Ford Capri MkIII 1600LS

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Ford’s UK marketing team were deeply envious of the Mustang's success on its parent’s home turf.

A somewhat lacklustre attempt to follow suit in the UK with the 1.3-litre Consul Capri in the early ‘60s had not had the desired effect, its replacement taking until 1969 to reach the UK public.

When unveiled at the Brussels Motorshow, the new Capri ticked all the right boxes, although was better received by the buying public than by the cynical press. Based on the contemporary Cortina, the stylish new coupe looked a million dollars with its long snout and sharp suit.

A range of engines from launch, including a potent 3.0-litre V6, meant that even the rather breathless 1.3-litre had enough hand-me-down glamour to bring the punters pouring in. Mechanically straightforward, a traditional live axle with leaf springs was deemed sufficient at the rear, while Ford's excellent Macpherson struts at the front and well weighted rack-and-pinion steering gave it a sufficiently sporting feel to justify its sports car looks.

This 1984 Mk III 1600LS was purchased by the vendor in 2000 having had four previous owners. It has now covered some 95,000 miles and has been held in dry storage for around ten months. Its most recent MOT expired in April 2014, the car currently being taxed until the end of October this year.

A new battery, a fresh MOT and some light TLC is all that is needed to bring this once well-loved Capri back up to scratch.