A BLAST FROM THE PAST

THE NAME MAY BE FAMILIAR BUT FORD'S NEW CAPRI IS A VERY DIFFERENT BEAST TO THE OLD CLASSIC

- BY DAVE WARD

OLDER motorists will have genuinely fond memories of the affordable and much loved coupe-styled Ford Capri of the seventies and eighties which was an iconic model in its own right and provided a breathe of fresh air in the market place at the time.

Selling over 1.9 million the Capri was introduced as a European model equivalent to the American Mustang and it was a big hit until the Ford bean counters in Detroit had production stopped in 1986.

Replacing it was an American designed and built model called the Probe from 1989 which was front-wheel drive as against the traditional rear-wheel-drive Capri.

It was an unmitigated disaster in terms of sales as the Brits in particular turned up their noses at it because it was nothing like the fun car like the old Capri had been as it drove like an American car with wallowing suspension and lacked any finesse or panache.

It was based on the American derived Mazda MX6 sports coupe (Ford at that time owned Mazda) so it was a reasonably cheap and quick alternative replacement but it was finally put to bed in 1999.

Although since then traditional coupe buyers have become fewer the thought of Ford possibly and finally introducing a new model in some design form to relate to the historic Capri have been completely shattered - the latest incarnation in reality looks like the droves of other current new, soulless looking shaped cars, mainly from China it has to be said, that have no character.

The new Capri is not coupe styled in anyway whatever Ford claim because its like so many other small SUVs on the market and of course it's all-electric power - where has that lovely 2.8-litre Capri petrol engine gone!