Friday 17th April 1970
The British-built Ford Capri was introduced to the United States market. Although the European Capri already offered buyers a bewildering variety of power train options, the first federalized Capris rolled off Lincoln-Mercury lots with Ford’s workhorse 1600cc Kent engine and a four-speed transmission.In addition, Ford offered the car with styled steel wheels, radial tires, a deluxe trim package, bucket seats, and power front disc brakes. Buyers seeking a little more luxury could order the optional Capri Décor Group, which included a sports console with clock, reclining front seats, separate contour rear seats with a folding armrest, a faux leather-trimmed sports steering wheel and gear shift knob, and a map light, among other things. Ford priced the base-model Lincoln-Mercury Capri at a very reasonable $2295 POE, and dealer prep and destination charges typically added another $75. Popular options were an AM radio ($75), Décor Group ($75), vinyl roof ($65), sun roof ($119), and air-conditioning ($395).
Ford rated the 1.6-liter engine at 75 horsepower at 5000 rpm, which meant that the little four-banger Kent had its work cut out in moving the 2135-pound Capri down the road. While performance of the 1.6-liter Capri was modest, it was still superior to the performance of European Capris equipped with the tiny 1300cc four-cylinder engine. (Ford offered the 1.3-liter option in Europe so that buyers could avoid tax penalties placed on “gas guzzler” cars.)
The automotive press responded favorably to the Capri’s introduction. Road & Track (June 1970) called the Capri one of Ford’s better ideas. “It’s good looking, it’s a practical automotive package, and it’s being offered at a competitive price. It’s a Ford that makes sense,” the road-test story noted.
Road & Track was also favorably impressed with the Capri’s interior. “Positively luxurious” was its evaluation of the Capri with the optional Décor Group. The magazine’s staff was impressed with the car’s handling and road manners as well: “We have a saying around the office,” the reviewer wrote, “that good cars are the easiest to drive. In a good car you feel immediately at home. The Capri meets this standard, and on very brief acquaintance you’re ready to drive it at your and its limits.” On the downside, Road & Track, like other industry publications, noted that the little Kent engine had a lot of work to do. Acceleration in the mini-Mustang wasn’t exactly neck-snapping. This could be a problem, because one could easily obtain close to 100 horsepower from Japanese cars for the same money.
Car and Driver (May 1970) was less sanguine about the Capri. Despite its alluring qualities, the car lacked sufficient poke. The already federalized 1600 just would not do: “Having said that the Capri is the newest in a line of good cars,” the magazine noted, “let the bad part be recorded forthwith: The car is coming to the United States with the wrong engine… the so-called federal car is no better than the Beetle in performance, and all this from a $2295 car which looks like it would suck the doors off any of its competition.”
Clearly, for some enthusiasts, the Capri needed more ponies under the hood. The suspension was willing, the four-speed gear-box was fluid and precise, but the poor engine needed more steam. You could certainly have fun with the Capri, but it took a lot of rowing through the gears, and even then the results were not necessarily entertaining.
While media types wished for an engine that could make the Capri’s performance as attractive as its styling, car buyers didn’t wait. They liked the car, and they liked its price and value. Between the its April introduction and the end of the model year, Lincoln-Mercury sold more than 15,000 Capris.
