Ford ‘to revive classic Capri’: Iconic 1970s ‘working man’s Porsche’ to get a makeover as it returns after 40 years priced at £40,000 and doing 0-60 in 6.4 seconds
- The new 300 horsepower version will still have the classic four headlights
- Will also have a digital touchscreen, wireless charging point and massage seats
The classic Ford Capri is set to be revived with an eco-friendly makeover for the first time in 40 years.
The iconic 1970s car – commonly referred to as the ‘worker’s Porsche’ due to its affordability – is expected to cost around £40,000.
It will be remarketed as an electric sports crossover capable of 0-60 mph in around 6.4 seconds, according to a Sun auto expert.
The new 300 horsepower version will benefit from rear-wheel drive and classic quad headlights like the original version.
Unlike the Capri of the 1970s, which consumes a lot of gas, it will be equipped with a digital touch screen, a wireless phone charging station and massaging seats.
A Ford spokesperson revealed that while they don’t want to speculate on future cars, Ford is “on a mission to make the electric iconic”.
Ford sold nearly 1.9 million units of the Capri in total during its 17 years of production
The new model is expected to be an electric crossover and feature a digital touchscreen, wireless phone charging point and massaging seats
How does the old Ford Capri compare to the new?
Ford Capri 1300 (1969-1973)
Cost: £890
Power: 57
0-60 mph: over 11 seconds
Headlights: Four
Rear-wheel drive
The new Ford Capri electric sports crossover
Cost: £40,000
Power: 300
0-100 km/h: 6.4 seconds
Headlights: Four
Rear-wheel drive
First unveiled to the public in January 1969 at the Brussels Motor Show, the Ford Capri was marketed as a cheap, fast and fun coupé.
Production of the car actually started two months earlier at the Halewood factory in Liverpool to ensure that every UK dealer would have at least one Capri on their forecourt by the time sales started.
Capri prices started from £890 in 1969, which equates to around £14,000 today.
Overall, it was an extremely successful model for Ford, selling a staggering 400,000 units in its first two years.
It also remained in production well into the 1980s and during its 17 years of production Ford sold nearly 1.9 million units in total.
Designed by a team led by American automotive designer Philip T. Clark, the Ford Capri was originally to be called Ford “Colt”, a reference to the famous Ford Mustang.
Ford hoped the Capri would mirror the American success of the Mustang and to a large extent, it did.
The Capri has gained popularity across Europe as one of the most affordable and popular sports cars.
Jamie Oliver’s Ford Capri MK1
The Capri also made an appearance on Minder
Capri craze: This 1978 Capri 3.0 S that featured on cult TV show The Professionals sold at auction for a record £55,000 on Wednesday
Lewis Collins (pictured) drove the car in the second series of The Professionals. The former owner said the money raised from the auction will be donated to cancer research in memory of the actor who lost his battle with the disease in 2013.
This 1977 Ford Capri that featured in the hit series Minder was also up for auction
The Life and Times of the Classic Ford Capri
Ford’s famous advertising slogan for the Capri – “The car you always promised” – perfectly sums up its appeal to those who couldn’t afford a Porsche or an Alfa Romeo.
In 1970, nearly 250,000 Capris were sold, meaning one in four Fords sold in Europe was a Capri, and it soon hit the big screen.
The Capri appeared in the cult 1970s TV series The Professionals, which recently sold at auction for £48,000.
In 1975 Brannigan, John Wayne, jumped a Ford Capri across Tower Bridge in a spectacular car chase.
The car’s appeal then slowly began to evaporate over time, appearing as Derek Trotter’s wheels of choice in Only Fools and Horses in the 1980s.
