Mercury Capri is an automobile nameplate marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company on three distinct automobiles between 1970 and 1994. From the 1971 to 1978 model years, the Mercury Capri was a compact coupe produced in West Germany by Ford of Europe as a captive import, replaced by an American-built pony car from 1979 to 1986. From 1991 to 1994, the Mercury Capri was again a captive import, built as a convertible by Ford of Australia.
The first and third-generation Mercury Capri would be the only Mercury-brand vehicles sold in North America after 1960 without a direct Ford counterpart.
Video Mercury Capri
Origin of name
The origin of the name after the Italian island of Capri, dates back to the Lincoln Capri of the 1950s. Ford of Britain also produced a Ford Consul Capri for 1962-64. The Capri name was later used as a sub-model of the Mercury Comet series for the 1966-67 model years.
The Ford Capri was developed as a "baby Mustang" for Ford of Europe, a two-door car with a short trunklid (later hatchback) and a long hood.
Maps Mercury Capri
First generation (1970-1977)
See also Ford Capri
The Capri was built in Cologne, Germany, and was sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in North America. The European Capri was first sold in the US in April, 1970. It did not carry Lincoln or Mercury marque identification. The only type initially available used the British 1600-cc Kent crossflow, with a starting price less than US$2300. The 2.0-L OHC I4 was introduced for the 1971 model year. The 1971 2.0-liter Capris are particularly desirable, since they have a 9.0:1 compression ratio (which was reduced to 8.2:1 in 1972). The 2.6-L "Cologne" V6 was introduced late in the 1972 model year.
In 1973, the Capri was given a "facelift" for the model year with a revised grille, larger tail lights, and revised rear quarter "grills". North American-spec Capris received a federally mandated 5 mph front bumper. The chrome bumper was mounted in front of a steel pipe and attached to the frame by shock absorbers. The interior received revised seat trims, dashboard, and steering wheel. A new, different wiring harness was used.
North American-spec 1974 Capris adopted large, federally mandated 5 mph bumpers at both the front and rear of the car. The bumpers were covered in body-colored plastic. The 2.6-liter Cologne V6 was replaced by a 2.8-liter Cologne V6 with revised castings for both the engine block and cylinder heads.
Capri II
The Capri was restyled as a hatchback in 1974, and arrived in the US in 1975 but sold in North America as an early 1976 model named the Capri II, though worldwide it was usually referred to as the Capri Mk II. Like its predecessor it did not carry Lincoln or Mercury marque identification. Engine options were the 2.3-liter Lima four-cylinder and the 2.8-liter Cologne V6. The use of the name Capri II followed the introduction of the Ford Mustang II in September 1973.
After the 1977 model year, the Capri II was no longer imported from Europe. Remaining 1977 Capris were sold as 1978 models. Over a half-million German-built Capris were sold in North America 1970 through 1978. Starting in 1979, the European Capri was replaced in the North American market by the "Fox" chassis Capri. Production of the European Capri continued for the European market until 1986.
At its peak, Capri sales in North America were the highest for any import model except the Volkswagen Beetle. These Capris, now fairly rare, are becoming sought after for restoration because of their styling, performance and relative affordability.
Reviews - first generation
Road and Track magazine on the 1970 Capri 1600: "...But styling and image sells cars, right? And if that's true, then it's our opinion that Lincoln-Mercury has a real winner in the Capri."
R&T on the Capri 2000 in February, 1971: "The Capri has a lot to recommend it. It's a solidly built, sporty compact car and (especially with the 2-liter engine) fun to drive."
R&T on the Capri 2600 V6 in March, 1972: "...the Capri 2600 V6 is an outstanding car. We'll bet Lincoln-Mercury dealers won't be able to get enough of them to satisfy the demand."
R&T on the Capri 2800 V6: "...the V6 Capri remains a very attractive sporting car. It's solid as a Mercedes, still compact and light in the context of 1974 barrier busters, fast, reasonably economical of fuel, precise-handling, and quick-stopping: its engine and drivetrain are both sporty and refined. It's no wonder Lincoln-Mercury sold nearly 120,000 of them in 1973..."
R&T on the Capri II 2.8 V6: "Once again we can report that the Capri V6 is an attractive, competent, and enjoyable car at a reasonable price. It goes, stops, and handles, it's well built and it has that sturdy, precise European character that makes it something special for Americans and Canadians. On top of all this it's a more practical car because of its new hatchback body. A quality, European car at a realistic price-what more could one want."
Special editions
1976-77 JPS Capri II, Capri II S - Black or white car body with gold striping, "Black chrome" trim, gold and black styled steel wheels and gold badging and grille surround. In Europe, the JPS Capri II celebrated the success of the John Player Special cigarettes Formula 1 team, and emulated its black and gold livery.
In the US, anti-tobacco advertising laws meant the cars were called Capri II S. The interior received special seats and door panels: black with gold cloth inserts.
Second generation (1979-1986)
After officially skipping the 1978 model year, the Mercury Capri re-entered the Lincoln-Mercury product line for 1979 as a domestically-produced automobile, becoming the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Mustang. While abandoning its European-style sports car design, the new-generation Capri shifted Mercury back into the pony car segment, largely abandoned since the Mercury Cougar began to move away from the segment a decade before.
Sharing a body with the Ford Mustang, the second-generation Capri adopted the rear-wheel drive Ford Fox platform. While the Mustang was initially offered in notchback and hatchback bodystyles, Mercury only offered the Capri in the 3-door hatchback configuration (Mercury never offered the later convertible as well). To distinguish the Mercury Capri from the Mustang, the body was given separate front and rear fascias, with a vertically-mounted grille and model-specific taillight lenses. Along with the base-trim Capri, Mercury offered the Capri Ghia (shared with the Mustang), Capri GS, Capri RS, and Capri Turbo RS; the Capri RS was the Capri equivalent of a Mustang GT.
Sharing its powertrain with the Mustang, the second-generation Capri was the first (and only) Capri offered with a V8 engine; the primary difference between the two vehicles was that Mercury never offered the Capri equivalent of the turbocharged and intercooled Ford Mustang SVO. In 1983, Mercury restyled the rear hatchback and fascia of the Capri, adding a compound-curve "bubbleback" rear window with a redesigned rear bumper (a similar style was added to the Mercury LN7). For 1984, the front fascia of the Capri RS was fitted with a front air dam, with the same exterior continuing through 1986.
1986 marked the end of the Mercury Capri as a pony car. For 1987, Ford updated the exterior and interior of the Mustang, with Mercury choosing to focus on the Cougar XR7 as its two-door performance vehicle.
Special editions
1981-1983 Black Magic - Black cars with gold striping, gold metric TRX wheels and a gold cat's head on each side of the front valance. The interior received special black seats with sand-colored inserts (code YA), with Recaro seating optional in 1982 (code TA) and Sport Performance seating optional in 1983 (code HA). In the 1981 and 1982 models years the Black Magic option could be ordered with polar white (code 9D) paint but otherwise had the same exterior appointments as the black cars (gold striping, gold TRX wheels, and gold cat's heads). Magazine ads for the 9D Black Magic used the term "white lightning" but the name of the package was still Black Magic. The 1983 model is extremely rare and the only Black Magic to receive the compound rear window.
1983 Crimson Cat - Bright red (code 27) paint with gold striping and Cougar XR-7 TRX wheels set this car apart. Crimson Cat received black sport performance seating with red inserts (code KA).
1984 Charcoal Turbo RS - A Capri RS Turbo that was only available in charcoal upper-silver lower exterior paint with light grey striped rub mouldings, Garret 60 trim turbocharger, enhanced multiport EFI four-cylinder engine, Michelin TRX package, 5.0 HO Sway bars, 3.45:1 limited slip rear axle, hood scoop, and orange and red lettering and striping. Sun- and T-top roof were optional.
1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri - Built as pace cars replicas to commemorate Mercury Motorcity 100, the Trans Am Series race run during the fourth year of the Detroit Grand Prix weekend. These were also modified by ASC McLaren for Mercury and are highly sought after for their racing heritage and low production of 55 total units (50 replica's, 4 track cars and 1 prototype).
- 1979-1986 Mercury Capri
Motorsport
This particular generation was successful in the Trans Am Series, winning the championship from 1984-1985 with an aftermarket V8 engine. The Mercury Capri 5.0L was the car used by the Jack Roush team with Wally Dallenbach Jr. driving to win the 1985 Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans AM championship in 1985.
Variants
ASC McLaren (1984-1986)
ASC (American Sunroof Corporation, now known as American Specialty Cars) converted Mercury Capris into convertibles and enhanced standard hatchbacks which they renamed coupes.
Coupes
The coupes were tuned and enhanced with a number of suspension and visual upgrades including striping, a built-in radar detector, ground effects, Hella fog lights, headlight and taillight covers and honey comb wheels imported from Campagnolo in Italy.
For 1984, coupes (25 produced) were all painted midnight blue. The 1985-1986 coupes (150 produced in 1985) were either painted blue or white. In 1986 (115 made), the last year for the coupes, customers had an even larger choice of colors, including smoke charcoal grey and raven black, joining the Oxford white and midnight blue, as well as silver metallic. http://www.ascmclaren.com/capripics.htm
Coupes were equipped with the Ford Motorsport B303 camshaft, creating significantly more power than the rated 200 bhp (149 kW)/210 bhp (157 kW) of the standard 5.0L motors. Additionally, all coupes were shod with BF Goodrich Comp T/A radials. The 225/50/15 low profile size of these tires (as opposed to the standard 5.0L Capri's 225/60/15) raised the ASC/McLaren Coupe's effective gear ratio from 3.08:1 to approximately 3.35:1. These were the quickest cars produced by Ford in 1985 and 1986 with zero to sixty times well under six seconds and quarter mile times in the mid-13 second range.
Convertibles
In comparison to the coupes, the convertibles were a far more involved project, as the conversion required the redesign of the unit construction of the car. Fabrication required a replacement rear deck lid, floor reinforcements, quarter panel caps, tonneau cover and a windshield that was raked back an extra 10 degrees.
Convertibles received a manual convertible top that took up residence in the area once designated for the rear seats. The model-unique top is smaller than that designed for a standard Mustang convertible, requiring design-specific equipment such as seals, weatherstripping, windshield moldings, etc.
In total, only 557 convertibles were built during its 1984-1986 production run.
Ford Mustang (Mexico, 1981-1984)
The third-generation Ford Mustang was sold in Mexico with a separate body design from the United States and Canada from 1981 to 1984. Essentially a hybrid of the Mustang and Capri, the Mexican-market Mustang featured the taillights of the Mercury Capri, gaining the entire Mercury fascia from 1982 to 1983. From 1983 to 1984, the Ford Mustang hatchback used the Mercury front fascia and Mercury "bubble-back" rear hatch when sold in Mexico.
Third generation (1991-1994)
For the 1991 model year, the Mercury Capri made its return to the Mercury division after a five-year hiatus. To give Lincoln-Mercury a competitor for the Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Capri was released as two-door roadster. In a fashion similar to the first-generation Mercury Capri, the third-generation version is a captive import; produced by Ford of Australia alongside its Ford Capri counterpart and the Ford Falcon, the Mercury Capri was intended for American exports. For the first time since 1960, the Mercury Capri was the first Mercury without any Ford counterpart in North America.
Derived from the Australian Ford Laser (sold in the United States as the first-generation Mercury Tracer), the Ford Capri also shares drivetrain commonality with the Mazda 323. To adapt the Capri for North American sale, Lincoln-Mercury made several changes over the Australian-market Capri. Along with the addition of a driver-side airbag (required to meet passive restraint requirements), the dashboard was changed to non-metric gauges; Mercury Capris are fitted with body-color bumpers.
While both two-door convertibles similar in size and price, the Mercury Capri and Mazda MX-5 featured major departures in powertrain and interior configurations, with the Capri adopting a front-wheel drive powertrain. While the MX-5 was strictly a two-seat vehicle, the Capri was a 2+2, with (small) rear seats. Along with folding back seats (allowing access to the trunk), the Capri also offered the option of a removable hard top (similar to the MX-5).
From 1991 to 1993, the Mercury Capri was sold with minimal revisions; for 1994, the Mercury Capri received the new taillamps and front and rear bumpers received by the Ford Capri in 1993. During its entire production, the Mercury Capri was sold under two trim levels: base-trim and XR2, distinguished largely by powertrain. The base trim was equipped with a 100hp Mazda 1.6L DOHC inline-4; the XR2 was equipped with a turbocharged version of the 1.6L engine, rated at 132hp. A five-speed manual transmission was standard for both trims, with a four-speed automatic available on base-trim Capris. The XR2 came standard with an independent rear suspension and offered reinforced front and rear sway bars.
See also
References
http://consumerguide.com/used/1990-94-mercury-capri/
External links
- http://www.motorsportcapri.com
- http://www.foureyedpride.com
Source of article : Wikipedia
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