Ford Capri MkI 3.1 Historic Rally Car

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First registered in November 1973, this impressive Capri has been in the hands of the vendor for the past 24 years, being acquired from Carlo Di Piero of Swindon in 1994.

Starting out in life as a regular Capri MkI 3000GXL, it was then heavily modified for circuit racing in the ‘Vectra Fast Ford Series’ with a strengthened, seam-welded body shell and Safety Devices roll cage with door bars.

The exact spec is too detailed to list in full here but highlights include: 3.1 V6 professionally built by Paul Finch Motorsport; lightened and balanced; forged pistons; V62 cam; steel/alloy timing gear; race heads; triple Webers; Bosch distributor with Aldon igniter; competition exhaust manifolds and twin system.

3.0 Capri gearbox built by JP Race at Silverstone; 3.0 Capri axle with plate type LSD (ZF) and 3.4 final drive built by JP Race; AP 4-pot front brake calipers and discs with alloy bells (historic Escort forest spec); bias valve; rear drum brakes; Goodridge hoses and lines.

Bilstein front strut suspension (300/70); big springs; roller top mounts; polybushed; modified castor; single leaf rear springs; panhard rod; plumbed in fire extinguisher; FIA cut-out; battery relocation; Facet fuel pump; single seat with race harness; Perspex side windows; fibreglass bonnet and boot lid with RS 3.1 Spoiler and matching front RS Spoiler.

After the Vectra Series, the car was then used in rallies for many years, including the British Historic Championships, the suspension being replaced with MkII Escort components as this was more manageable and not so low and stiff. In 2002 the car then went back to circuit racing for the next four years before taking a well-earned rest.

In 2012 the owner and his daughter decided to do a stage rally together, so the car was re-prepared and did its first rally at Caerwent in September of that year, followed by another rally at Rockingham race circuit in December. It was then mainly kept in storage while other projects were pursued, although it has seen occasional fast road use since, being MOT’d in 2015 and again earlier this year, the current ticket expiring in May 2019 with no advisories other than ‘modified for motorsport use’.

Now surplus to requirements, it needs an enthusiastic new owner who can get it back out on the stages where it belongs.