I’m a motoring expert – Ford are bringing back the iconic Capri – but there’s a major change
FORD is to bring back the Capri — but the gas-guzzling coupé of old will get an eco-friendly overhaul and be marketed as an electric sports crossover.
The revamped 1970s and 1980s classic — dubbed the “working man’s Porsche” for its style and affordability — is due to go on sale next year.
It will cost about £40,000 and will do up to 310 miles on a full charge. It will go from 0 to 60mph in 6.4 seconds.
The new 300hp Capri will also have rear-wheel drive and have four headlights as a nod to the original version.
Inside it will have a 15in upright touch screen, wireless phone charging and massaging seats.
Ford of Europe’s design chief Amko Leenarts has previously said he would love to bring back the Capri for a modern market.
A Ford spokesman said: “We don’t speculate on future product but Ford is on a mission to make electric iconic.”
The original Capri sold 400,000 in its first two years and almost 1.9million by the end of production in 1986.
Ford marketed it as “the car you always promised yourself”.
It was as popular on TV as it was for drivers. Del Boy had one in Only Fools and Horses.
Bodie had one in The Professionals, as did Terry McCann in Minder.
The motor also has a long list of celebrity fans.
Singer Harry Styles, 29, owns a white 1970 Capri and TV chef Jamie Oliver, 47, also has a Mk1 that he calls his “little bad boy”.
He said: “It’s a three-litre Essex V6, so it goes. You have to put some weight in the back though because the a**e is a bit tail-waggy.
“Apparently in the old days they used to put a bag of cement in the back. But I love it. It’s all original, exactly as it was, no mods.
“It’s my go-to car. I use it when I’m on my Jack Jones.”
Ex-footballer Stuart Pearce, 60, used to run a Capri as his work vehicle when he was a sparky.
And TV stylist Gok Wan, 48, once told The Sun: “I love Capris. They are just one of the most exciting cars ever built.
“Long, erect, phallic, strong, flat. Everything about them just felt like sex. I absolutely just love them.
“My friend when I was working at British Gas, at the call centre, she had one. I remember being in her car and thinking this is the best car that was ever built.
“Ford are missing a trick if they don’t bring the Capri back. It needs to stay true to the design, it needs to be long and obnoxious and hideous. They just have to do it.”
YOU and a mate can roll back the years and drive two classic Capris, courtesy of drivedadscar.com
They have a D-reg 1.6 Laser (pictured top left) and an E-reg 2.8i you can drive on a private road route in Ambergate, Derbyshire.
The winner will also get tickets for sister attraction The Great British Car Journey.
To enter our free draw, email your contact details to motors@the-sun.co.uk and put “Capri VIP” in the subject field. The winner will be chosen at random.
HISTORY OF BRIT CLASSIC
By Isaac Crowson
THE Capri was one of Ford’s most successful models, selling almost 1.9million units in its lifetime.
We take a look at its history from its first official appearance in 1969 to the last one rolling off the production lines in 1986.
- 1961: Capri name used for first time on a UK Ford — on the American-styled Consul Capri Classic.
- 1968: First Capri made at Ford’s Halewood plant in Merseyside.
- 1969: Capri is launched at Brussels Motor Show in January.
- 1971: Capri sells 400,000 in its first two years.
- 1973: Ford gives the green light to the long-awaited RHD RS Capri.
- 1974: In response to 1973 oil crisis, Ford modifies design, making it more suitable for everyday use.
- 1978: Third generation launched.
- 1979: ITV drama Minder starts — featuring a Capri.
- 1986: Last Capri rolls off the production line at Ford’s factory in Cologne in December — by which time 1,886,647 had been made.
EXPLORING THE FUTURE
FORD’S all-electric Explorer — the big brother to the relaunched Capri — will hit the road next year.
The £40,000 SUV has strong American vibes but is designed, engineered and built in the German city of Cologne, where the soon-to-be-axed Fiesta is made.
The Explorer is the most radical new Ford for years. Bosses say it signals “the start of a new era for Ford in Europe”.
It is a few inches longer than a Focus and has a plush hi-tech cabin that is bigger than in a Kuga.
Both Explorer and Capri will be using the electrical systems from Germany’s Volkswagen.
See what Sun readers think of the Explorer tomorrow.