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Car Summary
- Incredible bodywork and paint
- Pristine Recaro seats
- Famous 2.8 Injection model
- Sonorous Cologne V6 with aftermarket exhaust
Vehicle History
Overall condition: Good
Number of owners: 9
History: Part
MOT: 19th January 2024
The Ford Capri was marketed as ‘the car you always promised yourself’, and across its seventeen-year production run won the hearts of a nation, as the Capri became a working man’s supercar thanks to its rakish coupe body, affordable purchase price, and simple underpinnings shared with other Fords. The original car was launched in 1969 and utilised parts from the contemporary Cortina and Escort to produce a new sports coupe that separated itself from the mainstream by virtue of its pony car-esque styling. Ford of Europe embarked on this project in an attempt to emulate the success of the American Mustang, launched five years prior, and the Capri helped produce a legion of loyal followers of the blue oval.
This car is a 1985 example of the ‘Mk3’ Capri, launched in 1978 as a heavy facelift of the 1974-vintage ‘Mk2’ Capri, as an attempt to energise the car with some of the aggression lost from the original. To that end, the ‘Mk3’ features a hooded bonnet above quad headlamps and an ever-so-‘80s rubber rear spoiler. The Capri 2.8 Injection was launched in 1982 to act as the halo model of the Capri range, featuring a powerful and sonorous 2.8-litre Cologne V6 as well as a five-speed gearbox and fuel injection for that ultimate 1980s status symbol. The 158 bhp of the six-cylinder engine propels the Capri to 60 mph in only 7.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 131 mph, figures that made this Capri one of the fastest attainable cars on the road in 1985. As a car from late on in the Capri’s production run, this example is an Injection Special, featuring several additional features enhancing its appeal, including seven-spoke RS-style alloy wheels, a colour-coded grille, and half-leather Recaro seats, as well as a limited-slip differential to keep the V6 in check.
This particular example has had ten owners, the current having purchased the car in September 2022. Previous to this, the car had been with its ninth owner since 2015. It was registered on 2nd August 1985 and supplied by Elmsleigh of Enfield Ford Main Dealer. Having covered minimal mileage in the past decade, this Capri has been lovingly maintained by its owners, and has recently received a full respray, restoring the original two-tone paint finish. Supplied with the car is the original book pack, multiple MOT certificates, and numerous invoices. To suit the new paint finish, the seats and headlining have been professionally retrimmed in the correct original material, making this Capri one of the finest examples of an Injection Special. Additionally, there are invoices for engine blueprinting from 2010, performed by renowned Capri racer, Ric Wood.
Exterior
With only 79,000 miles covered and having been remarkably well cared for, this Capri is among the finest examples of the breed and would be a worthy centrepiece of a classic car collection or someone’s pride and joy. At a glance, its Mineral Blue paintwork reflects its surroundings beautifully, and being a later car benefits from two-tone paintwork with Strato Silver on the lower half. As can be seen in the photographs, every panel shines as the day it left the Cologne factory, featuring no scratches or imperfections to speak of. The respray is of an exceptionally high quality. Similarly, the ‘Injection’ side and boot decals are in exceptional condition with no damage or creases. Similarly, the metal bumpers and their plastic end-caps are in very good condition with only some very light scratches to the corners of the plastic caps. The bodywork and paint is of museum piece quality. The leading edge of the bonnet, front and rear valances, and sills are all completely free of any corrosion, and the photographs of the underside extend this to every inch of the car’s exterior. The only point of corrosion on the entire car is some light surface rust on the offside boot floor, photographed. Other than this, the only notable imperfection is the alignment of the bonnet on the offside, which extends beyond the front wing by less than 10 mm. The RS-style alloy wheels are in good condition and are clad in matching Nankang tyres, all of which have good tread. The only notable imperfection on the car’s exterior is slight fading to the Ford badges on the wheels and front grille.
Watch a video of the 1985 Ford Capri 2.8L Injection
Mechanics
Under the bonnet is where the heart of the Capri lies, as the 2.8 Cologne V6 is generally clean, as is the surrounding bodywork. There is no corrosion around the bulkhead or suspension strut tops. To complement the sonorous V6, the car has been fitted with an aftermarket exhaust, which brings out the tones of the burbling engine, which starts, revs, and shuts off with incredible smoothness as would be expected of a new car. All coolant hoses have been replaced with new items, which are blue in colour, and the radiator shroud has been replaced with a chromed item reading ‘2.8i’. The car carries a valid MOT to 19th January 2024.
Interior
Inside, the Capri’s sporting nature is truly realised, with the low driving position supported by well-bolstered Recaro seats. The half leather and fabric trim that matches the door cards is in exceptional condition in all places, and the seat cushions are as supportive as they were in 1985. One issue is that the escutcheon for folding the passenger seat forwards is missing its surround. The carpets and dashboard are in good condition, though the window winders and interior door handles have light scratches, the steering wheel has wear to its leather wrapping, the gear knob is slightly worn, and the three pedal rubbers have the level of wear you would expect with 79,000 miles and thirty-eight years of motoring. All switches and electrical components work as expected, as well as the tilting metal sunroof, though the factory-fit cassette player has not been tested for practical reasons, and is missing its cassette cover. The radio tuner works as expected. Within the ash tray, the cigar lighter is missing, and the car appears to have been fitted with a short shifter, enhancing the gear change quality. All other interior trim is in good condition and the perforated headlining is pristine.
Why bid?
The Ford Capri is an iconic car in British history, giving hundreds of thousands of people a taste of exotica for an affordable price. With its motorsport heritage and cache of being a rear-drive blue oval-badged car, the Capri is appreciating nicely, and the 2.8 Injection is seen by many as the best of the breed, bringing the modernity of fuel injection and 1980s styling touches to a car for the ages, and this example is very near museum quality, with impeccable bodywork and a stunning paint finish.
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Vehicle Specification
- 79,265
- Five-speed gearbox
- RHD
- 2.8-litre fuel-injected V6
- Mineral Blue/Strato Silver
- Grey Recaro
- DCXXCAECET86641
Seller Overview
Location
- Barnard Castle, DL12
Seller Type
- Private
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