Legend: Ford Capri

Cars People

Francis Ellingworth Loves his Ford Capris. He tells us why.

I guess my interest in Ford Capri started in 1972 when I was 9 years old.

I was given a copy of The Observer Book of Automobiles as a present by my parents. I found it fascinating. I loved all different sorts of cars, but one group of pages kept grabbing my attention. The Capri just looked different – it looked fast, it looked sporty. It was if it came from another world.

That was it. I made a promise to myself around then that one day I would own one of these cars. Finally, in the early 80s after various distractions, I purchased my first Capri. I was king of the road. Well actually, I was king of the small cull de sac where I lived, on a quiet housing estate in Oakham, Rutland.

A couple of years later my first Capri was stolen and my association with the car took a sabbatical until I met Clare, who would become my wife. The car I was using, a well loved Opel Ascona, was on its last legs. We went on the hunt for something with less mileage.