Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

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Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Steve Saxty »

I'm at home with an injured shoulder so started uploading some of my hundreds of unused images from the book. There's no point them sitting on my Mac and even if I do another book Ill still have too many left. https://www.stevesaxty.com/capri-scrapbook

And to get your attention....
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Jasonmarie »

Is that how you did the shoulder :lol:

Must of been amazing to go threw ford records they really had some great photographers and there adverts were real men’s car adverts and advitising . Hope the shoulder get better ....
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

Some great images there, I love to see the Capri in colt form. Always loved the MK1 in its basic trim, very iconic, with basic vents and chrome hub caps. I also always like shots of the clay cars or the plastic mould types. I like the shot o the Green Sierra 'Toni' where its three door one side and five door the other on the turntable with those so 70's brown curtains behind it, I assume shot at Merkenich with its KLN registration (I do pay attention). There are some great images in the book that would make great artwork and still look good on the walls of modern dealerships today although it most likely wouldn't help to sell cars.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

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ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:Some great images there, I love to see the Capri in colt form. Always loved the MK1 in its basic trim, very iconic, with basic vents and chrome hub caps. I also always like shots of the clay cars or the plastic mould types. I like the shot o the Green Sierra 'Toni' where its three door one side and five door the other on the turntable with those so 70's brown curtains behind it, I assume shot at Merkenich with its KLN registration (I do pay attention). There are some great images in the book that would make great artwork and still look good on the walls of modern dealerships today although it most likely wouldn't help to sell cars.
Interestingly I got a photo from Dearborn this week. It seems that in 1967 the Americans were still playing around with a GBX alternative to theBritish design that was pretty much firmed up. It has single round headlights vs the rectangular jobs seen on Steve Shearer's original 1965 GBX proposal and the scaled-down ones done in Aveley. All a bit odd! Yup the green Toni three-door Sierra was shot in Merkenich but don't always assume a K-LN 365 plate means the car is in Cologne - they were shuttled back and forth. I've got a shot of the original Carla Capri on Dunton's 000 000 plates in the book which is odd as the car was done in Germany and must have found its way to Essex. I'm glad you like this new scrapbook - I though it was fun to start sharing them!
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

Steve Saxty wrote:
ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:Some great images there, I love to see the Capri in colt form. Always loved the MK1 in its basic trim, very iconic, with basic vents and chrome hub caps. I also always like shots of the clay cars or the plastic mould types. I like the shot o the Green Sierra 'Toni' where its three door one side and five door the other on the turntable with those so 70's brown curtains behind it, I assume shot at Merkenich with its KLN registration (I do pay attention). There are some great images in the book that would make great artwork and still look good on the walls of modern dealerships today although it most likely wouldn't help to sell cars.
Interestingly I got a photo from Dearborn this week. It seems that in 1967 the Americans were still playing around with a GBX alternative to theBritish design that was pretty much firmed up. It has single round headlights vs the rectangular jobs seen on Steve Shearer's original 1965 GBX proposal and the scaled-down ones done in Aveley. All a bit odd! Yup the green Toni three-door Sierra was shot in Merkenich but don't always assume a K-LN 365 plate means the car is in Cologne - they were shuttled back and forth. I've got a shot of the original Carla Capri on Dunton's 000 000 plates in the book which is odd as the car was done in Germany and must have found its way to Essex. I'm glad you like this new scrapbook - I though it was fun to start sharing them!
I always thought GBX looked too heavy and less agile then the MK1 Capri in its final European form. The Capri thing doesn't surprise me as most things find there way to Essex eventually especially when they shouldn't be there! :D I am just up to Sierra in the book. Now and again a car comes along that's a game changer and for me Sierra was that, I really liked it., I just wish Ford had of been brave enough or spent a little bit more cash to make it FWD and put a cavalier to bed, mind you we probably would have never had the Cosworth. I think Focus worked better because it was all new in some respects, the Zetec engine wasn't but the OHC engine in Sierra sort of was by comparison old.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

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ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:
Steve Saxty wrote:
ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:Some great images there, I love to see the Capri in colt form. Always loved the MK1 in its basic trim, very iconic, with basic vents and chrome hub caps. I also always like shots of the clay cars or the plastic mould types. I like the shot o the Green Sierra 'Toni' where its three door one side and five door the other on the turntable with those so 70's brown curtains behind it, I assume shot at Merkenich with its KLN registration (I do pay attention). There are some great images in the book that would make great artwork and still look good on the walls of modern dealerships today although it most likely wouldn't help to sell cars.
Interestingly I got a photo from Dearborn this week. It seems that in 1967 the Americans were still playing around with a GBX alternative to theBritish design that was pretty much firmed up. It has single round headlights vs the rectangular jobs seen on Steve Shearer's original 1965 GBX proposal and the scaled-down ones done in Aveley. All a bit odd! Yup the green Toni three-door Sierra was shot in Merkenich but don't always assume a K-LN 365 plate means the car is in Cologne - they were shuttled back and forth. I've got a shot of the original Carla Capri on Dunton's 000 000 plates in the book which is odd as the car was done in Germany and must have found its way to Essex. I'm glad you like this new scrapbook - I though it was fun to start sharing them!
I always thought GBX looked too heavy and less agile then the MK1 Capri in its final European form. The Capri thing doesn't surprise me as most things find there way to Essex eventually especially when they shouldn't be there! :D I am just up to Sierra in the book. Now and again a car comes along that's a game changer and for me Sierra was that, I really liked it., I just wish Ford had of been brave enough or spent a little bit more cash to make it FWD and put a cavalier to bed, mind you we probably would have never had the Cosworth. I think Focus worked better because it was all new in some respects, the Zetec engine wasn't but the OHC engine in Sierra sort of was by comparison old.
I tried hard in the book to be the narrator and not the reporter - I wanted to avoid too much critique and self-opinion. But since we are all friends here and off the record.... The sheer intellectual might of Terry Becket and then Alex Trotman meant that the product planners had become so good at not spending money and making a huge profit that they were saving themselves (well Ford) to oblivion. Lutz said that he really wanted FWD for Tonni nee Sierra but there was no way. Had they done that then there would have been more 80s powertrain investment and the likelihood that Capri would have gone FWD. Now, of course, there are the RWD helmslem that oversteer and opposite lock their way to work but 90% of four-cylinder Capri buyers (75% of sales) just didn't care - it was a fashion coupe segment after all. So yes, I totally agree and Focus was born under Richard Parry-Jones who knew the value of a good car and was willing to pay for it. Capri died because of the product planners' paucity in the seventies. And on a cheerier note - here's a FWD Capri S272 that's not in the book.....

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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Jasonmarie »

Steve Saxty wrote:
ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:
Steve Saxty wrote:
Interestingly I got a photo from Dearborn this week. It seems that in 1967 the Americans were still playing around with a GBX alternative to theBritish design that was pretty much firmed up. It has single round headlights vs the rectangular jobs seen on Steve Shearer's original 1965 GBX proposal and the scaled-down ones done in Aveley. All a bit odd! Yup the green Toni three-door Sierra was shot in Merkenich but don't always assume a K-LN 365 plate means the car is in Cologne - they were shuttled back and forth. I've got a shot of the original Carla Capri on Dunton's 000 000 plates in the book which is odd as the car was done in Germany and must have found its way to Essex. I'm glad you like this new scrapbook - I though it was fun to start sharing them!
I always thought GBX looked too heavy and less agile then the MK1 Capri in its final European form. The Capri thing doesn't surprise me as most things find there way to Essex eventually especially when they shouldn't be there! :D I am just up to Sierra in the book. Now and again a car comes along that's a game changer and for me Sierra was that, I really liked it., I just wish Ford had of been brave enough or spent a little bit more cash to make it FWD and put a cavalier to bed, mind you we probably would have never had the Cosworth. I think Focus worked better because it was all new in some respects, the Zetec engine wasn't but the OHC engine in Sierra sort of was by comparison old.
I tried hard in the book to be the narrator and not the reporter - I wanted to avoid too much critique and self-opinion. But since we are all friends here and off the record.... The sheer intellectual might of Terry Becket and then Alex Trotman meant that the product planners had become so good at not spending money and making a huge profit that they were saving themselves (well Ford) to oblivion. Lutz said that he really wanted FWD for Tonni nee Sierra but there was no way. Had they done that then there would have been more 80s powertrain investment and the likelihood that Capri would have gone FWD. Now, of course, there are the RWD helmslem that oversteer and opposite lock their way to work but 90% of four-cylinder Capri buyers (75% of sales) just didn't care - it was a fashion coupe segment after all. So yes, I totally agree and Focus was born under Richard Parry-Jones who knew the value of a good car and was willing to pay for it. Capri died because of the product planners' paucity in the seventies. And on a cheerier note - here's a FWD Capri S272 that's not in the book.....

Image
Now that I like , with the side Capri mk1 side vents .
Ford Capri 2.0 Laser 1987 Mercury Grey ....... :beer:
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Pas28i »

If you can picture a slightly longer boot / rear overhang, giving a more fastback rear rake, that would be ideal!
Think the rear profile shape of the DB10 in Spectre rather than the Scirocco shape that this is similar to...

Great scrapbook
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

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Pas28i wrote:If you can picture a slightly longer boot / rear overhang, giving a more fastback rear rake, that would be ideal!
Think the rear profile shape of the DB10 in Spectre rather than the Scirocco shape that this is similar to...

Great scrapbook
So a completely different car then? And uneconomic because it couldn’t use any Volvo C30 substructure. Unfortunately, that's why S272 Capri didn't stack up. Using the C1 Focus/C30 kit of parts meant that it Capri fans would forever want something Capri-like. Ironically because Capri is so tiny by today's standards the S272 had the same (Focus) wheelbase!
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

It looks too stubby and Swedish with its IKEA high sculpted wasteline like the MK2 Focus, definitely Volvo.
I think the Capri missed too many generational changes for it to work so I'm pleased Ford dropped it. I think it's of its time and if you keep reinventing old things ironically it shows a lack of invention and becomes a bit boring. I agree in principle a more Mondeo based bustle back Coupe would look better. I think Mustang gets away with it because it's never gone away and Mustang market is huge, almost a Brand in itself. I wish Ford would concentrate on things like the Evos now and again, instead we get SUV, hybrids and Active. Sadly I think that's the future and Ford have to please the market majority rather than take a few risks.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Steve Saxty »

I gave the whole saga of S272 Capri it's own chapter in the book as those of you that have read it know. I'd agree with the sentiment that the car's day was done by 2003. Ford tried to drag me in on the program but I was in Detroit working on GM stuff and had to decline - I did gently try suggesting that they use the Mark III rather than the original Capri as an influence which helped I hope. The trouble is that the Mondeo was just huge and unsuitable (as we found with Cougar) and the Volvo C30 just couldn't repackage. But, to give Chris Svensson credit, he did come up with something striking but the world had moved on - I called it in Chapter 13, The Capri You Never Promised Yourself not just to be witty, by then it was the truth. I'll bet most here are over 55 and 15 years ago the average 40-something had already moved on. It was like Thunderbird, an early-2000s car I loved - but I wouldn't buy it. Porsche 911, on the other hand, is absolutely contemporary because it like Mustang (as you say) never went away - Mustang is 100% credible because it's no pastiche.

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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by pbar »

Steve Saxty wrote:There's no point them sitting on my Mac and even if I do another book Ill still have too many left. https://www.stevesaxty.com/capri-scrapbook
Enjoyed looking at those, thanks for sharing them :)

I have a metal sign which has that green Capri on the beach image.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

On the subject of bring back the Capri, I have found a couple of little videos on the Capris supposed killer.
This featured in Steve's book and is an interesting story. Shows throughout the book the tie up between the US Dearborn and FOE. Happens more often then you'd think or realise.

https://youtu.be/YqdAh0nydPw. (Jackie Stewart)

https://youtu.be/-79b_Rz2BsM (think that's John Miles at the wheel)
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Steve Saxty »

ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:On the subject of bring back the Capri, I have found a couple of little videos on the Capris supposed killer.
This featured in Steve's book and is an interesting story. Shows throughout the book the tie up between the US Dearborn and FOE. Happens more often then you'd think or realise.

https://youtu.be/YqdAh0nydPw. (Jackie Stewart)

https://youtu.be/-79b_Rz2BsM (think that's John Miles at the wheel)
Ah professional bore Jackie Stewart and fantastic driver. It's actually Jeremy Walton driving that XR4i - he used to do a lot of stunt driving for them until he had a bit of a falling out with Ford PR. I'd agree the tie-up and overlap in planning with FoE and Dearborn are interwoven through the book - well-spotted!
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

Steve Saxty wrote:
ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:On the subject of bring back the Capri, I have found a couple of little videos on the Capris supposed killer.
This featured in Steve's book and is an interesting story. Shows throughout the book the tie up between the US Dearborn and FOE. Happens more often then you'd think or realise.

https://youtu.be/YqdAh0nydPw. (Jackie Stewart)

https://youtu.be/-79b_Rz2BsM (think that's John Miles at the wheel)
Ah professional bore Jackie Stewart and fantastic driver. It's actually Jeremy Walton driving that XR4i - he used to do a lot of stunt driving for them until he had a bit of a falling out with Ford PR. I'd agree the tie-up and overlap in planning with FoE and Dearborn are interwoven through the book - well-spotted!
Ah yes I knew it was somebody that's written books on the Capri.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Daz-RSK »

What fantastic pictures Steve. Thanks for posting these up. As you say, if these ever got lost or hidden away, they would be lost forever.

I delved into that Ford Germany museum for a look around at your pictures. I wonder what we could ferret out of there for September ? :lol: Probably nowt.........at this moment. ;)

But there are great images there.

I don't know about you chaps, but I find the backdrop of some of these shots interesting. The reason - a lot of Ford pictures were taken in Essex, my home county and a lot of the scenic ones with thatched roof housing would be taken even more local to me in north Essex / Suffolk border. I have a few Ford books that I can place where the snaps were actually taken. Not many because it is difficult to work out where that hedgerow is. But with windmills and thatched cottages, they can give a clue away.
ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:On the subject of bring back the Capri, I have found a couple of little videos on the Capris supposed killer.
Shows throughout the book the tie up between the US Dearborn and FOE. Happens more often then you'd think or realise.
And almost bang on queue, Mark. We might have landed someone who will be able to give us the full low down on one of the biggest shake ups in FoE history and the insight into what happened in the mid/late 1960s.

Immense ? You bet! It transformed all of the subsequent launch model names, from the late 60's, starting with Transit, then Escort, then Capri, Granada, Fiesta etc.

It ensured certain models became the success that they did become. Prior to this time, Ford models were all over the place with little harmonisation.

Without this shake up, we could have been talking about a Capri maybe being as familiar to us as the Taunus.

Dearborn forced this on FoE and the subsequent years after introduction were quite turbulent, until there was harmony across the continent. But it didn't settle for a while.

Anyway, we'll learn more about this turbulence in September.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

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Daz-RSK wrote:What fantastic pictures Steve. Thanks for posting these up. As you say, if these ever got lost or hidden away, they would be lost forever.

I delved into that Ford Germany museum for a look around at your pictures. I wonder what we could ferret out of there for September ? :lol: Probably nowt.........at this moment. ;) .
Don't be too sure - fun as some of those pics are I have news. Yes, there's a special companion book coming to The Cars You Always Promised... Loads of specially commissioned new stuff and scrapbook images and documents - including the original product proposal for Capri Injection, more RS2800 and some of the thousands of images I keep locked away that need letting out.

More soon when I post a new thread. It's exciting. (Unless you are my wife)
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by ESSEXV6ESSEX »

Some Scorpio Action.

Remember the Scorpio in 4WD and Cosworth trim with those brilliant leather seats. Equipment wise was a very underrated car. Another forgotten Ford - well except on here where quite a few engines power Capris.

https://youtu.be/IMpyonklNJQ
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

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ESSEXV6ESSEX wrote:Some Scorpio Action.

Remember the Scorpio in 4WD and Cosworth trim with those brilliant leather seats. Equipment wise was a very underrated car. Another forgotten Ford - well except on here where quite a few engines power Capris.

https://youtu.be/IMpyonklNJQ
So I did a lot of design work on Scorpio DE-1. Read my book and you may detect a little chagrin - that car missed the mark. We had to use a narrow Sierra rear axle that looked ridiculous and the lovely floating roof looked great in a sketch but nobody noticed because it was so tall! I did though try and give it a fair bit of exposure in the book. But the truth was... I ran one as a company car that some idiot crashed into outside Salisbury's and so wrote it off - the upside being I got a Sierra XR4x4 instead - that got stolen. But my worst Scorpio experience was driving CAR 1 - the pretentious registration number Ford owned. Somehow. no doubt because I'd drive anything, i was asked to collect the car from a local dealer so a VIP could use it. The damn technician hadn't connected a bolt in the steering column and when I went to adjust it the steering wheel disconnected and so I sailed straight on rather than turning right. It scared the crap out of me - I got sent home and the poor technician got fired.
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Re: Saxty's Capri Scrapbook

Post by Daz-RSK »

The Cosworth Granada Scorpio & Scorpio range. Very under-rated motor.

When it was launched in 1990/91, with standard fit 16" alloys, they were enormous wheels for the day. Today, anything smaller than 17" wheel size is considered small. Strange how that evolves through time. The wheels were a deep dish design that gave the vehicle more presence than the lower trim offerings.

And before anyone does ask - a 5 stud alloy but a different stud pattern to today's Focus and Mondeo 5 stud. So if you ever get hold of a set of these rare 16", don't think you'll fit them to every Ford model that sported a 5 stud design. Only the Mk1 Galaxy can help you and of course the rest of the Granada range, dating 1972-1994.

A very rare wheel today that was offered to the handful (there weren't many sold) of Cossies through the latter part of that build cycle. Once the Scorpio had dropped the Granada nomenclature and the more ugly version was seen on our streets, the wheels for that Cosworth version were not bespoke alloys from the rest of the range. Still 16", 16 spoke that you could find on the Ultima trim - and more significantly, 4 stud that were also fitted to the Mondeo Ghia X from the MK2 variety.


One of the sad things about the Cossie Granada Scorpio and Scorpio was that it was the longest staying "Cosworth breathed on" design, yet you would never know from the outside that it was a Cosworth. It ran for nearly 8 years, until the deletion of the Scorpio in Q2 1998. But there was no exterior badge, IIRC. The tell tale was from the looks was obviously the more muscular shape and bodykit. But even to someone outside of Ford and Granada knowledge, it looked like a sporty version of the rest of the range. The only Cosworth badge you will find in on the top engine cover.

I drove a Cosworth powered version of a 1992 model in around 1993/94. I had the 2.8i Capri at the time. Off the mark, the lardy slush-box Granada was slower. Little doubt. But once that 205PS power kicked in, it shifted. Mid and top range, it was a lot quicker. And yes, with 205 PS vs the measly 158PS in the Capri, why would it not be. But its 0-60 was quite modest compared to the Capri. The greatness in that engine was it's mid-range and the fact that it could haul a large body from 40/50 upwards at some warp speed.

Very understated / under-rated vehicle - the Granada Cosworth.

And to top all of this for you - when the ugly Scorpio Cosworth version was released in 1994, the power was uprated by about 5PS to 209/210PS. Vauxhall's equivalent that could be found in the Carlton GSi and the Senator 24V were only 205PS and from 100cc more displacement.

8 years later, in 2002, the 3.0L Mondeo ST220 was launched and was fitted with a 220 PS engine as per the trim, but actually most were around the high 200 teen - 217/218 - and never really made the 220, as per the badge.

Pound for pound, the Mondeo ST220 was no more powerful than the Cossie Scorpio. But there was a decade of development between them.

That's the power for you - Cosworth power!
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