1976 Ford Capri 2.0 GL 12,500 miles 1 Owner

Offered with just one previous owner, this remarkable example has covered just 12,500 miles from new - and it’s so original that it still sports its first set of tyres. Yes, that’s right; while we would caution using them properly on a public road, this Capri still wears the same Michelin ZX tyres that were fitted when it was built at Halewood in 1976. Now if you are disbelieving, to be honest, so were we, so we went back to the vendor. He still knows the 1976-to-2015 owner, spoke to him and came back to us with a categorical statement that ‘the tyres have never been changed”, and while we are at it, “nothing has ever been painted”.

So, it’s in genuine time-warp condition having been protected and stored in a heated garage since it was new (something the state of the tyres can seemingly vouch for). We’ve spent quite a bit of time looking the car over and the closer we look, the more it reveals itself to us - and even the very closest inspection has failed to raise a single false note; it really is as original and unmolested as it looks in the photos. 

As such, this is a rare opportunity to get a reference-quality Ford Capri to either use or show and we would urge potential bidders to come along to The Market HQ in Abingdon to take a look at it for themselves because it really is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have a virtually factory fresh Ford Capri in your garage!

The Ford Platinum Silver bodywork is free of serious rust, rot and other structural damage. It appears to have had many preservatives applied to it, including liberal coatings of a Vaseline-like product on any part that needs protecting, these do nothing for its looks but have preserved it in remarkably good condition. This means that most of the rust marks you think you can see are actually a brown wax rather than oxidation.

The front nearside wheelarch has had a bit of attention on a mild rub in the past, and there is the odd minor rust spot starting here and there on the lower sides, but 99% of the car’s bodywork and underside is completely original and only in need of a decent polish. We would however struggle to recommend conducting any paint remedial works, as this would taint the car’s utterly remarkable originality

That originality extends to the car’s shutlines, which are exactly as they left the Ford factory. Even the black vinyl roof is immaculate; while almost every other one we’ve ever seen has faded to grey and is peeling away from the metalwork underneath, this one is still a deep, glossy black and as taut as the day it was fitted.

The car’s steel wheels are showing a light patina but the finish is original and the chrome wheel trims are, along with the rest of the chromework, in great shape and free of serious rust and pitting.

Oh, and the number plates and the dealer sticker in the rear window are still the original items; how cool is that?

The interior plastic, which can be prone to drying out and cracking due to sun damage, is still in fabulous condition thanks to its unique storage conditions. There are no cracks, scuffs or other damage and even the faux wood trim on the dashboard is in great shape.

The seats, which are finished in cloth and vinyl, are in very, very good condition and show almost no wear at all. The cloth centre section could probably do with a shampoo but an hour-or-so with a foaming interior shampoo and a damp microfibre cloth should see them looking as good as new again.

The leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearknob for the car’s four-speed gearbox are in especially good shape, as well they might be given the car’s extraordinarily low mileage. The dashboard still holds the original radio and the headlining is clean and taut.

Of course, the carpets are also original and in as-new condition and the boot floor is utterly solid and the boot lining has barely a mark on it. 

Most interestingly, the rear luggage cover, complete with its own storage bag, is still in mint condition and looks to be completely unused.

In fact, we’ll shut up now and suggest that you pop along and take a look at the car for yourself. We can guarantee that it’ll be a far more interesting experience for you than reading an advert in which every section just says ‘as-new’!

Given its barely-run-in status, you’d expect the Capri to be in fine fettle and you’d be right. It has had some work done but this appears to have been restricted to freeing off the brakes for an MOT, changing the ignition switch, coolant and thermostat, sorting out a couple of minor oil leaks, and fitting a new rear silencer box. 

More recently, the current owner has had to replace the hydraulic struts that support the hatchback because they’d lost their ability to hold the heavy tailgate open.

As you can see from the video, the car starts on the button and revs and ticks over beautifully. The owner tells us that it drives just as well as it looks, and went on to say that he’d have no hesitation in taking it on a tour of the UK, such is his faith in the car and its reliability.

The tyres, which are the original Michelin ZX tyres fitted in the factory, still hold air but given their age we’d strongly advise changing them before using the car on the road. If it were ours, we’d buy another set of steel wheels and fit those, along with new tyres, for road use, saving the original wheels and tyres for display purposes only.

The car comes with two full sets of keys and its original handbook in addition to a number of old bills, invoices and receipts. 

It also has its stamped service history book, old-style vehicle registration document and a few other bits and bobs (bear in mind this car has never needed major servicing or large invoices for major-component replacement), remarkably including the original bill of sale for the car. 

We were charmed to read that the car’s previous and first owner traded in his 1972 Ford Capri 1300XL for it, and paid just under £2,900 in total, or just over £14,000 in today’s money…

The owner tells us that because of the Capri’s importance to both him and its original owner, he isn’t interested in making a fortune from the sale of it, so any money raised will go to a good cause rather than in his pocket, giving you an opportunity to own the car of your dreams and to make someone else’s life a little bit better than it might otherwise have been.

And how much do we think it’ll raise? Tricky question, really as there are not too many precedents around. Given the price that even some rather ordinary Fords have raised, we think a guide price of £11,500-16,000 for this genuinely-reference example is very reasonable indeed. After all, when did last see one in this condition and with such a low verifiable mileage?

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.