1971 Ford Capri Broadspeed

Built in May 1971 and first registered on 1 August - with the same registration number KLM 1K that it carries today - this Ford Capri Mk1 3000E was originally owned by the Director of a Ford dealership in Guildford. He had a very good relationship with the Sales Director of Ford UK and was able to commission special order cars direct from the factory. Although the 3000E was already top of the Capri range, the buyer wanted something even more exclusive.

He specified the car from Ford’s Halewood factory with a special order parchment interior and had a full length sunroof installed by Webasto. He then turned his attention to improving the Capri’s performance.

There were a number of independent Ford tuners and race-preparation engineers operating at the time. One of the most notable was Broadspeed, who had developed an aftermarket body kit and mechanical conversion for the 3000GT, which they called the Broadspeed Bullit - named after the film but spelt slightly differently presumably to avoid litigation.

Their performance improvements included modified cylinder heads, a high lift camshaft, new inlet manifold and a re-designed exhaust, as well as adjustable suspension and brakes. Broadspeed also typically gave their cars an external race-style makeover including adding

spoilers front and back, external louvres, removing the bumpers and applying a two-tone paint finish.

Mindful that he didn’t want to look like a boy racer in his Capri, the original owner opted for Broadspeed’s engine, suspension and braking upgrades only, without the styling kit - although he did have the panel beater in his own workshops subtly flare the arches to accommodate Minilite wheels.

Having passed through several owners in the last decades of the 20th Century - during which time the “boy racer” front and rear spoilers were added - the car was then restored over several years from 2004.

Alongside this work, the owner turned detective to research the car’s history and verify that it was indeed a “Broadspeed” Capri, despite not having the exact look of one. A file documenting the car’s full ownership history is the result, which includes correspondence with the original owner. The above passages summarise what he revealed about the genesis of the car.

The car is known in Ford Capri circles and was the subject of a number of magazine articles as well as being shown at the 2009 NEC Classic immediately after completion of the restoration. The current owner bought the car at auction in April 2016. The bidding was lively and the hammer finally fell well above the auctioneer’s estimate - a testament to the car’s originality and excellently researched provenance.

The vendor has taken the Capri to several car shows prior to last year, and says that it always gets mobbed by enthusiasts, but a change in circumstances means that he no longer has anywhere to store the car and sadly needs to pass it on.

During the restoration several years ago, the exterior was repainted in what we believe to be the original factory colour of Ermine/Diamond White, accented by a black bonnet, chin spoiler, wing tops, A-pillars, sills, window surrounds and tail panel.

The finish is of a high standard, with no flaws or blemishes worthy of a mention. We understand that the car has been looked after and stored exceptionally well in recent ownership.

The bodywork appears in great condition too, with even panel gaps and shut lines; more than likely much better fettled than when it left Halewood in 1971. The chrome fittings and trims around the car are also in good order with just the slightest touch of patina on the bumpers. The sunroof canvas looks in good order, having been renewed during the restoration.

Although based on the research, the front chin spoiler and rear wing aren’t original to the car, they don’t look out of place and would be relatively straightforward to remove if a future owner wanted to return the car to its more introverted 1971 specification.

The car sits on 13-inch Minilite-style wheels - replaced in 2004 but faithful to the optioned originals - which appear in excellent order and are fitted with Kumho Powermax tyres.

Quite why the Parchment interior was a Ford Motor Company special order in 1971 is a mystery, but maybe it was considered just too white and pure for the average Capri buyer. The retrimmed upholstery in this car - matching the originally specified colour - is anything but average.

The seats front and back appear completely unmarked with no wear at all and not even any creasing from use. The door trims are pretty much the same and have beautifully stitched fluting across the centre panels. The same covering continues up to ceiling level where the perforated liner of the Webasto sunroof takes over.

Thankfully the dashboard is trimmed in black to avoid the semi-opaque reflective glare you get on a sunny day with a light coloured dash. It looks like it could be the original but there are no cracks or other damage that we can see and, as far as we can tell, all the switches and dials function as they should.

Even the Radiomobile Courier 8-track cartridge player is working and is plumbed into the retro-style rear speakers, along with the matching LW/MW radio. When this car was first registered, the mighty T.Rex were topping the charts with “Get It On”. Whether you can imagine doing so in the leather-clad comfort of this 3000E we’ll leave to you, but certainly you can feel the glam-rock vibe as you drive along.

The interior of this car is so immaculate that not even the parts usually subjected to the most wear are showing evidence of use; the Moto-Lita steering wheel, the leather-clad and gaitered gear stick and black carpet appear all but untouched by human hands (or feet).

Under the bonnet, the engine bay is extremely clean and generally tidy, with just a few trailing wires that might have benefited from being better loomed together. The Broadspeed-modified Essex V6 engine looks freshly painted in black with Ford blue cam covers and all surrounding ancillaries have clearly either been reconditioned or renewed.

The undersides of the car appear in good order with nothing more than a few hints of use and nothing at all in the way of corrosion. All the structures and floor pans are painted black and waxoyled, the mechanicals look fresh and in good condition, and the stainless exhaust appears undamaged.

Inside the boot - which is smaller than you might expect from a car that has the look of a hatchback but isn’t - the grey carpet and linings are slightly discoloured but intact and conceal a 13-inch spare Rostyle wheel (a hint to what the car would have ridden on had the original owner not changed them). The floor underneath appears sound with no issues from water ingress or rust.

The car has a current MOT valid until October 2021, which it passed with just the one advisory on slight play in a ball joint and after some work on the brakes. The online record shows frequent testing over the last decade despite its age exemption - an approach you will doubtless know that we approve of.

There is a rather large history file with this car - a small suitcase in fact - which holds all manner of magazines, articles and booklets related to the car or to Broadspeed Capris in general. There are also numerous invoices and MOT reports.

Nicely presented in a ring binder is the extensively and diligently researched “The Full Story”, documenting the car’s origination and subsequent ownership history, which was doggedly compiled by the restoring owner. It undoubtedly contributed massively to the car’s provenance and value at the most recent auction and includes previous owners’ details, photos of the car through the years and those taken during the restoration 2004-2009. That overhaul can be summarised as follows:

Strip down body to bare metal, repair and repaint.

Shot blast engine bay and suspension structures.

Strip and rebuild engine including conversion to unleaded fuel.

Recondition or renew all mechanicals.

Rechrome bumpers.

Interior retrim (by Aldridge Trimming - regularly seen on Car SOS).

New carpets.

New wheels and tyres.

New sunroof canvas.

More recently, as well as garaging and looking after the car extremely well, the current owner has had new leaf springs fitted.

Whilst Broadspeed modified Capris are a rather rare car, most of those still in existence are the 3000GT-based Bullits. This car - although not strictly a Bullit - is one of only two Broadspeed 3000E variants believed to have survived.

Given the excellent condition of the rest of the car, you’d be right to expect that the engine would be in near perfect working order too. It starts well from cold and runs smoothly once warm. It drives nicely too and although its tuning is race-inspired, it is such a gem you won’t want to treat it too roughly.

With regular 3.0-litre Mk1 Capris in good condition already knocking on the door of £30k, we think that this race-tuned, one-off Broadspeed in superb condition with excellent credentials will sell for between £40,000 and £50,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near 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’.