・A period conversion to soft top

・Recently restored to a very high standard

・New paint and interior
・Interesting and rare collectors car

The Consul was built as a four door saloon between 1961 and 1963, the coupe Capri was codenamed ‘Sunbird’ by Ford of Great Britain whilst in development, taking styling cues from the US Ford Thunderbird and the Galaxie Sunliner. It was a high spec car with features from the Deluxe such as twin headlamps and was tagged ‘the first personal car from Ford of Great Britain. However, Ford didn't build a convertible version but coach built aftermarket soft tops were not uncommon in the ‘60s with companies like Crayford taking the tin tops off Ford and other cars. These often didn't look ‘factory’ but have become very sought after by collectors.

This Consul Capri has been with its present owner since 2015, when it was bought as a project fitted with a 1500 GT pre-crossflow engine, the car in a condition that needed work to get through an MOT but really deserved more, so it has undergone a full restoration, undertaken in-house by Cult Classics of London, with the body stripped to bare metal, painted inside and out and under the car, the interior fully re-trimmed and a new fabric hood made.

The car was bought as a project by the current owner, and the 2015 advert gives a good idea of the condition at that time but the car has now been restored from a bare shell strip down since he took ownership.

Having been newly restored, the interior is like new, but better. The seats have been trimmed in two tone tan and light brown leather, and the door cards and side panels trimmed to match, and the dash top is covered with the darker hide, and the lower dash is body colour in new paint.
The metal panel in between iamb the stressing wheel are original so have some patina of age, but is still in very good condition.

The carpets are also new, and the convertible hood frame has been painted brown to match and the hood cover has been remade in new tan fabric.

Going through the bodyshop at Cult Classics, the car was stripped to a shell and taken back to the metal where a small amount of welding was needed to the floorpan to get it 100% solid and the entire car has been painted in a period perfect pale blue with a superb smooth and glossy finish.

It has very nice chrome and black Rostyle type 13” wheels with new tyres all round, and the other original brightwork put back in place so there are a few signs of age and character such as mine pitting to the bumper chrome.
Underneath is as clean as on top and a glance under the car reveals fresh and shiny blue paint.

The listing from when this car last changed hands tells us it had a 1550 GT pre-crossflow engine, fitted with a four branch manifold and Webber carb, which appear to still be present, and in the course of rebuilding it now has a new exhaust which looks to be from the manifold back, the brake lines have been renewed and the rubber parts of the fuel line replaced, as have many other perishable parts of the running gear and the battery appears recent.

60s Fords have an enduring appeal, part of the fabric of British society for decades make them familiar, reminiscent of family cars and perhaps of youthful aspirations of dream cars, particularly when they marry easy to maintain mechanical parts with lavish American inspired fins and chrome styling. Add the very rare and collectable soft top conversion on a car which has been restored to as high a standard as this and it's hard not to want to put the roof down and head off for chips at the beach!

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