If you’ve never heard of the Ford Capri, you’d be forgiven, especially if you’re an American. This isn’t the all-electric Capri SUV that is currently being sold in Europe — and thus also unlikely to be familiar to many in the U.S. This is the original. Launched in Europe in 1969 and sold until 1986, this little fastback coupe has little in common with its modern namesake.
Ford originally planned to name the Capri the Colt, and it was Ford’s European match to America’s Mustang. Mitsubishi beat the American automaker to the Colt name, so Ford pivoted to the Capri and the rest, as they say, is history. The Capri was sold in various iterations for almost 20 years, but in 1986 Ford discontinued the model.
To celebrate the Capri’s lengthy history and generate hype for the last model year, Ford built a special edition. It made only 1,038 of the Ford Capri 280 Brooklands, which sold for a pricey 11,999 pounds in the late 1980s, or about $50,000 in today’s market. One man bought a slightly used Capri 280 in 1988 and drove it until the mid-1990s, when he parked it in his garage. He never intended to leave it for long, but 30 years went by in a flash, and his Capri just recently saw the light of day.
The owner, a man named Chris, partnered with Jonny Smith, a TV presenter and creator of a YouTube Channel called The Late Brake Show. Together, they managed to pull the Capri out of its unintended time capsule, but it’s not quite drivable.
Will it run again?
When Chris garaged his Capri 280, he simply didn’t want to store the car outside in the elements. He even extended the garage to fit the Ford coupe and then went about his life. He did his best to maintain the Capri while it was stored, but he couldn’t pull it out because pushing it back into the garage, which had an odd wedge shape after his extension, was too difficult. Now that the Capri is free, Chris and Smith have a better understanding of where things stand.
The Capri 280 only has 49,349 miles on it. There are a few dents and dings, and a rusty hole in the driver’s door from a robbery attempt years ago. The men updated the spark plugs and added fresh oil. They managed to get the engine to start, but it stalled due to failing cylinders and will need serious work before Chris can take it out on the road again.
If you have a classic car that you plan to store, experts recommend that you use a professional car storage facility. If that’s not possible, store your vehicle in a garage with fire and burglar detection. A space that is temperature- and humidity-controlled is best. Change the oil and fill up the gas tank before you park and disconnect or remove the battery, so it doesn’t die while the car is in storage. You may want to cover your car for extra protection and be sure to check in every once in a while, to be sure it’s still safe and secure.
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