Ford Capri - Haynes Enthusiast Guide

By: Martyn Morgan Jones .

Description

The first Capri that the author ever saw was a brand new metallic gold 1600GT XLR. Even parked up, it looked as if it was doing 100mph! The thrusting bonnet, sporty Rostyles, lashings of chrome and the wonderful detail touches set it apart from the crowd. The effect it had on him was remarkable and long-lasting.

He wasn't the only one to be impressed by the Capri, which would go on to become a major seller, especially in the early days. One of the main reasons why it proved to be so successful was because it wasn't a rehash of an existing design. Even though it was inspired by the iconic and massively successful Mustang, the Capri was designed from the ground up in Europe — and it was engineered and built in Europe.

Using stock mechanicals, dressing them in a sexy coupe body, and offering a plethora of affordable options, Ford enabled Capri buyers to personalise to their hearts' and pockets' content. This was bespoke tailoring at 'off-the-peg' prices and a stroke of marketing genius.

This Haynes Enthusiast Guide covers the full history of the Capri, including the various luxury GT and high-performance RS versions. The author recalls the Capri's prominence in motorsport and the attention it received from the many specialist tuners and modifiers. Finally, he provides practical advice on buying, running, restoring and modifying a Capri today.

Since he retired from teaching in 1999, Martyn Morgan Jones has forged a successful career as a freelance motoring journalist. A member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, he has twice been awarded the Guild's 'Feature Writer of the Year', in 2006 and 2009. He lives in Grosmont, Wales.

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