The car you always promised yourself

This was the advertising slogan for the Ford Capri, the much-loved fastback coupé that was launched 50 years ago this year.

It was a bold statement, but one that is borne out by models today fetching up to upwards of £50,000.

Capri was unveiled to much fanfare at the 1969 Brussels Motor Show. It was priced at a very reasonable £890, £11,263 in today’s money, a price that belied its sleek and sporty design. The car was offered with a wide choice of engines from 1.3-litre to 2.3-litre, making it a very attractive proposition for all budgets and tastes.

This combination of affordable pricing, sporty looks and multiple performance options would see the three incarnations of Capri notch up more than 1.9 million sales during its 18-year lifespan.

The European Mustang

Capri was created on the back of the enormous success of Mustang in the U.S. The sleek, sporty, four-seater had grabbed the public’s imagination and Ford wanted to replicate that in Europe.

There was no mistaking Ford’s intention, American Philip T. Clark, who was also involved in the design of the Ford Mustang, headed the design team and it was even named Colt during the development phase; a nod to the original pony car.

Capri used the mechanical components from the Mk II Ford Cortina and customers were offered five model variants, Capri 1300, Capri 1500, Capri 1700 GT, Capri 2000, and Capri 2300 GT. Performance ranged from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 22.7 seconds for the entry level 50 bhp 1300 to 10.8 seconds for the sporty 108 bhp 2300 GT. But soon the range was extended even further.

In 1970, the Capri 3000E was introduced, and soon after the first in a long line of motorsport-focused vehicles – the stunning Capri RS2600. In the hands of German drivers Dieter Glemser, Jochen Maas and Hans-Joachim Stuck, the RS2600 racked up victory in the 1971 and 1972 European Touring Car Championships, and the 1971 German Automobile Racing Championship, as well as a one two at 24 -hour classic of Le Mans in the same year, which was followed by a podium lock-out at the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

Capri was on a charge, with 400,000 cars sold in its first two years. Then in 1972 Ford gave Capri a facelift with a more comfortable suspension, enlarged tail-lamps, larger headlamps with separate indicators and new seats. The next year, Capri saw the highest sales total it would ever attain in one year – 233,000 – and the one millionth Capri, an RS2600, was built on August 29.

To further improve its racing pedigree, Ford built what is now one of the most sought after models – one recently sold at auction for £51,750 – the stunning RS3100. Powered by a 3.0-litre V6 engine developed by Cosworth, it produced 148bhp and 253 Nm of torque and was capable of 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 7.3 secs and could reach a top speed of 125 mph

Take two

In 1974, Ford launched the Mk II Capri. It was more elegant with smoother lines, more comfortable and practical, safer and had a simplified option packs to appeal to a wider market. With more than one million units sold in five years.

It was offered with a range of powertrains; the entry level 1.3-litre came with 55 bhp, while there was a 1.6-liter offered with either 68 bhp, 72 bhp, or 88 bhp, while two six-cylinder models – a 108 bhp 2.3-litre and the 3.0-litre "Essex" engine with 138 bhp – were added to cater for the performance orientated driver.

In 1976, Ford fundamentally redesigned the Mk II Capri, introducing trim and interior upgrades and a model, the Capri S, which was offered a distinctive front spoiler wing mirrors and either a 90 bhp, or 108 bhp 2.0-litre V6, or a 3.0-litre V6 capable of 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 8.9 seconds and a top speed of 123 mph.

Another iconic Capri, the John Player Special, or JPS for short, was released in 1975. It featured the black and gold livery of the Lotus Formula 1 cars and customers received
a numbered certificate. One example recently sold at auction for in excess of £20,000.

And then there were three

While it was little more than an update of the Mk II Capri, the heavily facelifted 1978 model soon became known as the Mk III Capri. The more aerodynamic front end was reminiscent of the Escort RS2000 of the time, with four headlamps and black "Aeroflow" grille that was first used on the Mk I Fiesta, and "sawtooth" rear lamp lenses that were subsequently introduced in the 1979 Mk V Cortina, 1980 Mk III Escort and facelifted 1981 Mk II Granada. The bonnet's leading edge was pulled down over the top of the headlamps, making the appearance more aggressive.

The Mk III introduced several special editions including the Calypso and Laser, while in 1982, Ford’s newly formed Special Vehicle Engineering department unveiled its first project: the 160 bhp Capri 2.8 Injection. The limited-edition Capri 280, also known as the Brooklands Capri, signalled the end of the Capri era, with the final models delivered to showrooms in 1987.

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