1987 Ford Capri 2.8 Brooklands

Finished in Brooklands Green metallic paint, ‘D606 might have been in the seller’s hands since 2011, but it has yet to crack the 100,000 mile mark.

Number 693 of just 1,038 Ford Capri 280s built, as is the case with every ‘Brooklands’ this one’s powered by Ford’s 2.8-litre, fuel-injected 160bhp V6, a powerplant that gives the run-out model a top speed of 130mph after passing 62mph in under eight seconds, partly thanks to an all-up weight of just 1230kgs.

Buyers also got a pair of snug Recaro seats and Raven leather trim with burgundy piping. Mechanically the Brooklands sends its power to the rear axle via a five-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential. It also sits on a set of handsome (and now expensive, of which more anon) seven-spoke, 15-inch alloy wheels.

This one was re-shelled with a genuine Ford bodyshell sourced through the Capri Club International (the receipt for which is in the history file) in the mid-nineties, and it’s just come out of a five-year snooze passing its MoT first-time with just one minor advisory. 
 

The Capri’s lines are at once instantly familiar while also being something of a rarity; more used to seeing them in photos than the flesh, this one looks more like a 1:1 scale model than a living, breathing car.

Of course, a large part of that illusion is because it is in such a good condition; only lightly used since the seller bought it in 2011, he’s only covered a little over 1,400 miles in that time.

Re-shelled when it was less than a decade old, the work was done by specialists Capri Care M.K., a firm that clearly took a great deal of pride in its work. The results speak for themselves, even now, via decent shutlines and excellent panel alignment. The latter being most noticeable via the excellent ‘280’ pinstripes along each side.

The Brooklands Green T7 metallic paintwork is in fine fettle too, and it sits on panels that are almost completely free of dents, dinks, and other blemishes.

There’s a sliding metal sunroof too, which moves fore and aft as it should. It also seals tightly when it is closed, and a smoked Perspex aerofoil divert some of the air to reduce buffeting and wind noise in the cabin.

A pair of Capri Club International mudflaps act as a signpost to the bodyshell’s origin, and a deep front valence helps keep the Capri planted at the sort of three-figure speeds it’s capable of, a job the rear spoiler contributes to in no small way.

Of course, if you’re going to be winging your way along the autobahn at two miles a minute or more you need good tyres, which is where the matching set of Maxxis Surpasa MA-V1 tyres come in. Sized 195/50R15 on all four corners, they’re date-stamped 2012 and yet still have oodles of tread left on them.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The OE Brooklands alloy wheels are in a very good condition too being free of major scuffs, scrapes, and other damage. The seller did a spot of research prior to consigning it with us and found people asking £1,000 a pop for these, so you can add £4,000 to the Man Maths calculation…

There is little visible rust evident other than a small patch at the base of the windscreen directly in front of the driver.

As for flaws and blemishes, some of the fasteners on things like the front grille and rear light clusters are rusty, and the alloy wheels have a few very minor marks on them along with the odd drip of Brooklands Green paint.

The corners of the front bumpers have the odd small scuff too, as does the nearside door mirror capping. The nearside rear quarterlight glass is also cracked, some of the rubber window seals have perished, and the rubber rear spoiler has hardened and aged and isn’t to the same high standard as everything else. 
 

Clearly more of a dedicated sportscar than the hot-hatchbacks it slugged it out with back in the day, the driver and front passenger sit low to the ground and with their legs stretched out in front of them.

Those in the front get those lovely leather-trimmed Recaro seats too, which grip tightly and are as comfortable as you’d expect from the masters of their craft.

Embossed with their maker’s name, they have aged a little more than the bodywork, something that makes itself known via cracking to the front seats’  leather along with some colour loss.

However, it’s probably still just about light enough that it could be chalked up to the car’s developing patina, and we suspect further feeding to keep the hide supple would prevent it deteriorating.

Despite the fact it’s got such a big bonnet, the Capri’s footprint is smaller than that of the Ford Focus, so it’s no wonder rear legroom is tight. But it’s still useable as a 2+2 and that limited accessibility means the rear seats are even better than those up front.

The door cards are excellent too, although they have been fitted with aftermarket speakers, albeit some very nice Clarion/JVC jobbies. No radio is fitted, and a blanking plate covers the empty space.

The top of the dashboard is free of sun-damage, the sills are protected by chrome ‘280’ sill strips, and while the boot might be shallow, it is deep and wide.

Flaws are few. The carpet in the boot is a little stained, and the front seat brackets are a little rusty. That’s about it. 
 

As you can see in the video, the Cologne V6 starts well, and while the rev counter takes a few moments to wake up, it does join the party the ammeter and oil pressure gauge started, both of which read normally and suggest good health.

The engine has a rock-steady idle, and revs well with a great exhaust note

The engine bay is probably the weakest part of the car, and we can see the Capri’s new owner making this a priority given how good everything else is.

Because it’s a bit grubby, and quite a few of the components and fasteners are rusty. Obviously, this is only a cosmetic problem and sorting it out would be a wonderful way of getting through the long winter evenings in six months time.  

The seller tells us that the front suspension has been gone through only recently and included +20% springs.

The underside is much the same as the engine bay. No MoT tester has ever mentioned structural corrosion, so what little surface rust there is should be easy to catch and arrest.

(Oh, and that LSD rear axle is said to be worth in excess of £2,500 all by itself thanks to the rally boys snapping ‘em up over the years to fit into their competition Escorts. That’s £6,500 in the Man Maths calculation already…)
 

The seller understands the Capri’s first owner lived in a seaside town, where the inevitable salty air took its toll on the bodywork leading it to being re-shelled. Luckily, the Ford Motor Company had kept back a couple of hundred bodyshells for this very purpose.

He bought the car from a colleague back in 2011 too, which is another good sign, and while he clearly loves it (“she goes very well”) he simply doesn’t use it as much as he’d like.

The Capri’s MoT certificate is valid until April 2026 and the V5 registration document correctly records it as being a ‘Ford Brooklands 280’.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the history file includes a wealth of historical paperwork, including many between the DVLA and Ford clarifying the procedure for issuing a new chassis number.

There are also many old invoices for servicing and repairs over the years, plus some photographs of it being re-shelled. In fact, the history file is so replete that it runs to two A4 folders.

But, even so, you could make it just a little bit bigger with minimal effort because the car was also featured in a Capri Club magazine. The seller did have a copy but has misplaced it. He says he thinks it was in the mid-nineties, and the car was on the cover, so tracking another down would be straightforward and good fun. 
 

If you’ve always promised yourself a Capri – and you have, haven’t you? - you probably fall into one of two camps: you either want a late 2.8-litre injected car or an early 3.0-litre and while we might not be able to help with the latter at the moment, we’re all over the former.

With a very well-documented past and offered in a very good condition, the need for a little tidying up here and there is reflected in our guide price of between £20,000 and £25,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.