Capri 1500 (Germany, 1969)

The Ford Capri was released in January 1969 at the Brussels Motor Show. This car represents Ford’s intent of introducing a car in the European market that was similar to the Ford Mustang model, which had been introduced five years before and was a huge sales success in North America. Although mechanically based on the Ford Cortina, the Capri model is aesthetically similar to the Mustang, carrying on with the ‘pony car’ style and the main features of that model.

Ford made the Mk1 Capri available with quite a wide engine range, so that this model would suit the widest possible range of potential customers, which could choose from among several trim options at an affordable price for them. The Capri RS 2600 version, with the ‘RS’ standing for ‘Rally Sport’, was built in order to homologate the Ford Capri model for the Group 2 racing.

Ford had the Capri Mk1 model produced in Europe, namely at Ford’s plants in the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium. This car received an important facelift and some revisions in 1972. In 1974 the Mk1 model was taken off the markets and replaced by the 2nd generation model.