1976 Mk2 Ford Capri – Classified of the Week
July 23, 2019
Ford billed the Capri as the car you’d always promised yourself, and that’s a slogan that’s as much the case today as it was back then. Fords are a go-to when it comes to classic cars, which is understandable given the range on offer. And out of those, the Capri is a car many of us still aspire to. That’s why we’ve picked this beautiful 1976 Mk2 2.0GL as this week’s classified of choice. It’s the perfect classic Ford.
Admittedly, the Mk2, which was built from 1974 to 1978, is considered by many to be an acquired taste. The big, square headlights don’t float everyone’s boat. That said, this generation of Capri is somewhat special to us, as our Editor, Chris Pollitt, has owned four of them! We like the bullet-nose look of the Mk2. To us, it looks smoother and less cluttered than the quad-headlamp face of the later Mk3 Capri. Plus, we like the smaller, more delicate taillights. As it happens, other than some interior trim, the front and rear are the only areas that separate the Mk2 from the Mk3, as the Mk3 was more of a Mk2 facelift than an out and out new car. And that’s what makes the Mk2 so special – this was a bigger, wider, completely new car to take over from the Mk1. It was the foundation on which all future Capris would be based. It was, then, an important car.
The Mk2 was bigger inside than its predecessor, and as such, was more practical. Further adding to the practicality was the inclusion of a rear hatch, rather than the small coupe boot of the Mk1. The Mk2’s boot wasn’t huge at 630 litres, but the improved accessibility made it more usable day-to-day, and that’s exactly what Ford was shooting for. It pulled away from the European muscle car notion and instead pushed the Capri as a stylish, sporty car that could comfortably transport the family.
The car we’ve picked is a perfect representation of that. The 2.0 GL was smack bang in the middle of the range. The 2.0 Pinto four-cylinder engine had enough get up and go for the Capri, but it was no performance model (you’d need a 3.0 for that). GL trim was aimed at middle-management types, with lovely black cloth and vinyl. Resplendent in silver with contrasting black vinyl roof, this was a car that, in 1976, said you’d made it.
This car has had only three owners, with the first owning it for nearly forty years. It only has 12,500 miles on the clock, too. Though as you’d expect for an old Ford, it has been subject to some recommissioning work, but that’s no bad thing. It just means this particular example is on the button. At £14,950, it’s not the cheapest out there, but it is one of the rarest. Mk2s are thin on the ground as it is, so to find one this special is quite something. Plus, it’s not going to lose money. The market for old Fords is always strong, especially when they’re as good as this.
