It’s “the car you always promised yourself”, the affordable sports car. I have always loved the Ford Capri MKII, but I was never actually certain as to the reasons why. So I sat down and had a good old think. I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject, why I’m wrong, or right, and especially if you have as much affection for this classic as I do.
1) Toy Nostalgia
I think one of the reasons why I love this car so much is that I’m pretty sure my little brother had about 18 of them from various different toy makers. Matchbox, Corgi, you name it. Any toy car set worth its salt had to have a Ford Capri MKII. Even my 2 year old nephew has one in his toy box. Whenever I see a Ford Capri, it’s synonymous to me with the toy cars of my childhood. And that always, always makes me smile
2) Advertising
Please watch this spectacularly dodgy advert starring a young Martin Shaw. He allegedly commented that the car was “terrible” to drive!
3) Charisma
The smiley headlights, the long nose, the gorgeousness of its retro appeal. It’s 70s charm at its best and the perfect response to muscle car mania. I would have loved to have been around when the roads were full of these, although I suppose it would have been the dreaded Vauxhall Corsa of its day in terms of popularity.
4) The car you love to hate
Lots of people get hung up on the car’s faults. They say it’s too prissy, not as sporty as its brothers and has rubbish suspension and fuel economy. It also does tend to make you think of medallions nestled in the hairy chest of a moustached man. For me, this just adds to its charm. Plus it does make me chuckle that the Capris used in The Sweeney had to be heavily modified in order to get to a decent speed and manage the many stunts required.
5) Just because
Sources: ehattons.com, motorstown.com, retrorides.proboards.com, pinterest.com, speeddoctor.net
