ROKSTOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS

With the enduring popularity of the Capri in Europe, it’s easy to forget just what an obscure curio it is in the USA. It was the closest that Halewood or Cologne got to a production muscle car.

Of course America had a very different perspective; with a veritable feast of Mustangs, Falcons, Galaxies and other brutal V8-powered fare to choose from, the Euro-flavoured Capris arriving in the Lincoln-Mercury dealerships were entering a different kind of market — one that often viewed them with suspicion or disdain, and where they offered much lower profit margins. Salesmen were unenthused, service departments were unsupportive… the poor Capri never really stood a chance in the States.