Ford Mk. I Capri: The Sexy European

The Mk I Ford Capri is one of a long list of neat and interesting Ford models that was never released stateside, at least not in great quantities. The Mk. I Capri only ever made it to the states in the guise of a Mercury, which was marketed as, “The Sexy European”. Rightly so, as the Capri was known for its svelte, smoothly aggressive profile. These Americanized Capris were carbon copies of the Euro version right up until 1974, when the popular Mercury coupe became a bloated facsimile of the European Capri. The seductive smooth lines of the Euro Capri were ruined by the introduction of an ungainly, government-mandated impact bumper.

What did remain, however, were Americanized versions of the fantastic engine options from Europe, namely the vaunted Cologne V6. This engine, an extremely popular powerplant overseas, was never produced in mass quantities for America. A very versatile engine, the Cologne V6 provided the power to match the sporting exterior of the Capri. The styling won the favor of buyers, and soon sold over 400,000 models in Europe, causing Ford to continue to Capri line for another 20 years. The aesthetic draw of the Capri provided to be a popular strategy for many budding auto companies, primarily from Japan. This muscle car influence is seen in the Japanese approach to sports cars in the late 60’s and early 70’s, with the first generation Celica and Datsun 240Z. The Capri, along with its Japanese counterparts, had all of the styling benefits of the muscle car era, without the muscle car weight and handling. Due to this blend of both performance and styling, both the Mk. I Ford and Mercury Capri are seen as collector cars, often restored and/or race prepped for a cheap and easy entry into the world of classic car ownership.