CAR FANS were left outraged after seeing pictures of the new version of the Ford Capri.
The beloved classic motor is set to make a comeback next year with some pretty radical changes.
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After months of speculation, pictures emerged of the revived Capri seemingly on a test run out last week – decades after Ford pulled the original from production.
The iconic coupe, once dubbed the “working man’s Porsche“, sold 400,000 in its first two years and almost 1.9million by the end of production in 1986.
Ford marketed the motor as “the car you always promised yourself” and it was as popular on TV as it was for drivers – even Del Boy had one in Only Fools and Horses.
Unsurprisingly, with such a dramatic new image, this fresh take on the clut classic has not gone down well with fans.
Speaking to The Sun Online, Secretary of the Capri Mk1 Owners’ Club Kevin Folds said it was ‘inevitable that Ford would attempt to cash in’ on the popularity of the iconic vehicle.
He added: “It perhaps best demonstrates how Ford have lost touch with their normally brand-loyal buyers by thinking this vehicle might appeal to owners of 1970s and 80s sports coupes.
“I think it would be more appropriate to badge it as a Ford ‘Carbuncle’.
“It certainly bears no resemblance either in style or the market its aimed at.
“Will aspirational young families want to buy this? I doubt it. Will it be priced to be affordable to them? I doubt that too.
“Find me a 25-year-old who will aspire to own one of these?
“The Mk1 Capri sold 1.2 million units between 1969 and 1974 and opened a market previously untapped – I can’t see this lump doing that.
“It’s so sad to see the demise of the working man’s beloved blue oval, but I fear Ford will disappear completely with cars like this.
“It’s hardly ‘the car you always promised yourself,’ is it?”
Indeed, the updated version looks a lot more similar to some of its EV 4×4 competitors such as the Audi E-Tron or Skoda Enyaq, and less of Porsche 911-style stubby rear end and long sweeping bonnet.
Many fans have taken to social media website X to vent their outrage.
One user wrote: “This is nothing like the spirit of the Capri, which had an awesome racing pedigree.”
Another vented: “This is an abomination, and ruins the Capri marque. What next? A Cortina that’s a Kei car?”
A third said: “That is what they’re calling a Capri? What an insult to the original!”
Another fan looked back at recent iterations of the Ford Puma and Mustang, saying: “So after ruining the heritage of the Puma and Mustang, they now take aim at the Capri!”
In better news for Ford fans, a stunning Sierra Cosworth RS500 that gathered dust in a garage for 34 years has been handed a new lease of life.
The legendary supercar, one of only 500 ever made in the late 1980s, went under the hammer and sold for a staggering £137,250.
This comes after a classic 1962 Ferrari 330 LM 250 GTO that’s had just one cautious owner in the last 38 years has sold for a record fee at auction.
One of just 34 ever made, it’s been dubbed the “holy grail” of collector cars.
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