12 May 09
Ford Capri Mk 1 GXL
The pretty one: Ford Capri Mk 1 (1969-1974)
Ford in Europe loved the American Mustang. More accurately, they lusted after its success, so they decided to copy it and, boy, was 60s Britain ready for a slice of the American dream.
The Capri was something genuinely new: an affordable, practical, four-seat sports car. The marketers got to work and the advertisements boasted: 'The car you have always promised yourself'.
Ford cut a few corners with the Capri, as with the Mustang. It based the Capri on the humble Ford Cortina, sharing both the platform and engines. Nevertheless, despite lacking a V8 in its engine bay, the Capri Mk1 was a genuinely desirable European version of the American muscle car.
Aston Tickford Capri
The expensive one: Aston Tickford Capri (1984-1987)
This was the result of an unlikely collaboration. Aston Martin's preferred coachbuilder Tickford decided it should widen its audience, so it got to work on Ford's working class hero.
Tickford didn't hold back, bolting a turbocharger on the 2.8 V6 and transforming the Ford's performance. Power shot up to 205bhp and 0-60mph was shrugged off in just 6.7 seconds. Top speed rose to a then-stratospheric 137mph.
The interior was plush but puke-inducing. The use of leather captured the moment but the cherry hue required a strong constitution. Outside, the bodykit was equally vulgar and at £14,995, the Tickford Capri cost an absolute fortune - twice as much as the regular car.
