Ford Heritage – What Are They Playing At?!
November 24, 2023
Over the last couple of years, it has become apparent that BMW has, for lack of a better way of putting it, declared itself a few sandwiches short of a full picnic. The grilles, the snarky marketing, the grilles again. It’s bad. But surely a steadfast, historic name like Ford would never do such a thing? Ford, after all, celebrates one of the most exciting, diverse and socially influential histories within the automotive world. But… it’s put the final Ford heritage killing nail its own coffin. It’s apparently bringing back the Capri. WE ARE EXCITED. Oh, it’s an electric SUV. Excitement fades. This is a Capri…
This monstrosity, albeit camouflaged, should go against the Geneva Convention. It is a Capri in the same way that I’m an otter. Look at it, the big, ungainly, distinctly non-coupe, tall, five-door, bland horror. It is not a Capri, but Ford doesn’t care. Ford heritage? That means nothing when you can pluck an evocative name from the past and use it to sell something new. Bollocks to the past, right? Who cares? Heaven forbid it ushers in a new name for a new vehicle. Oh, and yes, it’s electric. A platform shared with Volkswagen, no less.
The Capri isn’t the first old name to be repurposed, mind. Ford has form here. Though the Capri is no doubt the most grating. There’s the current Kuga, which is a spoken play on the Cougar. Not a remarkable car by any means, but the former is a pointless SUV, the latter was a coupe (ironically designed with being a new ‘Capri’ in mind). Then there’s the Puma. The Puma was a brilliant, lithe, agile, fun baby coupe with a cheeky face and a chassis to die for. It was tight, taught and brilliant fun. The current Puma is… drumroll please… a small SUV. Why are people obsessed with SUVs? What’s wrong with an estate?
Not a Puma, but it is, begrudgingly, a Puma.
A proper Puma.
Why is Ford doing this? What has Ford heritage done so wrong to be treated this way? Did they fire the person who comes up with names? Is Ford just being lazy? It makes no sense. None of these cars carrying names of old bear any similarity to the originals. It’s a cheap, nasty cash grab to play on emotions and familiarities of old. Come up with new names. Let the models of old bask in their own identities, don’t muddy them with modern, generic ‘white goods’ cars devoid of soul or personality.
The most baffling aspect, however, is that Ford has and continues to prove it can celebrate Ford heritage with a smile and open arms. The current Mustang (not the god awful Mach E) is case in point. The newest Bronco is a glorious modern take of a design classic. These cars have a thick, pumping bloodline right back to their first models. They celebrate and champion their history, their heritage and their past. But then, they are products of Ford America, and America is a country that will tell you all about its heritage even if you don’t ask. Ford of Europe, however, would rather pluck from the carcass of past models and try to profit from them with no tangible link to what they were in the first place.
The sad reality, however, is that I’m a car enthusiast. You are, too. Unless you were googling cart and classic and got lost. And we’re a rare breed. The Mr. and Mrs. Jones that walk into a Ford dealership today don’t know or celebrate the joys of a Ford Racing Puma, and their only exposure to a Capri was a bargain holiday from Thomas Cook in 1998. So maybe Ford is right to pluck those names and reuse them? Maybe nobody really cares in the grand scheme. I do though, and I’m sure you do too. Classic cars are celebrated for their design, their contemporary innovation and their ability to captivate. How can a new car ever hope to do that by trading on something it doesn’t really deserve?
