From its launch in 1969, the Capri was an instant hit. Ford’s timing was superb; the car’s only real rivals were the dated MGB and Triumph TR6, with similar offerings from other manufacturers too expensive or too niche. The marketing campaign was clever, too: as ‘the car you always promised yourself’ the Capri had mass appeal and Ford soon had to increase production two-fold at its factories in Germany and the UK.
After sales passed the million mark, Ford brought out the MkII with its tailgate rather than the MkI’s boot, and in 1978 the MkIII came along. Aerodynamic improvements included a new front spoiler, a sleeker bonnet and a slatted front grille intended to reduce drag at speed. There were also Bilstein shock absorbers, and wider wheels and tyres.
While the production of left-hand drive Capris ended in 1984, the car’s enduring popularity in the UK kept right-hand drive models on the market until 1986. A generation of youngsters grew up watching The Professionals’ Bodie and Doyle hooning around in their Capris (cars supplied from Ford’s press fleet) and counting the days until they were old enough to drive one.
Ford’s ostensibly similar replacements, the Probe and the Cougar, never captured the public imagination in the same way, ensuring the Capri’s popularity in the second-hand market, and the car remains one of most sought-after Fords ever produced.
This lovely, original example is being sold by the buyer who bought it as a new car more than forty years ago, with it having spent a few years in the ownership of another member of his family in the interim. dIey2TmZDEFT27WTYgfqIsaDZow2QLnmQUYGaSfP.jpeg532.49 KB
The History and Paperwork
Vendor was the car’s first owner
He bought it back from a family member in 2002
Original operating guide
Original service book
Manual for radio/cassette player
Original Ford booklets
MoT valid until April 2024
Recent invoices
Past MoT certificates
Lots of previous tax discs
Current V5
V5 from previous owner
This Capri has an unusual, and probably unique, history of ownership. The vendor bought the car brand-new in 1983, but a few years later, with growing children, he decided that it no longer suited his family’s needs and sold it to his wife’s uncle. In 2002, the uncle decided that he wanted to sell the car and so the vendor took the opportunity to buy it back, and has kept it ever since, garaged at his home. He now finds the car is difficult to get in and out of and as he doesn’t use it regularly has decided the time has come to part with it. fHRGNpM4hgRc3zyMPUaXx1VnlQ2SaNoPrnyK9dT6.jpeg899.53 KB
The Interior
Original seats
Original carpets, protected by mats
Original dashboard and instruments
Original Ford steering wheel
Driver’s seat in need of some attention
Passenger seat recliner knob broken
Stereo not currently working
Clock in centre console
Glove box
Spare wheel and jack in the boot
Slide and tilt sunroof works well
The interior here is a remarkably original, but as you’d expect of a car that is now more than forty years old there are some marks and some minor issues. The bolster on the driver’s seat has some damage, while the seats both front and back would benefit for a thorough clean. The recliner knob on the passenger seat has broken, having clearly become brittle with age. A similar fate has befallen the plastic panel on the inside of the hatchback, with a hole that reveals the lock mechanism.
The carpets in the front have been protected by rubber mats, those in the back have been protected by small rectangular mats, and while all the carpets are free from damage they also would benefit from a clean.
The dashboard and instruments have no damage or fading, reflecting the car’s long-term garage storage. In the boot there’s a carpet liner in good order, and beneath this is a spare wheel and the original jack.
Again, the exterior here reflects the car’s careful custodianship, but there are a few issues. The Diamond White paintwork is generally very good, with only some minor rust appearing in a couple of wheelarches. There’s also a scuff on the wheelarch on the offside rear.
The wheels are very good for their age, with only one showing significant corrosion.
Elsewhere one corner of both front and rear bumpers have faded, but there are otherwise undamaged. The badges, door handles and wing mirrors all present very well.
The car starts on a turn of the key and runs smoothly, and the owner reports that it still drives extremely well. The engine bay looks its forty years but everything is in place.
If the Capri is still ‘the car you always promised yourself’, you will do well to find one as original and unmolested as this example, or with so few previous owners. With only a few minor issues to address, this is a car that is bound to appeal to any Capri enthusiast.
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:
✓ If the seller is registered as a private seller, consumer rights stemming from EU consumer protection law do not apply. Car & Classic’s return policy applies.
✓ A non-refundable deposit will be payable if you are the winning bidder at auction or if your offer is accepted, refer to FAQs and T&Cs for details.
✓ This vehicle is “Sold As Seen”, on an “As Is, Where Is’ basis and without warranty. A full inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase and bidding is highly recommended. Photos and descriptions are for guidance purposes only.
✓ 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.
✓ UK-registered cars and motorbikes on Car & Classic are run through an online HPI check, to verify that they show no insurance database markers for damage or theft, and have no finance owing.
✓ Buyers are responsible for vehicle collection or delivery.
