When is a Fox body not a Mustang? When it’s a Mercury Capri, specifically the second generation Capri sold starting in 1979. With manufacturing repatriated to the US (the first Capris were captive imports made by Ford Europe and imported to the US), the car remained assigned to Lincoln/Mercury for sales purposes. But now it was marketed as an upscale version of the Mustang. The ASC/McLaren version was created at the behest of a Ford employee, who drove a Mercedes SL to work and had to park it far away since it wasn’t part of the Blue Oval family. Peter Muscat, her engineer husband, constructed a sleek convertible from a Capri coupe, hiding the convertible top beneath a steel tonneau. Muscat ran a well-known custom shop in Detroit, so when he approached Mercury with his prototype, the division was willing to allocate a few bucks to produce the car. American Sunroof Company took on manufacturing duties; they were famous for adding sunroofs to a variety of celebrity-owned and OEM cars. A partnership with McLaren’s US division provided uprated suspension components. The result – the Mercury Capri ASC/McLaren convertible – was sold for three years starting in 1984. Numskal found the ad describing this 1985 version for us – thanks!
For 1985, the engine was Ford’s dependable 5.0-liter V8, good for 210 hp. Our seller indicates this engine has throttle-body injection, typical equipment for both the Mustang and the Capri when equipped with automatics – and that’s what we find here. Despite the tie-up with McLaren, only the handling was improved over the regular Mustang; buyers didn’t benefit from a better zero to sixty time. A rear disc brake conversion on this example ensures stopping power. Other new parts include the exhaust system, catalytic converters, and tires.
Aside from removing the roof structure, adding frame stiffeners, and crafting that clever rear tonneau for the convertible top, ASC gave its special Capri an upscale interior. Leather seating, air conditioning, power windows, and a wood veneer-trimmed dash reminded buyers that this car belonged in the Lincoln sales orbit. According to our seller, the factory speedometer was replaced with another version reading up to 140 mph, making the odometer reading of 77k miles suspect. The seller also reports that the air conditioning is not working.
Sales of the Capri ASC/McLaren were sluggish, partially following the curve of the regular Capri, but also restrained by a hefty price tag. Sitting at $21k, these customized Capris were as expensive as the Lincoln Mark VII with which they shared the showroom floor. This car’s history includes a repaint. Find it here on craigslist for $8900, located in the San Franciso Bay area. While the Capri ASC/McLaren remains as unloved now as it was when new, the asking price here is about as low as I’ve seen. This 1986 sold for $14,850 a year ago at Mecum; another nice example sold here for $10k. Could this oddball convertible find a berth in your garage?
How far removed from Lincoln Capri of the 59s! 😲. Wondering why the owner is willing to take such a hit (price). If possible I would love to go back to the Bay, but not for this car. I’d be looking for a LAND YACHT. 😉
I thought ’85’s had carburetors? But what do I know.. These were nice looking cars, but WAY overpriced at the time. Especially since you could buy a Mustang GT covert for half the price. Fully loaded.
I did too. I thought Ford went from carbs in 85 to SEFI in 86. But apparently there was a half-measure when they used TBI on these automatic-equipped Fox bodies in 85.
FYI. Only the manual trans 5.0’s in ’85 had the Holley 4 V carb. The manual trans cars had significantly higher horsepower as well at 215 Hp which was a huge jump over the 175 Hp in ’84. The 180 Hp TBI auto cars were anemic at best. Hence the premium for T5 equipped ’85 5.0’s.
Very much a niche vehicle in the expansive world of Fox Body cars. Unique and kind of interesting in its own way. But doesn’t have much of a following and thus isn’t expensive. Not too many clean Foxes now under five figures.
It’s hard for me to accept any vehicle that isn’t orange, doesn’t have 700+ HP and doesn’t possess the ability to instantly cause you to go deaf having the name McLaren attached to it. Now, an M-8, on the other hand…
I hate to be a richard, but can we stop calling these fox “body”. blank body is a GM thing. They were Fox platform or just Fox Mustangs or Capris. Thanks.
These are nice cars. IMO the Capri was the better more sophisticated looking vehicle not unlike the first generation Cougar. Great fair weather cruiser because not every car has to run thirteens.
Not so, Sir Fred. In my “ neck of the woods”, it’s always been “Fox Body”, just as most everyone I know coveted the “5.0 Trunk” when they what they are referring to is the 5 liter sedan (not the Hatchback or convertible) … with a 5 spd, of course.
I’m sure they were, lots of people call them that. The thing is Ford never called them that. I get it, Fox body just rolls off the tongue but again, it’s a GM thing. And GM to me is the evil empire! So if you want to be a real Ford guy, you don’t call them that. Oh and by the way, I’m also a grammar nazi, knowing the difference between they’re and their. So that probably explains a lot!
In my neck of the woods the swells would be gawking at this trying to figure out what it was. This car looks premium and with the top down presents even better. Too bad it’s in CA. Would be a hell of a road trip.
I’m trying to figure out what most of the new vehicles on the road are.