Henry Ford II’s 1981 Ford Capri 2.8i will be auctioned this week
A special 1981 Ford Capri 2.8 injection, exclusively created for Henry Ford II will be auctioned on the 23rd of April by Car & Classic. This is one of the three special Ford vehicles created for Henry Ford II and this particular Capri was specially created to be used when traveling in the UK.
Capri was hand-picked off the Cologne production line and then underwent a transformation that included additional layers of paint, stricter quality control, and some comfort-enhancing features like a C3 automatic gearbox and a wider leather-trimmed set of seats.
The work was undertaken by Ford's SVE division at Dunton and was enjoyed by Ford II until 1983 when the vehicle was purchased by Ron Mellor who was then the Head of Ford Product Development. After 3 years he also sold the vehicle to Alan Jarman, a designer at Ford who sold it back in 1993 to Leslie Garner who kept it until April 2007 when the next owner decided to recommission the vehicle with new original Ford parts.
Showing 68,958 miles on the odometer, the Capri has only covered around 6,800 miles in the last 28 years. Fresh from a comprehensive refresh this February 2021, restoring it to its full glory, it's now ready to be enjoyed once more.
Fast Fords are always highly sought after but this Capri is much more than that, says Chris Pollitt, head of editorial at Car & Classic. Specifically prepared by the legendary SVE department for one of the most influential people in the history of Ford and then subsequently enjoyed by other key members of the company, it is a widely appreciated, documented, and renowned part of the Ford story.
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The seven-day online auction will start from April 23rd on Car & Classic, with the special Capri's estimated to be sold for £25,000 - £35,000.
Source: Cars&Classics