The Ford Capri is a fastback coupé built by Ford-Werke AG in West Germany, designed by Philip T. Clark, who was also involved in the design of the Ford Mustang. The Ford Capri was intended as the European equivalent of the Ford Mustang. From 1970 to 1978, the Capri was imported and marketed in North America by the Lincoln-Mercury division without any Ford or Mercury divisional branding and sold simply as the Capri. From 1979 to 1986, the Capri was built on the Fox body Mustang and sold as the U.S. built Mercury Capri.
In Europe, the Ford Capri racked up an enviable record in competition, snaring class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Tour de France, and the European Touring Car Championship. Ford didn’t play up the car’s European racing credentials or give Americans the chance to buy the hottest turbocharged, fuel-injected and RS FIA homologated models. These cars have pretty much been forgotten here in the United States, so it’s nice to see one that’s been saved and used as the sports car it was meant to be.
This 1972 Ford Capri received a red paint job and aftermarket front and rear spoilers along with black fender flares. The factory bumpers have been removed and Carello fog lamps were added where the front bumper mounts were. Side accents were added behind the doors and the cars grill and trim were painted black.
Pirelli P Zero Nero GT tires are mounted on polished 17-inch RS Watanabe wheels with black painted centers. Adjustable BC Racing coilovers with adjustable top mounts are fitted up front, and QA1 shocks are combined with leaf springs in the rear. Braking is handled by front discs and rear drums.
The front and rear seats are upholstered in white vinyl with perforated center sections and are joined by a black dash, carpets, and door panels. Interior equipment includes a dash-mounted compass, a wooden shift knob, a Blaupunkt AM/FM/cassette player, and manual crank windows. A custom panel in the dash houses Veglia Borletti and VDO instrumentation including a 140-mph speedometer, an 8k-rpm tachometer, and auxiliary gauges.
The carbureted 2.0-liter inline-four features a Redline air cleaner. The exhaust header has been wrapped to protect the starter from heat, and the exhaust exists through a Upower muffler out of the passenger side of the car below the passenger door. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission.
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