Photo: The Market
Promoted by Ford Europe as “The Car You Always Promised Yourself,” the Capri probably never escaped the label of a lesser Mustang sibling. Still, that doesn’t mean the model wasn’t a great sales success, with almost two million units produced during its lifecycle.
Although relatively simple when it comes to its mechanical elements, the affordable Capri was quite the exotic when it first arrived back in 1969 with sleek fastback styling.
After a second-generation hatchback hiccup, all records were again set straight for its third iteration, although Ford humorously added fuel to Car Magazine’s infamous dismissal of the Capri being nothing but a “Cortina in drag” with its internal codename of “Project Carla.”
The Capri listed here for sale at The Market comes precisely from 1978, so we’re dealing with an early Mk III. It comes in luxurious Ghia specification and with the top engine choice, the 3.0-litre Essex V6.
The body comes in a pristine Diamond White shade with little to mark the passage of time – all thanks to a careful restoration to factory condition and specification. It’s a well-kept example that had just one owner from 1978 to 2007, after which it was bought by a car dealer who performed the reconditioning and never drove it.
The 58k miles (93k kilometers) showing up on the odometer are from before the restoration, as the current seller only came in the possession of the car last year, which means this luxurious Capri might easily add another 50,000 miles before it needs another set of major interventions.
Interestingly, the interior – which is akin to a selection of fine chocolates – hides a surprise. Although most Capri Ghias were commissioned with the three-speed automatic transmission, this unit actually comes with the four-speed stick shift, making for a more engaging driving experience.
This rather rare 3.0 Capri Ghia with a manual transmission is currently standing at a bid of £15k (the equivalent of around $20,427 at the current exchange rates), but the reserve hasn’t been met just yet. The auction’s description cites a fair estimate in the £23,000 - £30,000 range.
After a second-generation hatchback hiccup, all records were again set straight for its third iteration, although Ford humorously added fuel to Car Magazine’s infamous dismissal of the Capri being nothing but a “Cortina in drag” with its internal codename of “Project Carla.”
The Capri listed here for sale at The Market comes precisely from 1978, so we’re dealing with an early Mk III. It comes in luxurious Ghia specification and with the top engine choice, the 3.0-litre Essex V6.
The body comes in a pristine Diamond White shade with little to mark the passage of time – all thanks to a careful restoration to factory condition and specification. It’s a well-kept example that had just one owner from 1978 to 2007, after which it was bought by a car dealer who performed the reconditioning and never drove it.
The 58k miles (93k kilometers) showing up on the odometer are from before the restoration, as the current seller only came in the possession of the car last year, which means this luxurious Capri might easily add another 50,000 miles before it needs another set of major interventions.
Interestingly, the interior – which is akin to a selection of fine chocolates – hides a surprise. Although most Capri Ghias were commissioned with the three-speed automatic transmission, this unit actually comes with the four-speed stick shift, making for a more engaging driving experience.
This rather rare 3.0 Capri Ghia with a manual transmission is currently standing at a bid of £15k (the equivalent of around $20,427 at the current exchange rates), but the reserve hasn’t been met just yet. The auction’s description cites a fair estimate in the £23,000 - £30,000 range.
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