How many ford capris were made

But those Capris always looked and sounded the part, for the blue-and-white colour scheme and the rpm limits made an impression. So, too, did the two and three-wheeled cornering attitudes — the works drivers had to be brave back then…. The RS was a great race car, killed off before its time, by the Energy Crisis. In the end, there were no events for them to race in, and the major opposition — BMW — just faded away.

We love these cars for their simple answer to all the problems posed by BMW. First of all, Ford-UK produced or said they had produced… enough 3. How much power would sir like? No problem — there it was — and up to bhp would be available later on.

Unbeatable, that is, when enough strong Essex cylinder blocks could be found, for several split themselves in half after prolonged heavy use. Unhappily, European touring car racing imploded after the Energy Crisis arrived, so the cars were unemployed. Even so in two years, and , the works cars started 17 races and won eight of them outright. Is there a Capri under there? Life-affirming lunacy from Germany made the most outlandish, jaw-dropping Capri of them all.

On the day that Zakspeed unveiled its first Capri race car in , one seasoned observer looked, gaped, whistled softly, and asked if the designers had been using mind-expanding drugs. The red, yellow and black beast first shown to the European media was simply monstrous, 10 inches wider than a road car, several inches lower — and with a bhp turbocharged BDA engine.

Little more than a year after going on sale, a quarter of a million Capris had been built. After an appearance at the New York motor show in , it would even be sold in North America for a few years albeit badged as a Mercury, not a Ford , while South Africa, Australia and New Zealand would get the Capri for a while too.

But it was in Europe that the Capri really belonged, and the Brits took it to their hearts more than most. While the rest of Europe moved on, the Capri remained on sale in the UK for another two years, bringing the total number built to nearly 1. The Ford Capri has a strong history in motorsport, with many impressive accolades to its name.

Shortly after Ford's Motorsport department came to fruition in June of , the first ever all-wheel-drive Capri took victory in a rally stage in the north of England. The car featured a 1. The new car had a peak power output of almost bhp, ft lbs of torque, pushing it to a top speed of mph. Made from , featuring 1. Contemporary motoring journalists noted that, even though the Capri was priced to compete with the BMW i or Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV of the day, its engine was larger, it was cheaper to maintain, it offered a more refined drive and it was faster.

The Capri remained on sale until , with its sales gradually declining each year as drivers grew more strongly enticed by smaller, faster and more practical hot hatchbacks.

The Ford Capri remains an iconic name even today, loved by enthusiasts and well worth its place in history for the way it made sports coupe style and performance accessible to mainstream car buyers.

Ford is unlikely to hear calls for a new Ford Capri reprising the original formula fall silent anytime soon. Have you ever owned a Ford Capri? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below…. Brand loyalty evaporates as car demand hits all-time high.

Skip to Content Skip to Footer. Features Home Features. First generation Ford Capri — 5. The best-selling vehicle in the world with 15 million vehicles sold until Actually, it is very difficult to describe the complete Ford Capri history of England and Germany in a few words. Since it's a piece of the attitude to life. After all, between and almost 2 million Ford Capri with different model series, types were built, Motors, accessories, finishes, equipment, and colors produced.

Originally the new car was supposed to be called Colt, but Mitsubishi had already occupied it.