The Ford Capri is back! But not in the way you want it to be…
The Ford Capri – on the market in the sixties, seventies and eighties – can be considered a European Mustang. It was a sports coupe for the people, with exciting looks and slightly less exciting driving characteristics. Ford will now reuse the model name.
We deliberately do not write that Ford will use the model again, because the Capri will not return in its old guise. Ford will simply use the name for a new electric crossover, just like the Mustang brand.
Volkswagen-based Ford Capri
According to British newspaper The Sun, the Capri will be the second Ford model on Volkswagen’s electric MEB platform. The first is the recently introduced Explorer. The Capri is due to be unveiled early next year.
Old names, no retro design
Ford will reuse old names for future electric models, but that doesn’t mean these cars will have retro styling, says chief designer Amko Leenarts.
“The buying public is excited that we will be using classic names in new segments,” Leenarts told British Autocar. He remains vague about the reason. “These names offer a unique perspective that no one else has.”
“Ford is boring,” said customers
“We looked at how customers see Ford,” continues Leenarts. “It hurt me that they said we were boring. So I thought, ‘Okay, now we have to come up with unique designs that clearly differentiate us from the competition.’”
American look
That’s why the new Explorer is nothing like the Puma or the Kuga. It has a more American feel than previous European Ford SUVs, with styling cues from the big Explorer PHEV and even the F-150 Lightning.
Almost 2 million copies
We won’t see the old Capri in the new. The first generation came out in 1969 and was immediately popular. It was based on the Cortina and was initially called the Colt. However, Mitsubishi already owned the rights to this name.
Like the second and third generation Capris, the original was available with either a four-cylinder engine or a V6. “The car you always promised yourself” was the slogan associated with the Capri. A total of almost 2 million copies of the coupe were produced.