Ford's Capri - British Bulldog or Shetland Pony Car?
By the end of 1970 and barely six months after it was launched here, the first Torana GTR XU-1 had turned the more refined Capri 3000 GT into a niche model in the showroom and on the track. It deserved better.
In mid-1969, Ford looked like it had the jump on local rivals with its four cylinder European Capri interpretation of the Mustang pony car. Within months, Holden launched the cheaper and faster LC Torana GTR for less money. A revised Capri range with higher local content built at Ford’s Homebush plant near Sydney arrived in March 1970. It included a new V6-powered Capri 3000 GT five months after the British version, with a modest but easily-justified price premium over the Torana GTR. The Capri’s imported drivetrain left a big margin for Holden to take back the advantage.
The sales figures tell a story of how Australians were thinking in 1970. The transition from a brash US-centric market to the more understated European approach had yet to gain momentum. If the VB Commodore is an indication, the Capri was eight years too early which at least partly explains why the Capri 3000 GT has more credibility today than it had in the early 1970s.
In the nine months after its arrival, the Capri 3000 GT posted almost 1700 sales in 1970 before plummeting to 720 in 1971 and 625 in 1972 taking until 1973 before they were all cleared. A wilder LJ Torana facelift, cheap new Charger models and Ford’s own Falcon Hardtop were soon competing for the same buyers. At the lower levels, the Japanese were achieving new levels of performance and style with the Toyota Celica, Datsun 180B SSS and Mazda 929/RX-4 before the VW Passat TS and final Fiat 124 Coupe caught the attention of the enthusiast buyer.
Although the Capri could be dismissed as another textbook case of the three year economic life cycle of coupes in Australia, there were other factors at work. Stalled 1971 sales forced Ford to skip an important V6 power upgrade in 1971, delaying it until the very end late in 1972 when it was too late.
After punitive import duty added to the cost of the imported engine and gearbox, the Capri could never compete with hot local coupes. Killed off before the more aggressive 1973 facelift, it was not surprising that evaluation reveals of the even softer Capri Mk II liftback around Australia in 1974 were met with almost total indifference.
Just 50 examples of the Capri RS3100 import, based on the 1973 Mk I facelift not seen locally, were sold here in mid-1974 at almost double the price of the original Capri 3000 GT. As British sales stalled for this homologation model, its detailing highlighted where Capri aggression levels needed to be for the Australian market in 1970-73. However, the Australian-built models with their unique local detailing are facing a resurgence as they were such a desirable and aspirational model for many younger buyers at the time.
The First British Capri V6
Ford had already pioneered the rakish Monaro-style coupe based on a square-rigged sedan in the UK almost a decade earlier. Called the Consul Capri, it was based on the weird mid-range Consul Classic family car that was a cross between an Anglia and a “tank” Fairlane that had shrunk in the wash.
The only other British car that offered a Hardtop or Coupe at this level was the early 1950s Hillman Minx Californian which shared the Capri’s long bonnet, short boot proportions. It is why the Capri, then and now, generated such excitement in its home market. By comparison, Australians by 1970 were spoilt for choice.
The 1969 Capri appeared to be a revival of the Capri badge and roofline based on most of the running gear from the Corsair that ultimately replaced the Classic. There is also a slight family look about the front of the first and later Capris with their raised headlight pods and slender grilles. Because the Consul Capri had to retain the sedan’s bootlid to cut costs, the proportions were very different.
The Corsair was already a stretched Cortina with extra wheelbase between the front and rear seats so it was easy to move the front seats rearwards and chop the roofline for a semi-reclined driving position. The Capri also drove better because some of the extra Corsair wheelbase was allocated ahead of the doors to move the drivetrain back. Compare the gap between the front doors and wheel arches of an early Escort or Cortina Mk II with the Capri, and it is soon obvious why testers loved its finer balance, at the same time noting that rear seat space and boot capacity were borderline.
Although the LC Torana GTR was identical in most dimensions to the Capri, it appeared to offer more rear seat space and boot room. This was because Holden had stretched the Escort-sized Vauxhall Viva ahead of the front doors to make room for Holden’s sixes and left the original roofline intact for a more upright seating position and bigger boot. Clever styling hid the fact that the Capri’s Torana rival was a two-door sedan masquerading as a coupe. Ford Australia came close to building a local Escort with Capri V6 mechanicals to address the rear seat and boot issues that were more important to Australian single-car owners. That was until the bigger TC Cortina with a local six made more sense.
Even though the Capri engine room stretch came from a different direction to the Torana, the net result was the same as both gained the necessary space to house the drivetrains from bigger family sedans within their wheelbases. This included their poor four speed manual gearboxes in both cases. Even the seats and dash designs on both models were related to the larger cars in an attempt to lift them upmarket.
Although the Capri range started with the small Kent engines shared with Cortinas and Escorts, it also came with the gruff British 2.0-litre V4 from the Corsair and Transit van, all of which were very different to the V4 and V6 engines in the German models. The Essex 3.0-litre V6, effectively the 2.0-litre V4 with two extra cylinders, was very different from the Cologne 2.6/2.8 V6. It was teamed with the Mark III Zephyr’s side loader four speed manual packaged inside the lower profile Mark IV housing with its complex linkages and huge gap between second and third ratios that dictated a short final drive ratio and extra fuel consumption.
This combination added 45kg to the front end or just 19kg less than a 302/4.9-litre Windsor V8 with the local Borg-Warner 4 speed manual gearbox. If the V8 inlet manifold and water pump were swapped for lighter alloy items and the battery moved to the boot, the Capri’s balance stayed intact hence the many global conversions including the factory-sanctioned Perana in South Africa.
Quoted British V6 power and torque figures were 128bhp/173ft lb yet the same engine in Australia delivered 144bhp/192.5ft lb, reflecting the local focus on inflated gross figures. In today’s context, the British 95kW/234Nm figures are more relevant.
In October 1971, British engines gained an extra 10bhp/7.5kW for 138bhp/102kW with the same torque thanks to re-shaped inlet ports, hotter camshaft with extra lift and overlap, re-tuned Weber carburetor and free-flow exhaust. That 138bhp was listed as 165bhp in the Australian context over a year later. With it came a taller final drive and higher second gear that not only improved performance but cut fuel consumption.
In September 1972, the major 1973 upgrade with 150 changes brought the first and only appearance changes for the Mk I with the new lights front and rear and dash the most obvious. The Capri II as it was called back then was launched in February 1974. Neither went into local production.
The Homebush Capri V6
As most British Capri V6 models were ordered as the full house XLR, it was assumed the Aussie Capri 3000 GT was all that and more. The opposite was true. Basically anything that would attract extra import duty and couldn’t be replaced with a duty-free local item was left off then presented to the buyer as an option. It also explains why the Capri GT’s sporty appearance in both four cylinder and V6 form was heavily dependent on local striping and rally panels.
The starting point for all Aussie Capris was the export shell with its extra spot welds and strengthening brackets near the strut towers. It had extra bracing in the rear for the 3000 GT. The raised suspension on local 1969 models which compromised looks and handling was gone by the time the 3000 GT arrived. Although the lower UK ride height applied, the heavy duty export struts remained.
Unless you ticked the option boxes, it was a real stripper: no stripes, no bonnet blackouts, standalone GT badge behind the rear wheelarches, black tail panel, chrome grille, no driving lights. There were no side vent highlights, no over riders and basic dark grey five inch steel wheels with centre caps, chrome wheel nuts and trim bands that said local speed shop compared to the factory look Torana GTR items. Ford carefully avoided showing this specification in advertising or the press.
Dealers saw an opportunity to bypass the Ford option system and replicate most of the add-ons themselves pocketing the option price. This is why there is such a variation in the colour, spacing and section of the stripes, rally panels and positioning of the Super Roo decals.
The correct Capri bumper over rider was the Escort design but it was not interchangeable as it was fitted upside down. There was a symmetrical Cortina Mark II overrider which was obsolete beyond 1971 so dealers were known to clear stocks by fitting them to the Capri.
The factory Capri driving light option was meant to feature a single spread beam and pencil beam on each car. Dealers who didn’t know better would swap them and fit a pair of spread beams to one car, pencil beams to the next.
Wheels included the British Rostyle option with later variations to the spokes. A local combination alloy spoke, steel rim sports wheel option that looked like a Minilite was shared with the Escort twin-cam. Based on the ROH Contessa aftermarket wheel, it suited the extra striping and rally panels on local cars. It featured a steel rim as local manufacturers were not yet convinced about the safety of alloy rims on rough local roads.
The original exterior mirror design was a painted early racing style until the tear drop mirrors from the XY GT replaced them late in 1970 or early 1971. The larger XA GT item was fitted during 1972. A passenger’s side mirror was optional in all styles.
The power-bulge bonnet, exclusive to the V6, had a fake vent at the windscreen end on early cars then deleted on later models. There were also two bonnet catch designs with matching radiator support panel fittings that were not interchangeable. The extra Falcon GT bonnet locks were not for show as the bonnet was known to spring open with potential for major damage hence the pins and lanyards from the 1969-70 XW GT in 1970-71 and the twist locks from the XY GT that followed during 1971.
The colour range varied according to what became available on Australian Fords. Australian glass had to be fitted after local climate extremes shattered the original imported glass.
The automatic option from 1971 was the main mechanical variation. The Borg-Warner 35 was similar to that offered in Australian Fords except it had cable linkages that could access the transmission on the passenger’s side, the opposite side to the rod linkages on local models.
During October-November 1972, Ford had to specify the later and hotter British V6 engine to clear the final component kits. Because this engine brought a new close-ratio gearbox, tall diff ratio and minor suspension changes, each car and its handbook carried a 165bhp sticker alerting owners and mechanics to the variations that came with it. Again, the 165bhp was a gross local measurement and the 21bhp increase over the original 144bhp provides a clue to the improvement. At 100km/h, the new gearing dropped engine speed from 3000 back to 2800 rpm.
Known as the D-port engine, it made the final local cars, along with some later cabin changes, more desirable than the 1970 specification.
Although trim and carpet appeared to follow the British cars, they tended to line up with the local Falcon GT in a restricted colour range. The local vinyl trim with basket weave inserts tended to be hard-wearing and with today’s flood of Falcon GT restorations, it can be easily replaced. Although the earlier four cylinder Capri GT’s centre console with clock carried over, the seats were basic with no head rests or reclining mechanism. The rear seat was a simple bench and the steering wheel was plastic, at which point buyers would be pointed to the options list for the three spoke leather-bound item similar to the British cars.
By late 1971, local design rules required head restraints in all Australian cars but not just for rear end collisions as many think. They coincided with tough new seat belt rules so if the belts threw occupants back into the seat during severe frontal collisions, they would cut whiplash. A high back seat similar to the local Escort was fitted except the Capri seat backs were slightly taller.
So was it a British bulldog or a Shetland pony car? It was certainly no cream puff in its day with a standing quarter in the mid-16s and zero to 100km/h in the mid-9 second range. It was significantly quicker than the LC Torana GTR in every increment. Nor were the final 165bhp Capris with their extra grunt, close-ratio transmissions and taller final drive embarrassed by the LJ Torana GTR with its breathless Kingswood-spec 202/3.3-litre and stock wide ratio four speed manual.
Like so many icon models sold in Australia, the Capri could never survive tough local import laws yet it remained a popular choice as a used car or race car for at least a decade after its disappearance from local Ford showrooms. With just over 3000 sold and so many of those driven into the ground, modified or smashed, the relatively few survivors are consolidating in value for good reason!
