The section ‘The soul of’ is about iconic cars that we think are representative of the brand as a whole. We have set the year 1970 as the lower limit. The model choice is not based on scientific research, but is purely the result of lively discussions in the editorial office. It is no news that the car world is changing rapidly. Nevertheless, it was difficult to predict that Ford would so radically turn its European model range upside down as it is doing now. Some icons even had to give up their place after decades of loyal service. Try to find a model that embodies the soul of Ford. We came to the Capri, and for this reason!
Because we are not called BestelAutoWeek, we felt compelled to immediately cross out the candidacy of at least one model that brings the soul of the Ford brand forward with verve: the Transit. This sturdy worker has been the support of courier services, taxi companies, contractors, road builders, shopkeepers, globetrotters, large families and countless other grateful owners since 1965 without interruption. And let’s not forget the bank robbers, because according to an estimate by Scotland Yard from the 70s, they chose a Transit as a getaway car in 95 percent of the cases. Not surprising, because the thing was big, robust and fast and it didn’t even tip over with a mountain of stolen gold bars on board during a hasty flight from the police.
The Ford Transit! But yeah, we’re not BestelAutoWeek…
Transit a van for everyone: Henry wanted nothing more
The Transit family has now branched out widely and keeps pace with the zeitgeist, given the available electric models. Nice, because that way it remains a car for everything and everyone. And that is precisely the core of the Ford brand: Uncle Henry wanted nothing more at the beginning of the last century than to build cars that made humanity affordably mobile. He did this in an innovative way with his rapidly growing mass production, which even made the famous Model-T cheaper to purchase.
Reasoning in this way, we note that we are at least looking for an affordable Ford. That is both an easy and a difficult task, because there were many of them over the years. It is now up to us to make the right choice, whereby, as with previous searches, we use the lower limit of 1970 and we want to see the past, present and future of Ford reflected in the chosen model. The latter makes our story series in the case of Ford somewhat more complicated than when we came up with this section. After all, Ford has not only stopped the Fiesta, but has also announced the end of the Focus. Regular customers are expected to switch to the Puma and the Explorer, respectively. The latter in particular, as may be assumed, is a completely different car, with a completely different stature and Volkswagen technology.
Three types of Ford: American, English and German
When we look in the car books of 1970, it is noticeable that there were three types of Fords available: American, English and German. We leave the first group out of consideration here due to its limited popularity, but we have all the more to do with the other two. There was indeed one Dutch importer in those years, but he obtained his models from both England and Germany, and they competed fiercely with each other – they were even sold by different dealers! The Cortina, Corsair, Zephyr and Zodiac came from British Dagenham, while the Escort, Capri, 12/15M and the 17/20/26M went on transport in Cologne (and sometimes also Genk).
A Ford Cortina. Later the Cortina would be the same as the German Taunus.
In the 1971 edition we come across a new, dizygotic twin: the English Cortina and the German Taunus. At first glance the same cars, but like the British and German Capris they have their own engines, while the bodies are also slightly different. We note a swinging hip line for the Brit and tight shapes for the German. It is strange to see the sister companies each charting their own course, which makes it even more difficult for us to assess the cars solo for our honorary title. The Capri is in any case a contender as an affordable and successful sports coupe; more on that later. The Cortina and Taunus were real hits, but automatically fall into the shadow of their joint successor, the high-profile Sierra from 1982.
Before we take too big steps through time now: there are two more contenders from the 70s that deserve a place of honor in our search. Indeed, the Fiesta and the Escort – speaking of models for a large audience! The first has now been painfully strangled, although it has been considered one of the favorites in its class since its debut in 1976. So a winner for our search? No, because for that we also want to be able to tick a shining sports career.
In that regard, the Escort is of course indestructible, given his track record in rallying. The version that came to replace him in 1981 was never able to fill those shoes; its front-wheel drive prevented the masterful drifting of grandpa. The fourth Escort (1991) was initially disappointing – nobody understood where the progress was to be found this time – but as a crazy RS Cosworth it definitely got the enthusiasts’ hands together. The rally Ford was back, just like the Sierra Cosworth had previously been on the circuits. That was feared everywhere in touring car races, including the enormous flames that erupted dangerously from its exhausts.
Great work: first Mondeo, but Focus of course even stronger
We continue to dig bravely into Ford’s model history, with the first Mondeo (1993) surfacing. Its excellent driving qualities have been anchored in Ford’s DNA since this model. This applies even more to the Focus, which in 1998 became the new standard in the C-segment when it came to both dynamics and design – Ford had embarked on a bold path with this. It is very special that even such a very early Focus now, 27 years later, does not seem very outdated to us. Great work. Later Focussen were less high-profile, even tame at times, but they always drove like the best. Hardcore enthusiasts could regularly indulge themselves to the maximum with a superior RS version.
Is that enough for the highest step on our honorary podium? For a long time the opinions in the editorial office were in that direction. But yeah, Ford decided in all its wisdom to trip up this universally loved model and replace it with the Explorer. Therefore: second place for the Focus. And the laurel wreath? Well, after much deliberation, it has been hung around the neck of a Ford that only just meets our strict requirement of formidable, famous Ford driving qualities: the Capri. Not the new one (although that plays a role in our decision-making process), but the original from 1969, which was supplied until 1985 after two model changes. Why? Well, firstly, the Capri has always been a car that appealed to the imagination, a sports coupe that the advertisements said was the car you had always promised yourself. It was unprecedentedly successful and, as we read in the German magazines from its early years, took the then Ford range along to significantly more positive results, something that was badly needed at the time.
Ford Capri delivered in incredibly many variations, as befits a Ford
As befits a Ford, the Capri has been delivered in an almost endless number of variations, from barely motorized and affordable to extremely luxurious, fast and correspondingly expensive. A young family always fitted in and the luggage space swallowed enough holiday gear, so that there were enough rational arguments against the emotional choice for a coupe. Nowadays, the Capri is a popular and likeable classic, which, among other things, inspires a lot of awe as the early RS 2600, late 2.8 Injection and the exotic, South African Perana V8. And the motorsport? For example, we mention the Group 5 Capri Zakspeed Turbo, which with 600 hp from its 1.7-liter four-cylinder in 1980 and 1981 was the car to beat in the Deutsche Rennsport-Meisterschaft.
And the future? Well, however you twist it: unlike any now canceled Ford, the Capri has recently been given a sequel. Of course, the old and new models are not comparable at all. But in the context of the completely disappeared Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo and all those other fine Fords, it is still better than nothing.