Ford Capri MK1

Let’s take a look at one of Ford’s most loved cars and go back to the late 60’s when the Ford Capri was first introduced.

Inspired by the incredible success of Ford of America’s Mustang which was launched back in 1964. The Capri was mechanically based on the Cortina and was manufactured in Europe in several plants from Dagenham, UK to the Genk plant in Belgium. The first Capri was unveiled in January of 1969 at the Brussels Motor Show and sales began the month after.

The initial sales surpassed the predicted demand by 100% as the Capri was the first of its kind across the ocean. A sleek ‘fastback’ which was the middle ground between the conventional family saloon and a two seater sports car was delivered by Ford and it quickly became a hit.

At the end of 1969, Ford released two sports versions of the Capri, one of them being the 3000GT which was powered by the Ford Essex V6 engine and was capable of 139bhp. Since the reception for the car was so great, another variant was added to the growing Capri collection, the 3000E which offered a more luxurious interior.

In 1972, Ford gave the Capri MK1 a new look that included enlarged tail-lights, new seats, larger headlamps, new improved suspension and much more. This meant that in 1973, Ford say the highest sales it would ever attain for the Capri at 233,000.

Over a million Capris were made before the release of the MK2 and we will definitely take a look at that in the near future…