The Mercury Capri is one of those cars that seemingly had the hallmarks for becoming an enthusiast favorite but never quite ascended beyond mild cult status. Intended to become a formidable opponent to the Mazda Miata, it had the right ingredients, but the recipe never quite came together. That didn’t stop one enthusiast in New Mexico from assembling a small fleet of them, and it should come as no surprise that this individual also owns a Buick Reatta and a 1991 Oldsmobile Tornado, among other classics. The whole collection is going up for auction and you can find more details here on craigslist.
The Capri could be had in both turbocharged and naturally-aspirated form, and the seller indicates he has a few of both. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of one of these with a stick and a turbo, along with the optional factory hardtop. Between that or an early 90s Lotus Elan, you could quickly have a garage fleet of interesting yet unloved “rad”-era convertibles. There’s at least two hardtops in the photos, and the blue car in the top shot has the optional alloy wheels that usually indicated a turbocharger was on board. All of the cars look to have decent cosmetics and have hopefully been inside for many years as opposed to being parked in the relentless New Mexico sun. As you can see, the owner had a taste for American land yachts as well, so you’ve got the ying and the yang of domestic cars on display.
But wait, there’s more! This is a rebodied Datsun 240Z made to look like a vintage Ferrari 250 GTO, and not only that, it’s a convertible! These Z car-based conversions are oddly sought after, which I believe has to do with the fact that some of these kit conversions were surprisingly high quality, so you could find yourself with a convincing replica that wasn’t a mess of fiberglass and epoxy. Of course, if it turns out an early Series 1 240Z was used for the conversion, the new owner of this car will likely be conflicted as to whether it should remain a Ferrari tribute car or be converted back to a genuine Z.
In addition to multiple Town Cars and a 1966 Ford Thunderbird, the collection also has a dusty but seemingly straight Nissan 300ZX. These cars aren’t particularly valuable but represent a smart entry point into vintage car ownership, and they’re still quite attractive. This is an intriguing collection and clearly demonstrates that some enthusiasts continue to march to the beat of their own drummer rather than the ebbs and flows of a pricing guide, an approach I can absolutely appreciate. Which car from this collection would you want to bring home from the auction?
As a Ford fan. The one car I’ve never desired, even on the cheap, was this Aussie pile of bolts.
The first 4- cylinder Capris (Crap-ees?)were the best (’71-’74). I’m surprised the collector didn’t have any. I had a ’71 1.6, yellow with a black vinyl top. It got great mileage and was very reliable.
I had a 73 2.6 V6/4speed, but I agree the euro Capris were the best
That was my first car and I loved it. Finding one now is tough
“it had the right ingredients, but the recipe never quite came together.”
The front wheel drive made it like baking a cake with Sweet-n-Low.
Essentially a Mazda 323 mechanically, the Aussie Capri was never going to rival the MX5 Miata with it’s FWD and horrid torque steer in turbo form. It was never an enthusiast’s car. A lifestyle car for young women more often than not.
FWD. Never had a chance.
Let me speak in defense of the poor Capri as one who owned several along side my Miatas. The Capri was never meant to compete directly with the MX-5 as Ford and Mazda were essentially the same company at the time, hence the 323 mechanicals of the Capri.
The Capri was a cobbled together realization of Ford’s Berchetta concept from the 1980’s that was supposed to be based on the Fiesta platform.
Bottom line; the Miata is the better sports car but the Capri, with its bigger trunk, more elbow room, and vestige of a back seat is the better touring car.
In turbo-charged XR2 form (the only one to have really) it’s like an 80’s hot hatch with a removable roof. Fun, cheap, a little crude but durable. 200K miles is no big deal in a Capri and most of the initial quality problems are easily corrected.
You said it well Marv.
IIRC, they had a decent price for what you got – the hardtop and even a roller carrier for it were included.
I owned the XR2 turbo version in the mid nineties. It had the hardtop too. I enjoyed it despite some cowl shake and noticeable torque steer. Fun car, didn’t cost me much and never needed any repairs. Fairly good on gas too. Can’t ask for much more.
It’s great in the snow and fun in the summer… It’s also entertaining to have people guess what it is… Not to mention 30mpg.
Had a turbo one new and on my second used one now. They never break and a lot of fun.