Ford Capri RS V8 Custom: The ‘Lost’ European Mustang
It was intended to be the European equivalent of the Mustang: a V8 swapped example that definitely exudes pony car DNA.
Ford of Europe, naturally, found themselves inspired by the Mustang’s success in the 1960s. They came to the conclusion they needed a small, rear-wheel drive and affordable everyday sports car for everyone.
We came across this onerous V8 swapped and RS inspired Capri on eBay. Unfortunately, the original listing is gone, so we assume it sold, but the photos and details survive on Classic and Sports Car. The aggressive and stylish looks caught our eye first, but it’s the V8 swap that caused the double-take. It’s a MK III chassis and body shell with a genuine Ford RS X-PACK body kit and custom fabricated front and rear bumpers.
The first smart move they made was to bring in Philip T. Clark, who was involved in the design of the original Mustang, as well as the person that suggested the name and designed the logo. Clark passed away in 1968, the year the Capri went on sale, at the age of 32 from kidney failure. His involvement wasn’t actually known until the beginning of this decade, and until his daughter, Holly Clark, worked it out when studying his surviving drawings and clay models. Until then, the designer responsible for the long hood and short decked shape and style of the Ford Capri was a mystery.
The Capri had a long lifespan but didn’t get anywhere near the dominating success of the Mustang. It was successful though, and in the first year of sales it sold 150,000 units. Later on even did well in America as an import sold through Mercury dealerships and taking a small chunk of the pony car market. The lack of power was underwhelming though when it reached the states in its four-cylinder form, and sold purely on its looks a sporty ride.
Ford Capri Generations
Through the Capri’s three generations it had a long list of engines though including the classic Cologne and Essex V6s. However, none of them was the V8 that would have taken the Capri onto a level playing field with the Mustang. Instead, the strong genetic link with the Mustang was its affordable price, ease of maintenance, solid performance and a large aftermarket for tuning. It also developed a racing heritage by dominating touring car championships and competing in endurance racing.
The period looking wheels are Revolution five-spoke alloys. The engine used is a Rover 3.5-liter V8 and UK tuner favorite. It’s known for being light, reliable, and having plenty of torque. Its also of American decent and perfect for giving the this Ford Capri a proper pony car feel to go with its Mustang DNA. Couple that with a Janspeed twin exhaust and a four-barrel Holley carburetor and we suspect it goes as well as it looks.
The Ford Capri ended in 1986 despite a hardcore cult following. Its sales were dwindling in the face of the hot hatch revolution, but nearly 30 years later Europe finally got the real deal and the latest generation Mustang is selling very well. The European appetite for the Mustang has always been there – to the point of producing a, albeit superb, derivative. It’s a small wonder Ford didn’t bite the bullet a lot earlier and send our friends across the pond the real thing.
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