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[STEMO]

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-12283789/Pair-Ford-Capris-70s-hit-TV-series-tipped-smash-price-record.html

[Andy B]

I'll see if I've enough in my piggy bank to place a bid ..... 

[Sir Tigger KC]

A Morris Marina 1800TC Coupe would be better value! 

If you can find one that is.....     They must all be squirrelled away in barns and garages across the country.   

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Crapis werent a good car when they were new, so why are they a great car now ?  Rose tinted specs I suppose.
Basically a Cortina in a sporty bodyshell that made them understeer like hell.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

I like a 3 litre Capri from the seventies as much as the next man. But £230,000?

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Crapis werent a good car when they were new, so why are they a great car now ?  Rose tinted specs I suppose.
Basically a Cortina in a sporty bodyshell that made them understeer like hell.

Bit like the Calibra, which  was simply a Vectra in a posh frock....or was it a Cavalier?

Long time ago now.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

I owned a very old 1600XL from 1974 which cost £200.

It drove like a lorry but it looked good in white with a BVR.

[Nick W]

Those numbers are the auctioneers talking up the prices. That's what they are paid to do.


Without the history but based on condition, the cars are probably worth somewhere between £25 and £50k each, which is what they actually go for. The last one made double that because of what it was. It is hard to see a Professionals fan paying ten times that, but people are weird. Back when a Capri was my default need a cheap car now, it wasn't difficult to find a decent 3.0S for under £500. I nearly bought several before reality reminded me that doing 30,000 miles a year in a sub 20mpg car wasn't possible

[Nick W]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

I've had eleven. Or twelve. Or possibly thirteen.


There's little difference in handling between an Escort and a Capri, because it's basically the same bits underneath - the front suspension is interchangeable except for the extra width in the crossmember, rack and anti-roll bar. Smaller engined Capris share the same axle as an Escort, although it is wider. Rear leaf springs are closer to mk2 Cortinas.


Capris sold well for the same reason Mustangs did; they good to look at, fun to drive and affordable to own. Most of them are no better than the cars they're based on, which is Cortina/Escort for the Capri, and Ford Falcon for the Mustang. So there were a lot of four cylinder Capris, and even more 6 cylinder Mustangs.


And if you think a Capri isn't sporty(whatever that means to you), make damn sure you never get in a Mustang, let alone drive one.

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Nonsense. Escorts handled infinitely better than Capris. Probably because of the wheelbase and the long nose on the Capri.
Presumably thats why Ford rallied them very successfully indeed, and didnt bother trying to rally the Capri.
I was using Sporty as a generic term that people tended to use about cars with sporting images/ pretensions, or sometimes genuine characteristics.
Why would I be worried / scared about driving a Mustang ? Poor handling ?

[ronnyd]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

I owned a very old 1600XL from 1974 which cost £200.

It drove like a lorry but it looked good in white with a BVR. >

[YZ250]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

I owned a very old 1600XL from 1974 which cost £200.

It drove like a lorry but it looked good in white with a BVR. >

Black Vinyl Roof. 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

I owned a very old 1600XL from 1974 which cost £200.

It drove like a lorry but it looked good in white with a BVR. >

Black Vinyl Roof. 

Yep, Ronny.

Everything from Ford had a BVR in the seventies.

My mate had a 1973 2 litre Cortina GXL MK3 with a BVR.

[YZ250]

Nonsense. Escorts handled infinitely better than Capris. Probably because of the wheelbase and the long nose on the Capri.
Presumably thats why Ford rallied them very successfully indeed, and didnt bother trying to rally the Capri.
……….

They did actually Rally the MK1 Capri.    Roger Clark drove one in Rally Cross events. The later models were more likely to be seen on the tarmac tracks, the equivalent of saloon car racing I guess. The Escort was obviously better suited to the Rally Circuit, hence the success. 

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

Nonsense. Escorts handled infinitely better than Capris. Probably because of the wheelbase and the long nose on the Capri.
Presumably thats why Ford rallied them very successfully indeed, and didnt bother trying to rally the Capri.
……….

They did actually Rally the MK1 Capri.    Roger Clark drove one in Rally Cross events. The later models were more likely to be seen on the tarmac tracks, the equivalent of saloon car racing I guess. The Escort was obviously better suited to the Rally Circuit, hence the success. 

 I seem to to remember that it was a special 4 wheel drive version.

Could well be wrong though.

[YZ250]

Nonsense. Escorts handled infinitely better than Capris. Probably because of the wheelbase and the long nose on the Capri.
Presumably thats why Ford rallied them very successfully indeed, and didnt bother trying to rally the Capri.
……….

They did actually Rally the MK1 Capri.    Roger Clark drove one in Rally Cross events. The later models were more likely to be seen on the tarmac tracks, the equivalent of saloon car racing I guess. The Escort was obviously better suited to the Rally Circuit, hence the success. 

 I seem to to remember that it was a special 4 wheel drive version.

Could well be wrong though.

You remember well, you are correct. 

[STEMO]

Nonsense. Escorts handled infinitely better than Capris. Probably because of the wheelbase and the long nose on the Capri.
Presumably thats why Ford rallied them very successfully indeed, and didnt bother trying to rally the Capri.
……….

They did actually Rally the MK1 Capri.    Roger Clark drove one in Rally Cross events. The later models were more likely to be seen on the tarmac tracks, the equivalent of saloon car racing I guess. The Escort was obviously better suited to the Rally Circuit, hence the success. 

 I seem to to remember that it was a special 4 wheel drive version.

Could well be wrong though.

I don't think the rally versions of any car bore much resemblance to road going models.

[ronnyd]

Why do you like them ? Have you driven one ?
They were a pretend sporty car for posers who didnt know any better. If they had they would have bought a sporty Escort with its excellent handling.

I owned a very old 1600XL from 1974 which cost £200.

It drove like a lorry but it looked good in white with a BVR. >

Black Vinyl Roof. 

Thanks YZ. Should have thought it through. Christ, i even had a Mk1 Grannie with a BVR. 

[Nick W]

Nonsense. Escorts handled infinitely better than Capris. Probably because of the wheelbase and the long nose on the Capri.
Presumably thats why Ford rallied them very successfully indeed, and didnt bother trying to rally the Capri.
I was using Sporty as a generic term that people tended to use about cars with sporting images/ pretensions, or sometimes genuine characteristics.
Why would I be worried / scared about driving a Mustang ? Poor handling ?

We never found much difference in the straight line or across the ground performance between Escorts and Capris with the same 4 cylinder engines. And we had lots of both. A 2.0l Capri is still perfectly viable as an every day car if you're prepared to spend the £6 or £7k necessary to buy one. V6 Capris were noticeably quicker but were less forgiving when driven hard. Mike's V8 Escort was a very different matter.


I've no idea why you would be worried or scared about driving a Mustang. But if you think a Capri is worse than an Escort, you'd be even more disappointed than I was. That includes Mustangs right up to the generation before current - my 2.8i Capri had the same performance, better economy and better ride/handling than the boss' 05 4.6. Took up less space on the road too, which is important on country roads.