Lot Ended
Description
Only 21,500 miles indicated; few owners, the current since 2015;
outstandingly original; interesting history; unique colour scheme; extremely
rare survivor in time warp condition
The European
equivalent of the American Mustang, the Ford Capri was launched in 1969 and
proved a huge success, bringing affordable fastback styling to the average
working Joe. Okay, it shared its underpinnings with the rather less glamorous
Cortina, but that was no bad thing, and sales were boosted by the dizzying array
of options on offer.
Buyers could completely
customise their car, stepping up through standard, L, XL, GT and XLR trim
packages, with anything from a frugal 1.3 four-cylinder to a muscular 3.0 Essex
V6. By the time it was replaced by the Mk2 in February 1974, some 1.2m Mk1
Capris had been sold worldwide.
This particular
Capri Mk1 is the sporting 2000 GT version with the 93bhp Essex V4 engine and
twin-choke Weber carb which made it good for 106mph. It has the Borg-Warner
3-speed automatic transmission which was a rare extra cost option fitted to
less than 10% of total production.
It also has
the exclusive XLR trim package which made it the highest specification Capri
that money could buy. This included interior luxuries like fully reclining front
bucket seats, individual rear seats with a pull-down centre armrest, additional
interior courtesy light, flexible map reading light for the front passenger,
leather-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, dipping rear-view mirror, twin-tone
horn and a handbrake warning light on the dash.
On the outside, XLR meant sporting touches like dummy rear wing air
intake scoops, bright metal side mouldings and window surrounds, chrome bumper
over-riders, matt black radiator grille, additional quartz halogen driving lamps
, chrome exhaust tailpipe, a lockable fuel cap and super-cool Rostyle wheels.
Further setting this Capri apart is the colour,
Pacific Blue Metallic with a matching Teal Blue interior, which is believed to
make it unique.
The story behind the car is
equally special. First registered in London in March 1971, it was reputedly
first owned by a lady who bought it as a present for herself after a big win on
the premium bonds. She always kept it garaged and used it for short local trips
until she gave up driving a few years later.
In
2006 it was discovered languishing in storage by the second owner, at which
point it had been off the road for 28 years. He recommissioned the car and it
passed an MOT in January 2007 at which point it was still only showing 19,561
miles on the clock. He kept the car for five years before selling it to a
Lancashire gent in 2011 by which time it was showing just over 20,300
miles.
Our vendor acquired the car in 2015 when
it was showing just over 20,600 miles and during his 11-year ownership he has
added just a few hundred miles to the odometer, currently showing 21,504 miles,
which is believed to be correct.
We are told that
the car has never been welded or restored and, apart from some localised
paintwork correction when the car was recommissioned in 2006, it remains exactly
as it left the Halewood plant 55 years ago.
Supplied with an original owner’s handbook and maintenance chart, it
also comes with a V5C recording three former keepers, six old MOTs back to 2014,
a print-out of the MOT history back to 2007, a CarCheck report, a dozen Capri
Club magazines, a workshop manual and the advert from when our bought the car in
2015 (see photos). This states that the car has won several awards and has been
magazine featured, although there are no documents on file to warrant
this.
There are also a few invoices for routine
upkeep, the most recent being a thorough service in July 2025 by GH Myatt Ltd of
Staffs, which included a new fuel pump and various new suspension bushes, the
bill for this lot coming to £1,796.
As you can
see in the photos, this Capri is in remarkably good and original condition, both
above and below. We are told that it drives as well as it looks and it has
certainly been starting promptly and running nicely as we have moved it around
on site, with healthy oil pressure.
According to
howmanyleft, there are only about 18 MkI Capri 2000 GTs still registered on UK
roads (with another dozen stowed away on SORN), and only three with XLR trim and
automatic transmission. This low-mileage time capsule must surely be among the
finest examples surviving.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – [email protected]