| Mercury Capri | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Manufacturer | Mercury |
| Parent company | Ford Motor Company |
| Production | 1970-1986 1991-1994 |
| Class | Pony car (1970-1986) Roadster (1991-94) |
The name Mercury Capri has been used for several different cars over the years. The automotive industry is the industry involved in the design development manufacture marketing and sale of Motor vehicles In 2007 more than 73 million motor vehicles Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories or do not fit well into any The pony car is a class of Automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964 A roadster, also known as a spyder or spider, is a two-seater car traditionally without a roof (or with a detachable roof and no side or rear windows All were sold by the Ford Motor Company's Lincoln-Mercury division in North America. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following Lincoln is an American Luxury car manufacturer operated under the Ford Motor Company. Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury The origin of the name dates back to the Lincoln Capri of the 1950s. The Lincoln Capri was a fullsize automobile sold by Ford's Lincoln luxury division The definition of the name matches only an island in Italy - however, the name Capri may actually be a shortening of the word "capricious" which ties in with the Lincoln Zephyr model. Lincoln-Zephyr was a Brand name for the lower priced line of luxury cars in the Lincoln line
Contents |
1970-1977
| First generation | |
|---|---|
| Image:'73 RS2600 Capri.jpg | |
| Production | 1970–1977 |
| Assembly | Cologne, Germany |
| Body style(s) | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Engine(s) | 2. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found 0L OHC I4 2. Overhead camshaft, commonly abbreviated to OHC, Valvetrain configurations place the engine Camshaft within the Cylinder heads above the The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders 6L V6 2. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 8L V6 2. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 3L I4 |
| Related | Ford Capri (69-77) Ford Cortina (70-76) |
The European Ford Capri was developed as a "baby Mustang" for that market, a 2-door car with a short trunklid (later hatchback) and a long hood. The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three separate Automobile models The Ford Consul Capri coupe produced by Ford of Great The Ford Cortina is a mid sized family car built by Ford of Britain in various guises from 1962 to 1982 Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three separate Automobile models The Ford Consul Capri coupe produced by Ford of Great North American-spec Capris were built in Cologne, Germany, and were sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealers in North America. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The European Capri was first sold in the US in April 1970. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It carried no marque identification, and was named simply the Capri, but it was often (and inaccurately) called the Mercury Capri, as Ford already had a Mustang for the same buyer market. A marque ( French for "brand" ˈmɑrk is a Brand name especially in the Automobile industry The only type initially available used the British 1600 cc Kent crossflow, with a price starting at less than US$2300. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A cubic centimetre or cubic centimeter (symbol cm3 —the abbreviation cc, though widely used is deprecated is a commonly used unit of Volume The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The 2. 0 L OHC I4 was introduced for the 1971 model year. Overhead camshaft, commonly abbreviated to OHC, Valvetrain configurations place the engine Camshaft within the Cylinder heads above the The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders 1971 2. 0 liter Capris are particularly desirable, since they have a 9. 0:1 compression ratio. (it was reduced to 8. 2:1 in 1972) The 2. 6 L "Cologne" V6 was introduced late in the 1972 model year. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders
The Capri was given a "facelift" for the 1973 model year, with a new interior, revised grille, larger tail lights, and a completely different wiring harness. North American-spec Capris also received a Federally-mandated 5-mph bumper on the front. The 1973 front bumper was a chrome bumper mounted on the front of a steel pipe, and attached to the frame by a set of shock absorbers.
In 1974, the 2. 6 liter Cologne V6 which was replaced by a 2. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 8 liter Cologne V6, with revised castings for both the block and heads. North American-spec 1974 Capris also had large, federally mandated 5-mph bumpers at both the front and rear of the car. The 1974 bumpers were covered in body colored plastic.
The Capri was restyled as a hatchback in 1975, but sold in North America as an early 1976 model. In the North American market, they were known as Capri IIs, though in most of the rest of the world, they were known as the Capri Mk II. Engine options were the 2. 8 liter Cologne V6, and the 2. 3 liter Lima 4-cylinder.
They were no longer shipped from Europe after the end of the 1977 model year. A few remaining 1977 Capris were sold as 1978 models. Starting in 1979, the European Capri was replaced in the North American market by the "Fox" Chassis Capri. (see below) Production of the European Capri continued for the European market until 1986. Over a half a million European Capris were sold in North America between 1970 and 1978. At its peak, Capri sales in North America were the highest for any import model except for the Volkswagen Beetle. The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen They are now becoming sought after for restoration because of their styling, performance & relative affordability. Automobile restoration is the process of repairing a car to return it to essentially the same or better condition than it was in when it left the factory at time of manufacture
1979-1986
| Second generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Production | 1979-1986 |
| Assembly | Dearborn, Michigan |
| Body style(s) | 3-door hatchback |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Platform | Ford Fox platform |
| Engine(s) | 2. Dearborn is a city in the US state of Michigan. It is located in the Detroit metropolitan area and Wayne County, and is the tenth largest Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found An automobile platform is a shared set of common design engineering and production efforts as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of The Ford Fox platform was a Rear wheel drive, Unibody automobile architecture that Ford used for 26 years in the North American market 3L OHC I4 2. The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders 3L TO-3 (Turbo RS) 2. 8L V6 3. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 3L I6 3. The straight-6 or inline-6 engine (often abbreviated I6 or L6) is a six cylinder Internal combustion engine with all six cylinders 8L V6 5. A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of three cylinders 0L 4bbl V8 |
| Transmission(s) | 4-speed O/D manual 4-speed auto 5-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 100. A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels 5 in (2553 mm) |
| Related | Ford Mustang(79-93) Ford LTD (83-86) Ford Granada (U. The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon S. ) Mercury Marquis (83-86) Ford Fairmont Mercury Zephyr Lincoln Continental (82-87) Ford Thunderbird (80-88) Mercury Cougar (80-88) Lincoln Mark VII |
During this period, a version of the Ford Mustang was sold through Lincoln/Mercury dealers as the Mercury Capri, giving Mercury a pony car for the first time since the Mercury Cougar was upsized in 1974 to complement the Ford Thunderbird. The Mercury Marquis was a vehicle produced by the Ford Motor Company under its Mercury brand from 1967 to 1986 See Ford Fairmont (Australia for the Australian built vehicle of the same name For other Ford related cars called Zephyr see Ford Zephyr, Lincoln-Zephyr, and Lincoln Zephyr The Mercury Zephyr was a The Lincoln Continental, an automobile produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company, began for the 1939 model year The Thunderbird is an automobile manufactured by Ford in the United States from 1955 through 2005 &mdash through thirteen generations and various The Mercury Cougar was an Automobile sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company 's Lincoln-Mercury Division See Lincoln Mark for a complete overview of the Lincoln Mark Series The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon The pony car is a class of Automobile launched and inspired by the Ford Mustang in 1964 The Mercury Cougar was an Automobile sold under the Mercury brand of the Ford Motor Company 's Lincoln-Mercury Division The Thunderbird is an automobile manufactured by Ford in the United States from 1955 through 2005 &mdash through thirteen generations and various The Capri was built on the Ford Fox platform, which was used for the Mustang from 1979 to 1993 with a design change in 1994. The Ford Fox platform was a Rear wheel drive, Unibody automobile architecture that Ford used for 26 years in the North American market
The Fox-based Mercury Capri was fairly unchanged throughout its entire run. It maintained its squared-off front fascia and grille, and distinctive flared fenders. The only major iteration happened in 1983 with the addition of a racing-inspired hatchback with a compound rear window (also known as the "bubble back"), a new rear bumper and taillights. In 1984, the high performance Capri RS received a front air dam which continued until 1986.
The drivetrain and interior options closely matched that of the Mustang year for year. There are differences but they are generally minor.
Here are some special editions for the Capri:
1981-1983 Black Magic - Black cars with gold striping, gold TRX wheels and a gold cat's head on each side of the "nose piece" just ahead of the front fender. The interior received special black seats with gold inserts. The 1983 model is extremely rare and the only Black Magic to receive the compound rear window.
1981-1982 White Lightning aka White Magic - This was actually the "Black Magic" version but it was allowed to be ordered in white. Dealers coined the "White Lightning" phrase from a magazine ad that Mercury ran. Mercury never used the term directly. In 1981 there were 575 "White Magic" models produced, but the rarer year was 1982 of which only 348 "White Magic" models were manufactured.
1983 Crimson Cat - Red with gold striping and cougar TRX wheels set this car apart. Much like the Black Magic, the Crimson Cat received custom black seats with red inserts. Only 805 crimson cats were made
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 4-cylinder engine, Michelin TRX package, 5. The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the Combustion of Fuel and an Oxidizer (typically air occurs in a confined space called a Michelin (full name SCA Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin) ( based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne Région 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.
1984-1986 ASC McLaren Coupes and Convertibles - ASC (American Sunroof Corporation, now known as American Specialty Cars) converted Capris into convertibles and enhanced standard hatchbacks which they renamed "Coupes". American Specialty Cars (commonly known as ASC) is an Automobile supplier of highly engineered and designed roof systems body systems and other specialty-vehicle A convertible is a type of automobile in which the vehicle's roof can retract and fold away converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle Hatchback is a term designating an Automobile design containing a passenger cabin with an integrated Cargo space accessed from behind the vehicle by a single The Coupes were tuned and enhanced with a number of suspension and visual upgrades including striping, ground effects, Hella fog lights, headlight and tailight covers and honey comb wheels imported from Campagnolo in Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest 1984 Coupes (25 produced) were all painted midnight blue. 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 & Raven Black, joining the Oxford White and Midnight Blue.
The convertibles were a far more involved project. This required the redesigning of the car's unit construction and the fabrication of a replacement rear deck lid, floor reinforcements, quarter panel caps, tonneau cover and a windshield that was raked back an extra 10 degrees. They received a power convertible top that took up residence in the area once designated for the rear seats. The ascMcLaren convertibles use a smaller top than the Mustang convertible and is unique to that car as are the seals, weatherstriping, windshield moulding, etc. The long standing rumor that the Capri Convertible was a Mustang convertible with Capri sheet metal is completely false as well as the top being borrowed from a Mercedes. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the
An interesting fact is that year for year ascMcLaren Capris far outsold Saleen Mustangs.
1985 Mercury Motorsport Capri - Grand Prix IV Pace Car - 30 were built in 1985 as pace cars for the Detroit Grand Prix. These were also modified by ASC McLaren for Mercury and are highly sought after for their racing heritage. About two-thirds are accounted for.
1991-1994
| Third generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Production | 1991-1994 |
| Assembly | Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia |
| Body style(s) | 2-door roadster |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Engine(s) | 1. Campbellfield is a northern suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only A roadster, also known as a spyder or spider, is a two-seater car traditionally without a roof (or with a detachable roof and no side or rear windows In Automotive design layout specifies where on the car the Engine and Drive wheels are found In Automotive design, a FF, or Front-engine, Front-wheel drive layout places both the engine and driven wheels at the front of 6L 100 hp I4 1. The straight-4 or inline-4 engine (often abbreviated I4 or L4) is a four cylinder Internal combustion engine with all four cylinders 6L 132 hp I4 |
| Transmission(s) | 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 94. An automatic transmission (commonly "AT" or "Auto" is an Automobile Gearbox that can change Gear ratios automatically as the vehicle A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift or just 'stick' 'straight drive' or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in In both road and rail Vehicles the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels 7 in (2405 mm) |
| Length | 1993-94: 167. 1 in (4244 mm) 1991-92: 166. 1 in (4219 mm) |
| Width | 64. 6 in (1641 mm) |
| Height | 1991-92: 50. 2 in (1275 mm) 1993-94 Base: 50. 4 in (1280 mm) 1993-94 XR2: 49. 9 in (1267 mm) |
| Related | Mazda 323 |
Ford Australia produced a Mazda Miata rival named the Ford Capri from 1989, which was ironically based around many Mazda 323 mechanicals. The Mazda Familia is a long-running nameplate used by Mazda for their Small family cars manufactured between 1964 and 2003 with 10589052 sold worldwide Ford Australia is the Australian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company and was founded in Geelong, Victoria in 1925 as an outpost of Ford Motor Company of Generations and overview Now in its third generation the MX5's first generation the NA, sold over 400000 units from 1989 to 1997 &mdash with a Straight-4 Ford Capri was a name used by the Ford Motor Company for three separate Automobile models The Ford Consul Capri coupe produced by Ford of Great The Mazda Familia is a long-running nameplate used by Mazda for their Small family cars manufactured between 1964 and 2003 with 10589052 sold worldwide From the 1991 model year, this car was sold in North America as the Mercury Capri. The car was sold until the 1994 model year.
Despite rumors of mechanical issues with the Capri, the Australian version was a reliable vehicle. Many are still in use as "daily drivers" in Australia, with the only faults being reported relating to leaks in the roof.
It is often rumored that with its increased versatility of four seats and a very large boot, the Capri could have competed well with the Miata, however US safety regulations forced the redesign of the cabin to accommodate an airbag, something Australian cars did not have as standard for many years, this delay led to the Miata being introduced into the vital American market first. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics.
See also
- Ford Mustang - corporate cousin of Capri from 1979-1986
External links
- MercuryCapri.Com
- 1985 Motorsport Capri Registry
- Fox Capri Literature - A resource for 79-86 Capri information. The Ford Mustang sports coupe, manufactured by the Ford Motor Company, was initially based on the Ford Falcon (brochures, dealer fact books, salesman guides, upholstery books, advertisements, etc)
- ascMcLaren Registry and Owner Forums - A user's group devoted to the 84-90 Capri and Mustang Fox based ascMcLaren cars.
- FourEyedPride.Com - The largest resource for both 79-86 Fox Chassis Mustangs and Capris.
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic