worked at. We were all gathered around it, It was a 2000 GT XLR if I remember right and one of the mechanics said there was even a bigger 3 litre on it's way. They were exciting, beautiful to the eye and special, like nothing we had seen before. It was a magical era that has long gone, I've never experienced such times since. Cars have changed so much in my opinion, over designed, overengineered, overplasticized, overcomplicated, over priced, unable to be fixed in the home drive which gives me no desire to want one.
You were 100% right. It’s been relaunched as a generic electric SUV crossover. It’s very sad as the original Capri pushed boundaries to stand out from the crowd. The new one just conforms to today’s standard and bloated crossover design.
I owned a '76 Capri, loved it!! It went 160 mphs. Unbelievable it was!
Over the last 5 years Ford have lost the plot!. Their crap all electric cars have gone down like a french kiss at a family reunion!. 6 years ago i jumped ship & brought a Toyota Hilux, best move i have ever made!
I'm moving to Toyota too now I've seen the new EV SUV Blob Crapi
Thank you - great as always! Love those vids with 'hidden' concepts cats, inner histories of models and insights into manufacturers processes and thinking. In retrospective it's even more exciting to see when corporate/board approach won over artistic/designers' one and vice versa. How sometimes dull and boring cars end up selling in numbers and how outrageous and bold ones flop, or how 'persistence of possessed artist', that was seemingly going against all odds, produced a bright hit, at times one that changes the whole industry.
More information on Steve Saxty's excellent books about Ford of Europe's history: www.stevesaxty.com/
Errata: The TT-like car wasn't designed by J Mays but someone in his team.
The Cougar was made in Flat Rock, MI, not Flint Rock!
HI. Very good. Very good vid. indeed. Thx.
Is it true, Ford used to give a free book about the protocols, with every new car. if so, why did they stop?
You lose credibility making basic mistakes like this.
womp womp @@mariemccann5895
you watched it anyway
What about the Ford Puma? I know it was based on the Fiesta but it had some of the capri hallmarks like tge back window.
Are there different newer pumas? Ours wasn't a fiesta
Your right, the puma was a good coupe, my friend had one and it was a great little car with good handling.
Der puma 1 war super, ich hatte einen Import puma aus England mit 150 PS, der hat im Anzug fast alles verblassen, die rechts Lenkung war etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig, genau wie das schalten mit links🤣
@@janeblogs324yeah, the new puma is a crossover hatch, I imagine it’s only sold in Europe. It plagues the uk and I’m really not a fan of it lol. They use it in wrc and I’m still not sold on it lol
@Joseph Robson I also hate it as a Romanian, as it's being produced here and with the price, you can imagine how common it is.
This guy researches his subject very well and presents in an informative and entertaining way.
There were 2 Mercury Capris in my family, both were totalled after crashes. I thought they were a hoot to drive.
My family had a 1987 Mazda 626 LX for almost 19 years before we sold it, worked well even in the latter years and served me just fine as my first car as i got my drivers license.
I remember watching Top Gear with the father years ago and they said that the concept car they were showing would be the new Capri. He was waiting YEARS FOR IT TO HAPPEN, but thankfully he didn’t sell his old one and still drives it to this day .,,,, love the style of the Volvo C70. The Ford Focus drawing looks very similar to the opel astra .
Is it true, Ford used to give a free book about the protocols, with every new car. if so, why did they stop?
Fun fact: The Ford Capri was the first car ever to be reviewed on Top Gear. The current/new MkII in 1977 by...Angela Rippon of all people! ruclips.net/video/bCLCmOIJLto/видео.html
@@JamesSmith-qs4hx Not sure about Ford, but Rolls Royce did.
When my dad was stationed in Germany we had a 1978 Capri. He loved that car. I was only a toddler but I remember it and "helping" my dad wrench on it. He was really bummed when we had to go back stateside because his deployment was up. He ended up giving it to a Colonel because he loved it. Sadly, it was the last thing on his mind as we flew home because his brother, my uncle, had been killed and on the way to his funeral right off the plain and onto a bus my baby sister passed away from pneumonia and being prescribed the incorrect medication. My mother was pregnant and both were severely depressed. The Army took it easy on my dad and just had him be a driver for his base commander who just preferred to drive himself and was actually a clinical psychologist, so that helped. He was honorably discharged a year early and really had to take care of my mom who was not in a good place after my second sister was born. I only got to see her once in hospital and vividly remember what looked to me to be 100ft tall painting of Jesus staring down at me with a slight smile on his face and I told my mom Jesus was smiling and she would be happy. I was only 3 but that entire time in my life is incredibly clear. I've often thought about finding that Capri or a similar one and restoring it for my dad but I'm not sure if it would make them sad or bring back the memories of the happy times in Stuttgart. Cars are incredibly powerful in that way. Everyone remembers their favorite car, cars they wish they never sold, they can bring you back through time. The smells, how the surfaces feel, the sound, how it drives. They're magic if only for a moment but in that moment you can relive the best moments of your life...or worst.
I've been thinking that the solution is fairly straight forward and have been somewhat frustrated that Ford haven't seen it; make a competitor to the Toyota GT86 & Mazda MX-5 RF and call it the Capri but as soon as I learnt that they had attached the Puma name to a crossover I knew they didn't have the sense to do it. I think Mazda, Nissan and Toyota are the only "normal" brands with European operations that give a hoot about this segment now but I guess if less and less people are buying cars like that then that's how it will be. The affordable modern car market gets lamer and lamer.
Good point about Toyota GT86 but with the Mustang now Ford's worldwide sports coupe, I don't think there'll ever be another Capri
The 86, BRZ, and Mazda MX-5 have really bad sales. I'm very suprised they are still in production. I guess thats why Mazda is letting the MX-5 get so old. Hard tk jsutify the costs of a new gen. People normally can only afford one car. They can't use a impractical sports coupe with a impractical trunk. Plus insurance costs on those are also higher. They need a one car does all. It makes a lot of sense why the segment is dying or pretty much dead.
The choice of new vehicles in the UK is getting more and more dull as time ticks on. The British consumer is a bit of a crowd following lemming all buying SUVs, now I have very little options for a large affordable estate car. Vauxhall and Ford no longer build vehicles for this segment, Honda no longer sell the excellent Accord in Europe, Mitsubushi canned the Gallant decades ago, the Nissan Primera/Bluebird was also consigned to the history books ages ago too. But these were honest affordable bread and butter family cars that I would still have. I know VW group, BMW and Mercedes all still build estate cars, but they are eye wateringly expensive and not that reliable, Volvo are lovely but again, I do not want a second mortgage to pay for. The Bitish public keep buying large SUVs, that actully have not much more cabin space than a large estate car, coupled with poor centre of gravity, crap aerodynamics and fuel consumption. I suppose the customer is king and the customer gets what the customer wants.
The problem is that it's a generational thing. Upmarket coupes such as the BMW 4 and 6 series or the Mercedes C and E class coupes tend to be bought by men suffering mid-life crisis who've got a bob or two to spare. Lower/mid market coupes are the preserve of the aspiring younger man with a decent job. Or at least they were when the model for the sporty GT coupe was the Ford Mustang which invented that market segment.
With the appearance of the original Golf GTI in the late '70s though everything changed. Now that aspiring younger man with a decent job and a young family could kill two birds with one stone, i.e., a practical car that accommodated the wife, the kids and their luggage and something in which he could pretend to be competing in the Monte Carlo Rally on a stretch of twisty country road. The incentive for manufacturers to invest substantial money on what was fundamentally a niche body style shrivelled up. (It should be understood that the two or more car family only really existed in North America.)
Since then things have gotten worse. Back when I was entering adulthood in the mid-'70s the first thing any young man entering the job market did was a) get a driving licence and b) go out and buy a used car. It was a rite of passage. By the 1980s girls were catching up with boys in doing the same thing. Over the last twenty years, however, the hassle and expense with car ownership plus the rise of the internet and the smart phone mean that the young are disinclined to spend money they probably haven't got to take a driving course, buy a car that they'll be lucky if they can afford to insure and which they have nowhere to park if they live in a city.
Having said all of which, most of the car buying population wants roomy luxury and doesn't give a shit about sportiness because it's impractical and uncomfortable so they buy SUVs and crossovers. The Mustang still exists but these days it's a 5-door softroader available in an all-electric version. The only thing left of the original from 1964 is the badge.
@@baronvonjo1929 Interesting comment, that, but still I wonder: in the 1970s there were many sporty coupes, most of them following capris success: 400.000 of them were sold in the first 2 years. I'm assuming for many people back then, that also would have been their only car when they also had the option to choose a more practical saloon or estate car, even a few early hatchbacks. So there also seems to be a factor at play regarding the car that people think they need, especially as in lots of SUVs I see driving by, many people are sitting alone. I find it puzzling sometimes as a sporty car, coupe or saloon is generally a more handsome car to look at and if you're going to spend a lot of money on a car, why not on one that's more obviously a looker?
My head hurts from all those twists and turns in the tale!
Thank you yet again for an excellent video. I love Capri's, my Grandad had a MK1, my mate's Dad drove one with the louvre blind, and I was born shortly after the Capri was introduced, however I think the Capri was the right car at the right time, and unfortunately in today's world, when even car companies need to be careful with their finances, I don't think there would be enough demand to make a successor for the Capri, Maybe the in the early '90s, my opinion would have been a lot different, but not today.
Now everyone "needs" a pickup or SUV to haul their fat, solitary arse all over creation.
I love it whenever gas prices rise, the TV reporters go interview people filling up at gas stations, and what gets aired? Some moron filling the biggest SUV on the road, acting all downtrodden about it. If they gave a rats arse about fuel economy in the first place, they wouldn't be driving a barn on wheels. Alone. All the time.
I had a 1976 Capri II S 2.8. I removed all the anti pollution equipment and took off the catalytic converters and put on dual straight pipes. She was pretty fast then.
Cool I had one too.
Back in the day, I judged my progress in life by the cars I drove. Started with a Vauxhall Chevette (please dont judge me) but then went to Capri. 1.6, 2 ltr Laser then a lovely 2.8i in black. Loved them all. Then just started driving cars I thought were fun. Ford Puma was great when I lived in Snowdonia and the roads there. Then onto Mazda. Still love the MX3, and tried to buy one on e-bay recently. You can keep your modern boxes, give me character, fun cars any day.
Had a grey Capri 2.3s, I thought it was great, it had the looks, a V6 and a nice exhaust note. It was the car that got me hooked on fast Fords (till this day). I really like the image they had, affordable and fast, aimed at average Joe.
Interesting that we never got the 2.3 in the UK
That’s how Ford got it so right at the time, they offered value for money, great style and reasonable reliability.
...got the cool looks, yes, but bad suspension!
Yeah totally an imagination inspiring combo
@@theblackhand6485 long ago two friends road rallied a mk1 1600 gt, fitted with Escort RS Mexico suspension. It was much better.
Every car fan appreciates your car-history videos. Keep up the good work!
I have always thought there was some resemblance between the 1999-2002 Cougar and the 1993-2000 Fiat Coupé, and wondered if the Fiat influenced the design of the Cougar at all.
It did not - the Cougar was done in the Cologne no reference to the rather excellent Bangle Fiat
In the United States there was a Mercury version of this car the Mercury Capri it was basically the same vehicle but left hand drive with some Mercury badges now it's kind of rare car to find though
I never made that connection but I definitely see some similarities.
Only in the Land of the Blind!
@@maddsheep only found one 2 years ago for sale in mint condition but the price was too high and it was made mainly of plastic the interior, the Puma was kind of a look a like but the fiesta chassi with a sporty body and a 1.7L engine (the first model)
When a kid back in the early sixties I used to get a magazine called Look and Learn. One edition had a photo from Ford of a clay of a two door coupe. This bore a very strong resemblance to the Ford Capri, but NOT the 1969 Mk1, but the 1978 version with four headlights, released 15 or 16 years later.
What alarmed me was the Capri being driven through the surf at the top of the video, I was worried it was going to dissolve in that salty water! 🤣
Great video loved it I think the key to the capris success was it's simplicity you would never get that today
Sometimes, a legend is best left alone. Cars, games, films, sometimes that magical spark is hard to repeat, but sticks in the memory of those who enjoyed it. With what Ford has done to the mustang, i think its best left in the early 80s where it belongs :)
The 80s Mustangs were the worst of all.
I had the 1972 American Capri, but everyone called it a Ford Capri. It was attractive, young minded, decent handling, and a 2 liter engine (100 BHP). It wasn't high quality, but the seats looked good, with no radio or air conditioning. No matter I loved my car until I traded it for a Fiat 131 Mirafiori that handled amazingly, rode smoothly, strong engine, air conditioning, Blaupunkt stereo FM radio. It was wonderful, but it never had the pizzazz of the Capri. Two years later I traded it for a Lancia Beta Coupe in Red with leather seats, wonderful stereo and air with a 5-speed manual. It was the best handling car I ever drove, and I have an Audi TT now.
I drove a new 2.8 injection Capri. Beautiful car, I put my foot down and the acceleration was fantastic. The speedo needle moved fast up the gauge and then I noticed the fuel gauge needle. I actually saw the needle move down. I quickly took my foot off.
Haha, finally bought one after 40 years.
You're right about the acceleration and consumption. But ya just can't help it when you hear the noise 😁
Had many 2.8s and 3 litres ghia's and S's. Had 6 or 7 at the same time for shows and daily use etc. I've never once seen the fuel gauge go down fast or had a "bag of sand or cement" in the back! They were and still are a fantastic car. The one I have now I fitted a chevrolet 5.7 litre V8 on a 5 speed gearbox...its a real piece of kit and still....the fuel gauge doesn't go down fast. They deserve all the classic status they get now and there have been so many misconceptions about them over the years. As a race car they won absolutely everything for many years too
@@LordFlashheart.11 well I booted it, maybe the acceleration moved the needle but no way were they economical when used to their capabilities.
Besides which I’m talking about when the 2.8 first came out. They weren’t show cars then.
@@tridbant well we would never buy a Capri or any kind of muscle car if you're concerned about fyel economy. But they don't half put a smile on your face and to be honest give me one of them any day over anything false narrative following electric with no character. I sat in a Paris blue 2.8i in a local ford showroom in 1986, I remember the smell of leather. Always wanted one that colour but one never came up for sale. Of course now they are well and truly out of reach due to price so I'll keep my V8 powered one. Your so lucky to drive one new back in the day👍🏻
It's a simple solution, take the capable chassis from the Mazda mx5 chuck in a 2.3l ecoboost, wrap it in a retro inspired body and slap a capri badge on the back
I had nine Capri. starting with the 1,7 V 4 and the 74 mkII is still is alive having a Granada 5-speed gearbox and a 180hp 2,8 engine.and a lot of improvements from the RS program and if I had to replace a rusty body part it will be made out of a shreddert Tesla (:-))
I remember back when the Mk3 Focus came out, there were an abundance of rumors saying that Ford was going to bring back the Capri as a 2dr Focus hatchback coupe nicknamed Ford Focus Capri and that the design was going to be inspired by the Evos concept.
Looks like you hit the nail on the head about the new Capri being a Crossover and Electric. well done Sir.
That MK3 RS in my garage is staring to look like a smart decision.
How this channel only has 209k subs is beyond me…informative, well researched edited and presented content every time 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Mad isn’t it?! Such good content.
@@joelwilliams767 yer, and you don’t have to be a car nut to enjoy it. Also, it’s great to see a channel that hasn’t been lured into -scripted, cringy and fake endorsements- advertising (manscaped, ridge wallet etc)
The next video has an endorsement. Sorry, but I didn't get paid for it. It's a Ukranian company that I'm happy to support.
@@BigCar2 I’m only joking, I understand content creators need to get paid - and rightly so. Love your work. Fair play for supporting the Ukrainian company. Slava Ukraine 🇺🇦
It's a shame really. The Capri is one of Ford's most loved models, but I can't help but think we'll never see anything like it again.
I believe Ford did patent the use of the Capri, Granada, Cortina and Consul names alongside a few others in about 2020-ish. But I worry what the outcome of each will be...
Most like electric crossovers and maybe a 3 row large suv for the Granada
I guess one glimmer of hope to cling onto is that the way EVs are structured mechanically might bring development/engineering costs on a new coupe down to a level where it makes financial sense to build one for a relatively niche audience once again.
I had a Capri 2.0 litre model 1, 5, the one with the larger head- and taillights and front indicators in the bumber. Only 92 bhp, but after T installed a new head with double Webers and a bit more compression, it delivered a very nice 122 BHP. More than enough to beat those hated Opel Manta's. It was a real war between those drivers back then.
You do a great job in researching and conveying all that information into a nice 18 min video. The Capri of the late 60s to early 70s was a great looking car with good performance for the money. It’s unfortunate that people no longer buy coupes like they use to, I guess the Mustang pretty much meet the needs that a Capri would fill in Ford’s current lineup.
The classic capri defined the shape of a capri and was made at a time of car development that is long past. Extra long hoods and long overhangs, which helped define the capri, are now considered impractical car designs. Nice video. Thanks for the memories.
I had several Capri's, the best was a Mk2 with a 2 litre Pinto engine in it, I tuned the engine a little with a cam, exhaust and Weber carbs and took it round Brands Hatch short circuit, this would have been late 70's and got consistent 58 second lap times with the car more sideways than straight all round the track, a few years later with more work to the Pinto engine and my racer friend Aaron Tucker driving, the Capri was able to lap consistently in the 52 seconds region on road tyres which is actually very fast and only 1 second per lap slower than a modern Caterham R500. Performance wise the Capri was always a really impressive machine in standard form and when properly modified they were unbeatable on the race track 'Sausage' HT Racing Ltd
c,mon only on a 2 second track would a capri come 1 second behind a modern caterham
Round headlights is the way to go no matter if it is a Capri, Escort or a Taunus.
Geat upload again, Sir. A dear friend of mine has a collection Fords from this era. Granada hearse. V8 Perana. Granada limo. I think also a Capri and some Consuls. Best regards from a car detailer in Norway 🙂
My first car was a 73, Mercury Capri 2.8 ltr, 4 speed. Loved that car. Would love to find one today but they were such rust buckets I doubt there are many left.
You know someone somewhere kept one perfect in a garage and wants a fortune for it.
Excellent video, unfortunately you left out 1 iteration of the Capri. In 1966 and 1967 the Mercury division of Ford sold a midsized car called the Comet Capri...or as the cars were badged: Capri. In 1966 the Capri lineup included a 2 door hardtop coupe, a 4 door sedan, AND A STATION WAGON. This model was a " step up " from the " base " Comet, the 202.
In 1967 the Capri wagon was re-badged Comet.
BTW, the 66 Comet Capri sold 34,000 units in its 3 body styles, the 67 was less well received selling about 21,000 in 2 body styles.
There was also a Lincoln capri in the mid 50’s
I Pardon me, is it true, Ford used to give a free book about the protocols, with every new car. if so, why did they stop?
The first one was the Ford Consul Capri around 1961. It was a two door with the four door called Consul Classic.
Another fantastic and very fascinating Video. I love to watch these, interesting and a trip down memory lane too. Thank you for producing these Videos.
Glad you enjoyed it
They need to come back with an update to the MkIII "coke bottle" Cortina. Absolutely beautiful car.
Couldn’t agree more. Everything is so ugly these days. Despite having the disposable income there are few cars that tempt me or are actually as enjoyable to drive.
I prefer to leave my iPad at home ( to watch and rant on RUclips 🤣) rather than use it to set the heater or open a glove box.
Send the geeks back to their computer games and employ some good designers and engineers instead.
That's a fascinating story I had no idea about! And to see all these other cars spawned from failed Capri concepts, that's pretty amazing!
You wouldn't think it would be that difficult.
Make a cool looking coupe. Call it a Capri. Job done!
And then you look at the Probe and think "Really?"
The Capri had the same problem as the Mustang, at least in Europe. You couldn't slap the badge on just anything. Personally, I think the second-gen Probe had the most Capri-like look, but a true Capri is rear-drive. When Ford was making rear-drive small cars, easy enough. Once they went front-drive on everything, not so simple.
Now that the Mustang is essentially its own platform (always previously based on sedan platforms), Ford has to sell it everywhere it can to cover development costs.
I worked with Ian Callum at Ghia. He was my design manager. 1988.
Thanks for a terrific trip down (ancient) memory lane! I recall an article around 1970 where the female journalist bought a Capri for a basic price of £1,000 and added around £500 of extras. She included just about every imaginable extra available at the time, including a recorder so that she could dictate her articles while on the move.
Did anyone mention another of my favourites, the VW Scirocco, which was similar to the Capri in general concept? VW produced it in two desirable generations, but it has not continued to the present day. Again the market is no longer strong enough for such coupes.
Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a child of the 70's and the capri was always cool, mainly because of 'The Professionals'. More Ford videos please. Great video.
You can still get the Corgi model of that.
13:21.This would have been a superb re-imagining of the Capri! I have always had a soft spot for the Capri, it was the first car I wanted, and in 1983, I finally got my hands on a 1972 3.0 GTXLR. Loved every minute of ownership, and hated having to get rid of it.. Nearly 40 years later, I am trying to convince myself that I could/should buy a fully restored 1971 Perana!
It would certainly be recognisable.
It's definitely got the DNA of the original design of the capri.
3:45 Unintentionally hilarious is the fact that, in introducing this Ghia Capri proposal, you say "Under 'TURD,' Ghia offered a coupe version..." Well done, Sir! Well done!
Well, it's fascinating to see how they tried to bring the Capri back. I'm one of the few Americans that got to drive one on a regular basis, and there are some good memories there.
But that new one is so cynical that it makes fun of the enthusiasts who owned the original. It almost says that Ford doesn't need car enthusiasts anymore. Sometimes I wonder if the industry is coming to that way of thinking as a whole.
I always felt a real challenger to the Capri came from Toyota with the Celica and Supra models. Strange you did not mention those. Also missing from your story line was the head turning Aston Martin take on what the Capri could have become. The Opel Manta as a rival was also in the mix in its many forms. Still you have done one thing. Inspired me to breath new life into my own Capri. The neighbours will hate you for this... :D
celica supra not celica & supra, the Opel manta mkI ,i kept one that belonged to my father it had a litle manta made of iron on the side front panels next to the door, but later opel released a kind of coupé/sport car with a new name but it looked good later my father bought the late 80´s senator with irmsher parts ,big sedan but very nice to drive and the size of the original steering wheel was much litle compared to the 70´s model
@@RUfromthe40s Erm. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Celica and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Supra . Sorry Rui but they were two different cars.
The person who I bought my Capri from had replaced it with an A60 Celica (only sold as a liftback in the U.K.) That was the only car I spent a long time wanting but when I went to test drive one it didn't have enough headroom for me, which was also a problem in the later / more upmarket Capris with sunroofs.
Im in vegas and want to know seriously if you want to sell it?
@@RUfromthe40s huh? Toyota Celica and the Toyota Supra are seperate and distinct vehicles.
Thanks, very interesting, I thought you were going to miss out on the Ford Consul Capri which predated what most people think of a Capri, but you got there in the end.
My second car was a turquoise Consul Capri with grey and silver inside , I went into the local Ford main dealer, for a gearbox support.and they denied the car existed , loved the car and so did all the local kids
Loved the video. Please make more about other legendary cars. This channel has become my primary source of automotive history
The Capri is probably the design that caught my imagination (along with the likes of the Mk1 Escort and Mk1 Golf) when I was a kid (despite its 'sheep in a wolfs clothing' reputation) but I was never able to afford one as by the time I got a driving licence they had become quite rare and expensive.
Me too. The Ford Capri was the car which caught my imagination when I was young but I never was able to afford one where I live here in South Asia. However one of my uncles owned a Capri 1300 for a short period in the 70's before loosing it due to some legal entanglements.
My first car was a two door MK1 Ford Escort which was full of rust when it was nine years old. After three years I upgraded to a Capri. I was rather surprised when about ten years ago, chatting to the owner of a nice Capri he said that the car he had really wanted was a MK1 Escort but he couldn't afford one so settled on a Capri. The Capri was supposed to be the car Escort owners promised themselves, especially if said Escort was an 1100 like mine.
My first car was a mk1capri for £120 .I now have a renault clio.
We never know where life will bring us
Design, engendering you meant !!
Cheap hatchback art ? ugly family cars...
I had a couple Capris in around 1981 (I think they may have been 1978 models). V6, 4-speed - they were really peppy cars. I like the design of them, too. The later ones, not so much.
Loved my 2nd car, a met blue 1.6s..... Vented 2.8 inj Brakes, 2.8 inj bilstein gas suspension, 128lb single rear leaf springs grey recaro strobe interior......7" inj special RS wheels Everything on that 1.6 that could be off a 2.8 inj special was on there that could be was .........it basically taught me diy spannering which eventually led me to build (with all new parts and healthy levels of ocd) my fantastic ac cobra replica, without the capri the big cobra would probably never have been built, ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Im from Germany and i like your different British look at the car history .
Thank you for the videos.
Thomas
I actually like the round headlights of the US-model Capris better than the rectangular ones on the Euro models. Maybe because I'm used to them, but they seem to fit the overall design better.
Ford knew they where better, thats why they went twin headlight on the mk3
I light the old glass lights. Because they used to be $7 and you never had a yellowing plastic housing... or a glass lens and rusted out reflector bucket
The RS2600and RS3100 race homologation specials got the twin round headlight setup.
The later hatchback (mk3) Capri got them too but with the edge of the hood slightly drooping over them.
all european cars with big head lights in the front ,In the U.S. they made them with two round ones with a frame ,normally chromed filling the space left
the mercedes w114 and w115 were the ones who get their look destroyd by the one round light and a turn signal bellow ,all the rest filled with chromed aluminium the original front lights gave a better shape to the car ,the reverse happened with the S from the early 60´s till 73, they looked better with the two round lights than the one giant glass optics
The thing about the Capri was that it was good value. It was barely more than mundane Cortinas - fair dos as it was pretty similar to produce. Ford today seem to think that making a hatchback into an "active" design (raising the suspension) means the car is now a desirable "SUV" worth considerably more than the basic hatch.
I drove a 2.0 Cougar once. It was basically a Mondeo. Which is good.
I've driven a Monteo and a Tempo. Which was weird as they were similar jelly moulds, but rwd or fwd ...
Raising the altitude raises the price. I like those trapezoids and boxes. Put fins on em. I wish this "bloated bean on wagon wheels" style would disappear.
Thank you so much for this video ! Thé very first Ford Capri is, for me, the only one Capri and a model of beauty..🦉🙏👍
The Mustang-based Capri we had in the US starting in 1979 was a bit of an anomaly. It wasn't too well known here, and low sales numbers did it in. I found that a shame as I owned a 1986 version with the 5.0 V8 and 5-speed manual transmission (I bought it used in 1989) and '86 was the last year for that version of the Capri because the Mustang changed its shape in 1987 (which lasted pretty much identical through 1993), so Ford killed off the Capri before the new 1987 Mustang came out so they wouldn't have to deal with upgrading the Capri as well. The Capri from 1984 through 1986 had a very large aero rear window on the hatch as compared to the contemporary Mustang, as well as the fenders and quarter panels were slightly flared out. Many people had no idea the Capri existed as they thought it was a special edition of the Mustang, or some did not realize it was available with the Mustang GT's very powerful (for the time, of course) 5.0 V8 and thought it was only available in with the available 3.8 V6.
i saw a ford capri mkI in los angeles in 1977 ,a litle beaten up
@@RUfromthe40s That is how I remember them in the 80s--they were all beaten up a bit, lol.
I swear every time I scroll past this video it has a different thumbnail
When I was a teenager you were either a Ford Capri guy or an Opel Manta B guy, when no new Capri emerged everybody went for the Opel Calibra as most cool car. 😁
I finally know the car brand Homer Simpsons's brother owned. It was Ghia.
My Dad had a '74+/- Ford Capri. It was a fun car. I was too young to drive at the time, but it was pretty cool.
Miss that car.
I’m really enjoying the information contained in each and every one of these videos ❤❤❤
Why doesn't anyone remember the original UK Capri? A soft topped version of the Consul Classic?
Actually, I think it might have been a two-door coupe. Early 60's?
It was a coupe.
No music and no hands, thank you. Good video.
Had a 81 Capsi RS. Yes it was a Mustang. But the fender flairs different grill and tail. Made it stand out against all the ponys. Great fun car.
I own an 82 Capri RS 5.0 since new (40yrs) and because of the differences you mentioned plus the big hood scoop, it was sportier than the Mustang.
This is such a great video on so many levels. I wish corporates would actually listen to the masses. A retro design would work well, however one needs to be very careful
An affordable sports coupe - that's just the car I would buy in a heartbeat today!
Unfortunately, all but the blandest are not built anymore, and the world is flooded with crossovers and SUVs.
I love the shorter early Escort concept!
With Opel being part of Stellantis, the Manta design looks close enough to a baby Dodge Challenger to make it further towards production, especially if sharing a chassis that could replace the Dart, Neon, and baby Fiats.
The Australian Ford, based on the Mazda 323 was, in fact the *Mazda 323* rebadged as a Ford Meteor. I know because it was the first car I owned. Its bonnet opened forward rather than the traditional backward-opening of other cars. The hatchback version of the Mazda 323 was rebadged here as the Ford Laser. My Meteor was a bugger to drive, it had no power steering and I felt ill-at-ease driving it on any long-distance trips. And because it ran on LRP(Lead-Replacement Petrol), it would just "conk out" when I eased up on the accelerator to go round a corner or through a roundabout.
Though they sold it through Mercury dealers I don't think they ever slapped a Mercury badge on them. It was sort of a stand alone make, some dealers even had CAPRI signs along with their Lincoln-Mercury dealer signage.
Starting to drive in the 80s and being more interested in cars, I don't recall too many leftover 1970s Capris in the US, but I am fairly certain the few I saw that were still on the roads were not badged with 'Mercury' badging. Shame they weren't prevelant because there were so many Pintos running around, the Pintos would have made for great engine swaps. Even back then, people were starting to realize the power potential of the various Pinto engines, and I recall a few hot-rodded Pintos, and swapping Pinto engines into Capris would have kept them interesting (and on the road).
Capri 1.6, my first car. Stuck a Bigger Carb and a hi lift cam on it and got some Ghia Capri wheels,sprayed those gold. I still have nice dreams about that car...
13:22 The side closest to the camera is definitley my favourite
Thank you for shedding light on this mystery for us! I'd always wondered why the Capri nameplate never re-appeared on a European Ford. Vauxhall's Firenza badge seems to have also vanished into history. I did like that EV Manta concept though, so all may not be lost... yet
Oldsmobile did use the Firenza badge, first as a trim option on the Starfire subcompact and then as Oldsmobile's version of the GM J-car, also known as Cavalier MkII and Opel Ascona C.
As a former Capri owner I think a big part of the appeal of the Capri was the halo effect from the top of the range models while having a model range that catered for most budgets. A young colleague who was a massive fan bought a 1.6 Laser when he was 21. I guess a 2 litre would have been out of his insurance budget. Probably the only time I have been complimented in my choice of car was when a young lady (who went on the appear on Page 3) said to her friend "AND he's got a Capri". Obviously I didn't elaborate on the fact that it was a 1.6L in Tuscan Beige :-) All the replacements you showed including ones that made it to market like the XR4i, were nice, but would have been well out of the budget of someone who could just about stretch to an XR3.
p.s I have driven a BMW420 (which for bizarre reasons spent a year in the car pool at work) and thought the driving experience was very Capri like. A shame it isn't a hatchback. The Capri was a very practical car. In the Capri history book it describes how someone used to transport Formula 1 engines across Europe in a 2.8i . I once collected a self assembly Pine bed and mattress in mine and was surprised how easily it all fitted in. I also built a garden fence using 4 foot panels brought one at a time (that was all that would fit) from B&Q in my Capri. There were never many sports coupes which could be used for tasks like that.
Thank you for a great documentary. Being a keen driver of these in the 80's(i owned 4 altogether) I have often looked back and wished I had taken greater care of them.
Always looking forward to your clips!
6:45 Fun fact. The DB7 uses Mazda tail lights from the 323 5 door (Astina) that you mentioned later in the video 🙂
C30 owner here. I'd buy the visos! And I'd call her Caprice ;)
I really like it too. The front and inside not so much, but the side and rear view of this car are *chefs kiss* .
Ex 480 Turbo owner here. :D
@@MegaSockenschuss My dad owned a 480 turbo two tone. Loved it. All our family drives or has owned Volvo's in the past. Only acception is my mother's Ford Focus.. also a brilliant car imo.
Brilliant video as ever. Thank you so much for posting. 🙂
Coupe sales are dropping because, by default, the general design produces good looking cars. Today is all about ugly. Hoodies, tattoos, ripped jeans, SUVs, crossovers, flat faced dogs, obesity, privacy glass, motorhomes - all of them hard on the eye, yet supremely popular. Just look at the number of Nissan Pukes on the road, for God's sake! The poor old coupe doesn't stand a chance.
As a Capri owner, i hope it never gets rebooted.
They'd ruin it.
I agree. I think if one ever did appear it would be a struck on badge exercise on a mundane design. Best they don't do that. One look at how the MG image went from sports to stick on badges gives you an idea.
This man just predicted future
It pleases me to remember the Mercury Capri! A fun little sporty car.
A dedicated Calibra episode would be nice.
I had a Mark 2, red, back in the day when you could buy a car for 100£ and it might get through the next mot.
Such a fun car to drive.
Cool vid, brought back some good memories. Cheers.
I always thought the last gen UK Capri looked the best - it's what Bodie and Doyle drove in 'The Professionals' TV series.
they has a gold/bronze mk2 inthe early episodes along with an rs2000
It was a great car with a surprisingly good performance suspension, and the 6 cylinder was a must.
@Richard Harrold / We had a 4 cylinder manual transmission and was amazed what performance I could squeeze out of it. It was low tech, with low expectations, but it worked and was surprisingly fun. No comparison to our Porsche Turbo whale tail, of course.
The ford Capri. . or Mercury Capri fox body, is one of, if not my favorite car ever. . theyre kinda rare and hard to find these days, but if i cld get my hands on one it wld be Awesome. . . i had a 82 lx fox body with a built boss 302 in it when i was 18. . . i lost my license with it lol. . but it had a Capri hood, with a functional scoop. . i loved that car.
Great informative video. I always enjoy watching. Thanks...
Man Alive! I learned a lot from this video. It was quite informative!!! Thank you!
My first car was a MKI Capri 1600 GT XL. Loved that car.
The video shows that it is very hard to repeat a very successful design in auto industry & that is a fact. A lot of examples, not only the Capri story.
A problem Fiat has with the 500 (again).
Had an ‘83 mercury capri black magic. Should’ve never got rid of it. My favorite car of all time.
Thank you really enjoy your videos very informative as always
Glad you like them Justin.
Fascinating as ever. Love all the vids. Big Car.
My first car was a metallic blue Capri Mk II 1.6 and I loved it! Basically, Ford got the design perfect with the Mk III, and should have simply made minimal changes to update that.
I remember sitting in the Brookland special at the dealership, as my dad bought a Sierra with the new 1.8 lean burn engine...
Disappointed a little.