Ford Capri Mk.2

By 1974 the Capri was starting to show its age, but Ford UK put the seal on the car's future not only in their home market, but also in Europe and here in the U.S. with the introduction of the dramatically re-styled Capri "II". At the time there had been whispers of a replacement for the four-years-old two door coupe doing the rounds of industry backrooms - but the hard, positive facts wre kept as successfully secret as when the first Capri hit the world in 1969.

When launched, the extent of the changes in the Capri II surprised most industry observers; some expected a dramatic, exotically-styled body along the lines of the "Mustela" coupe displayed at European motor shows, while others guessed that perhaps an extensive facelift would be as far as Ford would be prepared to go. In fact, the Capri II showed that both lines of reasoning were incorrect.

It was identifiable instantly as a Capri, following closely the pattern established by the original car, yet it did not share a single body panel with it's predecessor. The Capri now came as a three door hatch-back, with vastly increased glass area greater than before, and greater all -round practicality. It was almost one inch longer (0.8"), two inches wider and fractionally higher. The third door in coupe-style gave access to a luggage area which, Ford claimed, was increased in size by 30%. The rear passenger seat folded flat to create almost wagon-sized car loading.

The model range embraced the usual run of engine and trim options and at the top was the Ghia version, models furnished by Ghia of Turin and made in Cologne - Ghia by then being a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford playing a major part in the design of the new Capris. Ford acquired an interest in Ghia in 1970 and the immediate result was the exotic Pantera, which became very popular here in the States.

In December 1972, it completed the takeover and founded "Ghia Operations", which combined the production facility of Vignale, Ghia's own design and production activities, and the Turin design centre of Ford Italiana into one team. And it was this influence that brought a freshness to the Capri II’s styling concept.

Just as the original Capri brought the latest of international design trends into the coupe market in 1969, the II has used the lessons learned since that time to become one of the then most up-to-date cars from Ford. Built in safety included a re-designed roof structure which was claimed by the company to be massively strong, and all double-skinned sections of the body structure were filled with rigid polyurethane foam to give quieter operation, more strength and greater protection from rust. The car actually used an extra 45 lbs. of sheet metal and this went into body stiffening and reinforcing.

Suspension and running gear remained virtually unchanged from the previous model, except that the rear track was widened by 2.3 inches. The Capri II still used the system of McPherson struts up front and a live axle with leaf springs and co-axially mounted shock absorbers at the rear. The retention of the front McPherson struts was probably a disappointment to those who had owned, and suffered the faults of the Capri II, which tended to develop some rather nasty front wheel shimmy as mileage went past the 12,000 mark.

The drivetrain, too, was carried over from the original Capri’s, starting with the basic ohv 1300 engine, through the 1600 and 2000 ohc units to the 138 bhp, three litre V6. Gearboxes were now all close-ratio units and the then new Ford C3 automatic transmission was available from the 1600cc power-plant upwards. Ghia versions used either the 2000cc four (from the British Cortina) or the three litre V6 and could be specified as either automatic or manual. The options list included such things as a wiper for the rear screen, a sliding sunroof and power-assisted steering on the Ghia models.

A clever feature on Ghia and GT models was the split-backrest rear seat which enabled the car to be used as a two, three or four seater. The third door opened with the assistance of gas-filled struts with the graceful control that befitted a prestige coupe-style car. These also enclosed the electrical circuits for the car's washing/wiping/demisting system for the rear screen. Ford claimed that the Capri II came in "right on the nose of a significant shift in the market place", meaning no doubt that with the increasing emphasis on smaller, more practical and economical cars, it was geared to the needs of a cost conscious public.

Ford Capri Mk. II

Ford Capri MKII

MkII Capri JPS 1600GT - 1974-1978

MkII Capri JPS 2000GT - 1974-1978

MkII Capri JPS 3000GT - 1974-1978

MkII Capri Optional Extras

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