Automotive History Ford Capri

Those of us growing up in Britain during the 1970s will never forget Abba, punk, Grease the movie, glam rock and even that artificially flavored frothy soft drink called Cresta. But what about the cars? The one that sticks in my memory more than any other was the Ford Capri! Ford of Britain first used the name Capri for an early 1960s coupe version of the Ford Classic saloon, but it was not until January 1969 that the precisely named Ford Capri was unveiled at the Brussels Motor show in Belgium. This was the first time the public saw what was to become a 1970s icon here in the UK. Capri production was in three stages. The Mark 1 (1969-1974), Mark 2 (1974-1977), and the Mark 3 (1977-1986). In this 17 year period from 1969 to 1986 when last one came of the production line 1,886,647 cars were built which showed us how succesful this sporty coupe was during its lifetime. Why was it succesful? I think the main reasons were possibly that this was one of the first Sports coupes that was more affordable to many more drivers at the time, and the fact that it appealed to younger car buyers, also in my opinion it was a million times better than the dull family cars produced by British Leyland during the early to mid 1970s. Here is a brief description of the Mark 1, 2 and 3: CAPRI MARK 1) When the Mark 1 came out in early 1969 it was available in a variety of engines ranging from the nippy 1.3 to the powerful 3000GT. they were assembled at Halewood in Liverpool, Dagenham in London, Genk in Belgium and in factories in Germany. The first models were for the European market only, but in 1970 Ford decided to start selling the Capri in North America and Australia. In 1972 Ford updated the Mark 1 to give it a more comfortable suspension, rectangular headlights, and new interior. In 1973 they sold 233,000 cars making this the most successful year in Capri history. CAPRI MARK 2) 1973 was a bad year for the world economy due to the global oil crisis, so after selling over a million cars since its launch Ford decided it was time for the Mark 2. This was possibly the best of the Capris due to the fact there was virtually no reliability issues. Because the Mark 2 was more of a family car than previous Capris, Ford intoduced The black JPS limited edition in 1975 to keep that sports appeal that made the car popular during the previous years. CAPRI MARK 3) In October 1976 the Capri was no longer available for the American market due to falling sales. A year later came the Mark 3 which was to become the final chapter in the Capri series. This was basically a substantially updated Mark 2 .Unfortunately the Mark 3 failed to halt the decline in popularity of the car that forever will be remembered as part of 1970s UK culture. The popular British TV show ‘The Professionals’ helped gain some interest in the Capri again due to one of the main characters driving a Mark 3, but the 1980s was not a good decade for the car insomuch that in the last two years of production they were only available in the UK. The last Capri was made on the 19th of December 1986. Will there be a Mark 4 in the future? There was talk of this about 8 years ago, but with the present global economic mess, and the auto industry in crisis this now seems very unlikely. Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil