Highlights

Beautifully presented following extensive restoration and recommissioning
Just 59,018 miles understood to be accurate
Accompanied by an extensive history file
Detailed photographic record of recent work
Exceedingly rare: just 19,421 sold in total
Desirable 116E variant (post-August 1962) with five-bearing, over-square 1,498 cc engine

The Appeal

Ford of Britain’s models have long differed from those of its US counterpart because these great big American “land yachts” simply aren’t practical for Britain’s narrow roads. But we Brits still had an appetite for the style of Dearborn Fords, and it was this taste for quintessentially Americantail fins, pillarless coupés and lashings of chrome that led to the development of the Consul Capri in 1961.

Codenamed the “Sunbird Project” during development, the car borrowed styling cues from the Thunderbird and Galaxie Sunliner - and the result certainly didn’t look anything like the Fords to roll out of Dagenham before or since. Some were even exported Stateside! Unashamedly glamorous and brimming with high-end luxuries, the Consul Capri was incredibly expensive to produce - to the extent that production had to be discontinued in 1964 after just 19,421 were ever made.

Such low production numbers and the fact some sixty years have passed since the model’s demise means the Consul Capri is today very rare. Therefore, we’re delighted to offer this beautifully restored 1963 example. We understand that the car’s original owner kept it for life, and it was sold to a new keeper and for a period it would languish in a barn, by now in need of restoration.

The next keeper extracted the car from said barn in 2012 after months of searching for such a car and set about an extensive 18-month, 1,500-hour restoration. In all, there have now been six former registered keepers; of which three were between 2019 and 2022. The present custodians acquired the Ford in June 2022 as a retirement project. It continued to present well following the aforementioned restoration, but having sat around for some time, the car needed quite a lot of work - which the owners duly carried out, documenting each stage in a series of notes and detailed photographs.

Now up and together running sweetly and ready to be enjoyed, this Consul Capri is reluctantly offered for sale, as due to medical reasons, the vendor is no longer able to drive. Seldom do we encounter such well-documented restoration work and this is surely one of the best examples of this rare model you’ll ever encounter. For fans of British Fords, of which there are many including all of us at Car & Classic, we needn’t remind you that this is an unmissable opportunity.

The History and Paperwork

UK home market example in RHD
Six former registered keepers
59,018 miles indicated and supported by the well well-documented ownership history
We’re informed that the original owner kept the car until they passed away during the early 2000s
After a period spent in dry storage, extensive restoration was carried out by a former keeper, details of which are included in a document which can be read in the image gallery below
Further restoration/recommissioning work carried out by the present keepers
C.£4,000 spent on recent improvements
Numerous parts invoices from Classic Capri accompany the car
UK V5C present
Collection of period manuals and numerous copies of ‘Classic Capri’

The Condition

Recent work aimed to retain as much originality and period patina as possible
The car presents beautifully throughout and has barely turned a wheel since the completion of the recent work
The bodywork has received some well-executed welding repairs and has recently undergone extensive WaxOyl protection in all the hard-to-reach areas, removing various panels and trims in order to achieve this
The “Goodwood green” paint finish looks very good; the vendor points out some slight micro-blistering to the boot lid and the odd superficial blemish elsewhere - but nothing especially noteworthy
The body and panels had been subject to a bare metal respray back in 2013
Light age-commensurate patina to the original chromework
Interior retrimmed in cream (originally green)

There’s really nobody better suited to tell you about the recent work than the people who did it. We therefore include the following details provided by the vendor:

"We first looked at the window rubbers and realised that they had perished so we took out all the windows to replace them, it took quite a while to get them through the club as they were waiting for them to be made and come from Australia. Whilst all the windows were out, we then took out all the interior trim including the roof trim as it was damaged and torn, we then WaxOyled inside every pannel in and underneath the car. We replaced the felt and surrounds and channels around the doors and windows recovering the sunshields the roof lining and interior trim, including carpets and gear lever gaiter.

Then we had a professional classic car window fitter fit the front and rear windows and had new side quarter light rubbers fitted, also purchased from the club. Next, we sorted out any issues with the wiring and fitted extra switches to the doors, bonnet, and boot for the alarm, and fitted a switch for the boot interior light, now we fitted an interior light in the boot fitting an isolating switch so if you had the boot open too long you wouldn’t cause any problems with the battery charge level.

We discovered that the window washer did not work as the vacuum pump was perished. We stripped it down and made up a micro switch that fitted to the end of the switch, so when you pushed it, it would activate the pump. It was then rewired and a new motor, bottle, hoses and jets were fitted.

The heater motor did not work, and the matrix leaked it was all seized up. We stripped it down completely as pictures show, there was a mouse nest in the heater cavity – it needed cleaning out,

then, stripping it down. We resoldered the matrix and repainted it, fitting new stainless-steel screws, nuts, bolts, clips, and silicone hoses. We used stainless steel hose guides and made-up stainless-steel brackets to shape the hose.

The door and boot locks were broken, so we found and fitted new old stock items.

We also made a stainless-steel Capri badge for the back of the car which took a lot of time and some painful fingers, but after buffing it up it looked great and sits well with the panels that we purchased. We also had the door lock buttons made from a billet of stainless steel by a friend.

We fitted new GT clocks and holder and made a stainless-steel cover for the sides to make it look much nicer. The speakers were replaced by Pioneer ones, but we kept the old metal covers and resprayed them to make it look still in the right age for the car. There are now lap belts in the front and a fire extinguisher. We recarpeted and relined the boot bay and made a cover for the spare wheel. We also fitted an old-type fuse board for adding extra accessories in the future and a stainless-steel exhaust tip to give the car a great look from the rear. The new rear reflectors under the rear bumper are also a nice addition.

We bought a classic wheel brace that just looks nice in the back with the jack - an antique Harvey Frost bottle jack in original condition; this is very rare and complete.”

The Mechanics

1,498 cc pre-crossflow four-cylinder petrol engine with five-main-bearing crank
Consul Capri GT four-branch manifold stainless steel exhaust
Electronic ignition fitted
Weber carburettor
Four-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels
The front end has been lowered prior to current ownership with new suspension struts and springs
The engine reportedly just required a full service, replacing any parts with new old stock, genuine Ford items
Large collection of spare parts (photographed)
Recent carburettor clean and set-up
Reportedly running well and ready to cover some miles

As above, here’s the vendor’s account of recent mechanical work:

“We replaced the petrol hoses with ethanol-resistant items and stainless-steel clamps - a wise upgrade for modern petrol.

We took the engine out as it was leaking oil from the back and replaced all the oil seals and checked that the engine bearings were ok. All was well, so we went over everything before we put the engine back, fitting a new gearbox mounting as the old one was perished.

The distributor has been replaced with an all-electronic one, keeping the old one boxed to go with the car, new coil, HT leads plugs and a vacuum hose also added.

We managed to find an original aluminium rocker cover, restored it and made up some stainless-steel shaped washers to fit the rocker to the head. The radiator has been serviced with new hoses, clips thermostat and stainless-steel radiator cap sourced from the owner’s club.

We have fitted a remote alarm that doesn’t show so it looks smart and original in the engine bay. Also, a new flasher unit for the indicators and a new relay for the headlights has been fitted.

There’s a new stainless steel exhaust fitted, uprated to period Consul Capri GT spec with a four-branch manifold and the rest of the system was sourced from the owner’s club. We fitted new battery leads and an isolating cut-off to the battery. It has a new starter motor fitted and the dynamo has been serviced.

We found the front brakes to be seized We took them off and stripped them down completely, fitting new pistons seals, pads, bolts and resprayed them with heat-resistant paint. Looking at the rear brake adjusters, they too were seized, they have been stripped down and repaired.

When putting the wheels back on, we noticed the studs were too short, we replaced them with longer studs, they are much safer now.”

BEFORE YOU BUY

This sale is subject to the Car & Classic Terms and Conditions. By bidding and/or making an offer, you also agree to the following:

✓ The seller is registered as a private seller which means consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not come into effect. However, you are still covered by Car & Classic’s own Terms and Conditions..

✓ We request that a non-refundable fee be paid if you are the lucky winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted Please refer to our helpful FAQs and T&Cs for specific rates.

✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is Where Is’ basis and without warranty. Photos and descriptions are solely for guidance purposes and it's customary to carry out a full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase for your own peace of mind.

✓ VAT is included in the buyer's deposit. VAT may or may not be included in the final bid or offer price, as specified in the listing.

✓ We want a smooth transaction just as much as you do and as such we run all UK-registered cars and motorbikes for sale on Car & Classic through an online HPI check to verify that they show no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and have no finance owing, allowing you to bid with confidence.

✓ We also check whether vehicles are recorded as being written off as part of an insurance total loss claim at the time an advert is placed on Car & Classic and we helpfully provide write-off category labels (Cat C/D/S/N) for your assistance. However, the presence or absence of a label does not guarantee the vehicle’s status and it is always worthwhile carrying out your own full vehicle history check before making an offer on a vehicle.

✓ Buyers are responsible for vehicle collection

or delivery. Importing vehicles may result in additional customs duties and import taxes so it’s worth checking beforehand.. If requested, we may refer you to a third-party shipping company who can help. For more details and to speak to the team, email [email protected]