Description
Built in May 1971 and first registered on 1 August - with the same registration number KLM 1K that it carries today - this Ford Capri Mk1 3000E was originally owned by the Director of a Ford dealership in Guildford. He had a very good relationship with the Sales Director of Ford UK and was able to commission special order cars direct from the factory. Although the 3000E was already top of the Capri range, the buyer wanted something even more exclusive.
He specified the car from Ford’s Halewood factory with a special order parchment interior and had a full length sunroof installed by Webasto. He then turned his attention to improving the Capri’s performance.
There were a number of independent Ford tuners and race-preparation engineers operating at the time. One of the most notable was Broadspeed, who had developed an aftermarket body kit and mechanical conversion for the 3000GT, which they called the Broadspeed Bullit - named after the film but spelt slightly differently presumably to avoid litigation.
Their performance improvements included modified cylinder heads, a high lift camshaft, new inlet manifold and a re-designed exhaust, as well as adjustable suspension and brakes. Broadspeed also typically gave their cars an external race-style makeover including adding
spoilers front and back, external louvres, removing the bumpers and applying a two-tone paint finish.
Mindful that he didn’t want to look like a boy racer in his Capri, the original owner opted for Broadspeed’s engine, suspension and braking upgrades only, without the styling kit - although he did have the panel beater in his own workshops subtly flare the arches to accommodate Minilite wheels.
Having passed through several owners in the last decades of the 20th Century - during which time the “boy racer” front and rear spoilers were added - the car was then restored over several years from 2004.
Alongside this work, the owner turned detective to research the car’s history and verify that it was indeed a “Broadspeed” Capri, despite not having the exact look of one. A file documenting the car’s full ownership history is the result, which includes correspondence with the original owner. The above passages summarise what he revealed about the genesis of the car.
During the restoration several years ago, the exterior was repainted in what we believe to be the original factory colour of Ermine/ Diamond White, accented by a black bonnet, chin spoiler, wing tops, A-pillars, sills, window surrounds and tail panel.
The finish is of a high standard, with no flaws or blemishes worthy of a mention. We understand that the car has been looked after and stored exceptionally well in recent ownership.
The bodywork appears in great condition too, with even panel gaps and shut lines; more than likely much better fettled than when it left Halewood in 1971. The chrome fittings and trims around the car are also in good order with just the slightest touch of patina on the bumpers. The sunroof canvas looks in good order, having been renewed during the restoration.
Although based on the research, the front chin spoiler and rear wing aren’t original to the car, they don’t look out of place and would be relatively straightforward to remove if a future owner wanted to return the car to its more introverted 1971 specification.
The car sits on 13-inch Minilite-style wheels - replaced in 2004 but faithful to the optioned originals - which appear in excellent order and are fitted with Kumho Powermax tyres.
Quite why the Parchment interior was a Ford Motor Company special order in 1971 is a mystery, but maybe it was considered just too white and pure for the average Capri buyer. The retrimmed upholstery in this car - matching the originally specified colour - is anything but average.
The seats front and back appear completely unmarked with no wear at all and not even any creasing from use. The door trims are pretty much the same and have beautifully stitched fluting across the centre panels. The same covering continues up to ceiling level where the perforated liner of the Webasto sunroof takes over.
Thankfully the dashboard is trimmed in black to avoid the semi-opaque reflective glare you get on a sunny day with a light coloured dash. It looks like it could be the original but there are no cracks or other damage that we can see and, as far as we can tell, all the switches and dials function as they should.
The interior of this car is so immaculate that not even the parts usually subjected to the most wear are showing evidence of use; the Moto-Lita steering wheel, the leather-clad and gaitered gear stick and black carpet appear all but untouched by human hands (or feet).
There is a rather large history file with this car - a small suitcase in fact - which holds all manner of magazines, articles and booklets related to the car or to Broadspeed Capris in general. There are also numerous invoices and MOT reports.
