Mercury Capri
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The name Mercury Capri has been used for several different cars over the years. All were sold by the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury division in North America. The origin of the name dates back to the Lincoln Capri of the 1950s. The definition of the name matches only a European island - however, the name Capri may actually be a shortening of the word "capricious" which ties in with Lincoln's Zephyr model.
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1969-1977
The European Ford Capri was developed as a "Mustang" for that market, a 2-door car with a short trunklid and a long hood. Built in Cologne, Germany, they were also sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in North America during this period, beginning part way through the 1970 model year. It carried no marque identification, and was named simply the Capri, but it was often (and inaccurately) called the Mercury Capri, as Ford already had a Mustang for the same buyer market. The only type initially available used the British 1600 cc Kent crossflow, with a price starting at less than US$2300. 1971 & 1972 models used a 2.0 L OHC I4 engine and also a 2.6 L V6 late in the 1972 model year, which was replaced a 2.8 L V6 for 1974. The car was restyled as a hatchback in 1975, but sold in North America as an early 1976 model. They were no longer shipped from Europe after the end of the 1977 model year, but continued to be built until 1986. At its peak, Capri sales in North America were the highest for any import model except for the Volkswagen Beetle. They are now becoming sought after for restoration because of their styling, performance & relative affordability.
1979-1986
During this period, a version of the Ford Mustang was sold through Lincoln/Mercury dealers as the Mercury Capri, giving Mercury a pony car for the first time since the Mercury Cougar was upsized in 1974 to complement the Ford Thunderbird. The Capri was built on the Ford Fox platform, which the Mustang continued to use until 2004.
The Fox Platform based Mercury Capri was fairly unchanged throughout its entire 1979-1986 run. It maintained its no-nonsense squared off nose and grill and distinctive flared fenders. The only major iteration happened in 1983 with the addition of a racing inspired bubble back hatch and new rear bumper cover and tail lights. In 1984 the high performance Capri RS received a front air dam which continued until 1986.
The drivetrain and interior options closely matched that of the Mustang year for year. There are differences but they are generally minor.
Here are some special editions for this little known version of the "Pony Car":
1981-83 Black Magic - Black cars with gold striping, Gold TRX wheels and a gold cat's head on the front fender. The interior received special black seats with gold inserts. The 83 version is extremely rare and the only Black Magic to receive the bubble back.
1981-82 White Lightning - This is actually the "Black Magic" version but it was allowed to be ordered in white. Dealers coined the "White Lightning" phrase from a magazine ad that Mercury ran. Mercury never used the term directly.
1983 Crimson Cat - Red with gold striping and cougar TRX wheels set this car apart. Much like the Black Magic, the Crimson Cat received custom black seats with red inserts.
1984 Charcoal Turbo RS - 4cyl Turbo RS Capri. Only available in Charcoal exterior paint with this engine combination.
1984-86 ascMcLaren Coupes and Convertibles. asc (American Sunroof Corporation) converted Capris into convertibles or "coupes". The Coupes were really just Hatchbacks treated to some suspension and engine modifications, ground effects, stripes and other options. The Convertibles were a far more involved project. It entailed removing the roof, welding in supports and redoing the interior to a 2 seat configuration.
1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri - Grand Prix IV Pace Car - 30 were built in 1985. These were also modified by ascMcLaren for Mercury and are highly sought after for their racing heritage. About two-thirds are accounted for.
1991-1994
Ford Australia produced a Mazda MX-5 (US: Mazda Miata) rival named the Ford Capri from 1989, which was ironically based around many Mazda 323 mechanicals. From the 1991 model year, this car was sold in North America as the Mercury Capri. The car was sold until the 1994 model year.
Despite rumours of mechanical issues with the Capri, the Australian version was a fantastically reliable vehicle. Many are still used as rental cars on the east coast of Australia for cruising around the beach areas, with the only faults being reported relating to leaks in the roof.
It is often rumoured that with its increased versatility of four seats and a very large boot, the Capri could have wiped the floor with the Miata, (mx5) however US safety regulations forced the redesign of the cabin to accommodate an airbag, something Australian Cars did not have as standard for many years, this delay led to the Miata being introduced into the vital US market first.
External links
A VAST resource for Capri information can be found here: Fox Capri Literature.