Photo: Car & Classic
The Capri isn’t as popular as the Mustang, but it was designed in the 1960s as the European twin of the Mustang. Produced over three generations, the fastback coupe numbers nearly 1.9 million units.
This particular example—a 1981 model—is a low-key gem because of its original owner. Henry Ford II, also known as Hank the Deuce, enjoyed this Capri 2.8i until 1983 when Ron Mellor, the head of product development at Ford, bought it from Henry Ford’s eldest grandson.
A key driver behind the Dearborn-based automaker’s Total Performance program that gave us the Mustang and GT40, the one and only Deuce customized his Capri 2.8i with additional layers of paint, the C3 automatic transmission, wider seats, and leather upholstery. As the head honcho of Ford, Hank’s sports car also benefitted from much stricter quality control.
Spruced up by the Special Vehicle Engineering team in Dunton, the coupe was featured in the Capri Club International magazine in 1993 with 62,000 miles on the clock. Now it’s 68,958 miles, which translates to 110,977 kilometers on the Cologne V6 engine with Bosch fuel injection.
The current owner has carried a huge amount of recommissioning before ringing Car & Classic to auction the vehicle off and the amount of work that went into the Capri 2.8i beggars belief. Inside and out, regardless of panel and trim piece, the old-timer looks better than ever.
“Fast Fords are always highly sought after, but this Capri is much more than that,” said Chris Pollitt, editorial head at Car & Classic. “Specifically prepared by SVE for one of the most influential people in the history of Ford, and subsequently enjoyed by other key members of the company, it is a widely appreciated and renowned part of the Ford story.”
Estimated to fetch between £25,000 and £35,000 ($34,830 and $48,760 at current rates), the rear-wheel-drive Europony is offered with a ton of desirable goodies. These include old invoices, MOTs, and the Secret Fords book by Steve Saxty, former product designer at Ford.
A key driver behind the Dearborn-based automaker’s Total Performance program that gave us the Mustang and GT40, the one and only Deuce customized his Capri 2.8i with additional layers of paint, the C3 automatic transmission, wider seats, and leather upholstery. As the head honcho of Ford, Hank’s sports car also benefitted from much stricter quality control.
Spruced up by the Special Vehicle Engineering team in Dunton, the coupe was featured in the Capri Club International magazine in 1993 with 62,000 miles on the clock. Now it’s 68,958 miles, which translates to 110,977 kilometers on the Cologne V6 engine with Bosch fuel injection.
The current owner has carried a huge amount of recommissioning before ringing Car & Classic to auction the vehicle off and the amount of work that went into the Capri 2.8i beggars belief. Inside and out, regardless of panel and trim piece, the old-timer looks better than ever.
“Fast Fords are always highly sought after, but this Capri is much more than that,” said Chris Pollitt, editorial head at Car & Classic. “Specifically prepared by SVE for one of the most influential people in the history of Ford, and subsequently enjoyed by other key members of the company, it is a widely appreciated and renowned part of the Ford story.”
Estimated to fetch between £25,000 and £35,000 ($34,830 and $48,760 at current rates), the rear-wheel-drive Europony is offered with a ton of desirable goodies. These include old invoices, MOTs, and the Secret Fords book by Steve Saxty, former product designer at Ford.
Google News