MK1 3 Litre Capris, How Many Survive ?
Discussion
[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/MkaxejvU.jpg[/im
I only discovered fairly recently, that SuperSpeed ( Ley St, Ilford ) offered their own modified 3 Litre Capri. They called it “ Capri 3000 GTS “
I was well aware of their 3 Litre Escorts as a pal had a rapid one and also of their not quite successfull 3 Litre Cortina MK3, but not of this Capri.
SuperSpeed also “ Race Prepared “ the 16 3000Es for the May 72 FordSports Day meet @ Brands.
Does anyone recall seeing one ? Or a road test of one ?
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 5th October 15:11
aeropilot said:
A mate of mine from AVO days, had owned a Superspeed Escort Mk.1 estate back in the late 70's before buying his Twin Cam. I gather they didn't make many V6 estate versions, and it was quite distinctive, being black, with blacked out rear windows, and mag Minilites etc. In the mid 80's were we at a classic car show and low and behold, we came across his old car at the show.
I had no idea that SuperSpeed built an Escort V-6 estate. Wonder if it has survived ?
sixor8 said:
There's a Mk 1 3000 GXL at auction next month at ACA. Needs restoring, guide price is £9k - £12k:
https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/sat-7th-su...
No roof lining, wrong front seats ( Capri 2 ) rear valance has been cut, Mountney type steering wheel, hideous rostyle wheels, from a 70-71 Capri / or a 73/74 US Mercury Capri. https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/classic/sat-7th-su...
Edited by neutral 3 on Friday 30th October 21:58
aeropilot said:
Found the photo of the Superspeed estate that my mate owned in the late 70's. This photo was taken in 1983, and it was still on its dateless plate of 6 VDE, which was on it when Bob owned in 1976/77, which I'm sure if it is still in existence, its no longer on it anymore.
Bob owned it when he used to be the mechanic at Paul Raymond Cars (not that Paul Raymond!) which was an independent 'Fast Ford Specialist' of the day, and Bob part ex'd the Superspeed estate for the Twin Cam in 1977 when the TC came into stock at Paul Raymond.
In 1982, I went with a pal, round to Potters Bar, to see a mechanic he knew, who was doing some work on his Cooper S. I’m pretty sure his name was Mick and that he had a V-6 Escort Estate. Wonder if it’s the same car ??Bob owned it when he used to be the mechanic at Paul Raymond Cars (not that Paul Raymond!) which was an independent 'Fast Ford Specialist' of the day, and Bob part ex'd the Superspeed estate for the Twin Cam in 1977 when the TC came into stock at Paul Raymond.
His workshop, was literally just off of the Potters Bar roundabout, on the left, on the road that leads to Cockfosters.
DBSV8 said:
Here's an interesting one ,
This was my 3000 mk1 from the early 80s ,
i bought her off a good friend , she was originally a 1600 L , we put a 2 litre pinto in ....which he blew up and then changed rear axle and gear box cross member / front struts , brakes etc, and fitted an Essex V6 , GXL headlights
the thing is when i bought her around 1986 ? i send of the V5 for change of ownership and put on 3000 GXL on the form and it came back from DVLA as 3000GXL ... i sold her around 12 years ago and was clear to the owner her history
i note her last change of keeper was 2019 , she's presently SORNED , i wonder if the new owner realises she was never an original 3000 GXL
a few indicators the triangular braces inside the engine bay are missing / original vin plate will show 1600
Be worth asking on one of the Capri Face Ache pages.This was my 3000 mk1 from the early 80s ,
i bought her off a good friend , she was originally a 1600 L , we put a 2 litre pinto in ....which he blew up and then changed rear axle and gear box cross member / front struts , brakes etc, and fitted an Essex V6 , GXL headlights
the thing is when i bought her around 1986 ? i send of the V5 for change of ownership and put on 3000 GXL on the form and it came back from DVLA as 3000GXL ... i sold her around 12 years ago and was clear to the owner her history
i note her last change of keeper was 2019 , she's presently SORNED , i wonder if the new owner realises she was never an original 3000 GXL
a few indicators the triangular braces inside the engine bay are missing / original vin plate will show 1600
Edited by DBSV8 on Sunday 1st November 16:57
DBSV8 said:
, This car has a fantastic race history attached to it
Capri reg plate XWC713L was indeed driven by Niki Lauda and a rake of other famous names , inducing Barry Sheen and Tom Walkinshaw .& the
the Duke of Kent before languishing in a garage for 36 years ....a true barn find .time capsule ..then eventually sold at auction in 2018
fourth capri to the right
quote Jon Saltinstal author of Niki Lauda
If I may be allowed to quote from my own book, this is the story of the Osterreichring event:
"As Lauda's BMW contract had ended and he had signed with Ford to make some Touring car appearances in 1974, he was able to take part in a contest set up by the company at the season-ending national Group 1 meeting at the O?sterreichring. The occasion was a premier of the updated Capri RS 2600 at which four such cars were put in the hands of Austria’s best drivers — Lauda, Dieter Quester, Helmut Koinigg and Kurt Rieder. The cars ran on standard tyres with soft shock absorbers and without limited-slip differentials and at last featured the rear spoilers that they had obviously needed all season to curb their wayward handling. The RS 2600s were allocated by ballot and used for two 10-lap races, with the results decided on aggregate. Rieder and Quester scrapped for the lead in the first race, Rieder coming out on top, while Lauda had a fairly lonely run to third place. When the Capris were swapped around for the second heat, Lauda took over Quester’s car. Koinigg led at first but soon retired with engine failure, leaving Quester and Lauda to put on a dramatic duel that had the spectators on their feet. Towards the end, Quester was able to break away but collided with Heinz Derflinger’s Alfa Romeo and spun. Lauda forged past to take the win ahead of an angry Quester, the combined results from the two heats giving Niki victory on aggregate."
https://forums.autosport.com/topic/214467-same-pla...
other cars also feature
, which according to the mark 1 register was a GXL hence the vinyl roof , interestingly it appears again
NB The Lauda car :XWC713L .........................was last taxed in 1981 .........and last change of owner was in 2018 sold at Silverstone's auction
YOO399L was last taxed in 1984 and last change of keeper in 1984 so probably scrapped ??
XWC712L ........doesnt exist on DVLA ??
AOO685L doesnt exist on DVLA ???
more digging
Of the trio of "works" Capris entered in the 1973 ToB XWC 712L and XWC 714L were allegedly "retired" by the FoMoCo after the Tour. XWC 713L (the Prince Michael of Kent car) went on to have an active career in the BSCC (now BTCC) with Tom Walkinshaw in particular. It also competed in the Spa 24 hours and the RAC TT. .
The Prince Michael of Kent Capri XWC713L
at Tour Rally of Bath
finaly sold at silverstones auctions in 2018 ,
here she is today
Description and history
Guide price: £35000 - £45000. <ul><li>Built by Ford for the 1973 Avon Tour of Great Britain to be driven by HRH Prince Michael of Kent </li><li>Used by Tom Walkinshaw to win Class'C' in the 1974 British Saloon Car Championship (Group 1)</li><li>Raced by Barry Sheene in a Celebrity Race at Brands Hatch during 1974</li><li>Purchased by Stuart Rolt and raced successfully in the BSCC during 1975/76. He sold it in late 1976</li><li>Privately owned and remained in storage until 2014</li><li>Recently mechanically rebuilt to '74/75 Group 1 spec. Otherwise untouched. Runs and drives and used for shows</li><li>The only car ever to have been raced by a member of the Royal Family, Barry Sheene and Tom Walkinshaw</li></ul><p>A 'Tour of Britain', taking place on public roads, rally special stages, and established motor racing circuits and involving rally drivers, top names from circuit racing, journalists and celebrities had been mooted since the early 1960s, but never came about until 1973. The argument about whether rally drivers hurtling through forests in the middle of the night not knowing what was around the next corner were more talented/braver than circuit racers balancing their cars on tiptoe around Spa in the rain at 180mph had occupied many a night in the pub amongst enthusiasts but now it appeared it was going to be in the public domain. As Motor Sport wrote in early 1973 “The Avon-sponsored Tour of Britain for Group One saloon cars divided into four price-groups, which takes place from July 6th-8th, is attracting much attention and looks like providing excellent publicity for the winning makes. This is because it offers something different—perhaps just that shot-in-the-arm in which the competition scene is in dire need? Racing drivers will compete against rally drivers, so this cannot be regarded purely as a "driver's benefit", in which the cars scarcely count. Speed round race circuits will be balanced against performances over rally stages. It is the variety which has caught the public imagination”. Dozens of top names from Formula One, international rallying, motoring journalism and television were rumoured to be taking part with features in the press and on television and of course then, as now, there was no point in letting facts get in the way of a good story.</p><p>The Ford Motor Company are never far away when there is the possibility of publicity for their products and naturally decided to get involved. They entered three 3-litre GXL Capris in the recently homologated facelift quad-headlamp form and naturally there were a number of drivers keen for a seat, but it came together quite quickly as Ford wanted a broad-based team; which finally comprised Roger Clark/Tony Mason,(household names in period), Dave Matthews (Broadspeed touring cars), Nigel Clarkson (Aurora F1), Charles Reynolds (Ford's rallying guru) and HRH Prince Michael of Kent (sporting royalty). </p><p>The three brand new Capris were registered with consecutive number plates, XWC 712L, 713 and 714 and were sent off to Boreham to be prepared. “Our” car was 713 and was to be driven by Nigel Clarkson and HRH Prince Michael. Ford was naturally keen to enjoy the publicity that would surely follow the success of these cars and they were prepared within an inch of their lives. Our vendor, Graham, has an encyclopedic knowledge of his car (713) and tells us that Borehamwood were too busy to cope and the Capri engines so they were sent elsewhere, in the case of 713, to Neil Brown Engineering. As a production engine, it couldn't be modified but it was 'blueprinted', lightened and balanced, and returned to Fotds boasting 165bhp.</p><p>The Tour started at the Avon works in Melksham on 6th July and finished late on 9th July in Bath, taking in circuit races at Llandow, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch and a night race at Snetterton, as well as five rally special stages and a thousand miles of public roads. The event was won by James Hunt and Rob Fearnall in a Camaro and Prince Michael finished a respectable 16th with Roger Clark suffering two breakdowns and fighting his way back up to 24th. A number of Ford privateers finished in the top ten and lots of press and TV coverage ensured that Ford were happy, the whole thing being judged a great success. The 'Tour' carried on for a few more years but 1973 was really the last year that Grand Prix drivers were also doing sports cars, F2 and saloons as well. </p><p>A few weeks later, XWC 713L was off to Spa where it was fitted with a set of Dunlops and entered in the 24 Hours to be driven by Nigel Clarkson and Jeremy Walton. Throughout the 24hours 713 ran faultlessly (apart from tyre problems) to finish a remarkable 13th overall.</p><p>713 then returned to Ford to, presumably, join 712 and 714 in retirement, however, that was not to be. A certain Tom Walkinshaw was invited to pedal the car in the 1974 British Saloon Car Championship for Group 1 cars which, for the first time, was for 'showroom' production cars on racing tyres in four classes divided by cubic capacity. Now sporting the blue and white 'Shell Sport' livery and producing 175bhp, Tom finished 4th overall and 1st in Class 'C' with six wins and numerous places. At some point in 1974, 713 was lent to works Suzuki Grand Prix rider, Barry Sheene, to contest a Celebrity Race at Brands Hatch and once again 713 and its famous driver featured in the press.</p><p>At the beginning of 1975, the car was sold to Stuart Rolt who campaigned it very successfully in that year's BSCC completing the season with 34 points. The following year, 713 was on the grid at Silverstone and Thruxton in April, at Brands for the GP support race in July, and finally in the TT in September with Jody Carr. For that race, Stuart was able to take advantage of some special TT rules including wider wheels and a deeper front spoiler. He recalls that that was the last time he raced 713 and it was sold privately.</p><p>The car's next owner put it into a garage where it was to remain untouched for 36 years. In fact, our vendor purchased 713 in 2010 but wasn't able to collect it until 2014 as at some point another garage had been built directly in front of the one with the Capri in, meaning the door would only open a couple of feet. Anyway, around four years ago 713 was extracted and began the next stage of its life.</p><p>Our vendor, Graham, never planned to restore 713 but simply return it mechanically to a level that meant it could be taken to events. He commenced by having the engine rebuilt back to factory specification to exacting standards still retaining the original block. and at the same time going through the braking system and fuel lines. He was pleased to find that it still had the 'locker' diff, vented front discs, and drilled drums from its days in the BSCC. 713 now drives and stops but is not on the road as such, purely attending shows and displaying its heritage.</p><p>This is a fabulous opportunity to own a piece of Ford's racing history and its unique provenance means that it would be welcome at Ford events anywhere. It may be possible to prepare 713 to race in Historic Saloons, or restore the car completely, or just leave it as it is, sound but shabby, with three famous names on the side as a reminder of the 'golden days of saloon car racing.</p><div><br /></div>
Fascinating stuff !!Capri reg plate XWC713L was indeed driven by Niki Lauda and a rake of other famous names , inducing Barry Sheen and Tom Walkinshaw .& the
the Duke of Kent before languishing in a garage for 36 years ....a true barn find .time capsule ..then eventually sold at auction in 2018
fourth capri to the right
quote Jon Saltinstal author of Niki Lauda
If I may be allowed to quote from my own book, this is the story of the Osterreichring event:
"As Lauda's BMW contract had ended and he had signed with Ford to make some Touring car appearances in 1974, he was able to take part in a contest set up by the company at the season-ending national Group 1 meeting at the O?sterreichring. The occasion was a premier of the updated Capri RS 2600 at which four such cars were put in the hands of Austria’s best drivers — Lauda, Dieter Quester, Helmut Koinigg and Kurt Rieder. The cars ran on standard tyres with soft shock absorbers and without limited-slip differentials and at last featured the rear spoilers that they had obviously needed all season to curb their wayward handling. The RS 2600s were allocated by ballot and used for two 10-lap races, with the results decided on aggregate. Rieder and Quester scrapped for the lead in the first race, Rieder coming out on top, while Lauda had a fairly lonely run to third place. When the Capris were swapped around for the second heat, Lauda took over Quester’s car. Koinigg led at first but soon retired with engine failure, leaving Quester and Lauda to put on a dramatic duel that had the spectators on their feet. Towards the end, Quester was able to break away but collided with Heinz Derflinger’s Alfa Romeo and spun. Lauda forged past to take the win ahead of an angry Quester, the combined results from the two heats giving Niki victory on aggregate."
https://forums.autosport.com/topic/214467-same-pla...
other cars also feature
, which according to the mark 1 register was a GXL hence the vinyl roof , interestingly it appears again NB The Lauda car :XWC713L .........................was last taxed in 1981 .........and last change of owner was in 2018 sold at Silverstone's auction
YOO399L was last taxed in 1984 and last change of keeper in 1984 so probably scrapped ??
XWC712L ........doesnt exist on DVLA ??
AOO685L doesnt exist on DVLA ???
more digging
Of the trio of "works" Capris entered in the 1973 ToB XWC 712L and XWC 714L were allegedly "retired" by the FoMoCo after the Tour. XWC 713L (the Prince Michael of Kent car) went on to have an active career in the BSCC (now BTCC) with Tom Walkinshaw in particular. It also competed in the Spa 24 hours and the RAC TT. .
The Prince Michael of Kent Capri XWC713L
at Tour Rally of Bath
finaly sold at silverstones auctions in 2018 ,
here she is today
Description and history
Guide price: £35000 - £45000. <ul><li>Built by Ford for the 1973 Avon Tour of Great Britain to be driven by HRH Prince Michael of Kent </li><li>Used by Tom Walkinshaw to win Class'C' in the 1974 British Saloon Car Championship (Group 1)</li><li>Raced by Barry Sheene in a Celebrity Race at Brands Hatch during 1974</li><li>Purchased by Stuart Rolt and raced successfully in the BSCC during 1975/76. He sold it in late 1976</li><li>Privately owned and remained in storage until 2014</li><li>Recently mechanically rebuilt to '74/75 Group 1 spec. Otherwise untouched. Runs and drives and used for shows</li><li>The only car ever to have been raced by a member of the Royal Family, Barry Sheene and Tom Walkinshaw</li></ul><p>A 'Tour of Britain', taking place on public roads, rally special stages, and established motor racing circuits and involving rally drivers, top names from circuit racing, journalists and celebrities had been mooted since the early 1960s, but never came about until 1973. The argument about whether rally drivers hurtling through forests in the middle of the night not knowing what was around the next corner were more talented/braver than circuit racers balancing their cars on tiptoe around Spa in the rain at 180mph had occupied many a night in the pub amongst enthusiasts but now it appeared it was going to be in the public domain. As Motor Sport wrote in early 1973 “The Avon-sponsored Tour of Britain for Group One saloon cars divided into four price-groups, which takes place from July 6th-8th, is attracting much attention and looks like providing excellent publicity for the winning makes. This is because it offers something different—perhaps just that shot-in-the-arm in which the competition scene is in dire need? Racing drivers will compete against rally drivers, so this cannot be regarded purely as a "driver's benefit", in which the cars scarcely count. Speed round race circuits will be balanced against performances over rally stages. It is the variety which has caught the public imagination”. Dozens of top names from Formula One, international rallying, motoring journalism and television were rumoured to be taking part with features in the press and on television and of course then, as now, there was no point in letting facts get in the way of a good story.</p><p>The Ford Motor Company are never far away when there is the possibility of publicity for their products and naturally decided to get involved. They entered three 3-litre GXL Capris in the recently homologated facelift quad-headlamp form and naturally there were a number of drivers keen for a seat, but it came together quite quickly as Ford wanted a broad-based team; which finally comprised Roger Clark/Tony Mason,(household names in period), Dave Matthews (Broadspeed touring cars), Nigel Clarkson (Aurora F1), Charles Reynolds (Ford's rallying guru) and HRH Prince Michael of Kent (sporting royalty). </p><p>The three brand new Capris were registered with consecutive number plates, XWC 712L, 713 and 714 and were sent off to Boreham to be prepared. “Our” car was 713 and was to be driven by Nigel Clarkson and HRH Prince Michael. Ford was naturally keen to enjoy the publicity that would surely follow the success of these cars and they were prepared within an inch of their lives. Our vendor, Graham, has an encyclopedic knowledge of his car (713) and tells us that Borehamwood were too busy to cope and the Capri engines so they were sent elsewhere, in the case of 713, to Neil Brown Engineering. As a production engine, it couldn't be modified but it was 'blueprinted', lightened and balanced, and returned to Fotds boasting 165bhp.</p><p>The Tour started at the Avon works in Melksham on 6th July and finished late on 9th July in Bath, taking in circuit races at Llandow, Oulton Park, Silverstone, Brands Hatch and a night race at Snetterton, as well as five rally special stages and a thousand miles of public roads. The event was won by James Hunt and Rob Fearnall in a Camaro and Prince Michael finished a respectable 16th with Roger Clark suffering two breakdowns and fighting his way back up to 24th. A number of Ford privateers finished in the top ten and lots of press and TV coverage ensured that Ford were happy, the whole thing being judged a great success. The 'Tour' carried on for a few more years but 1973 was really the last year that Grand Prix drivers were also doing sports cars, F2 and saloons as well. </p><p>A few weeks later, XWC 713L was off to Spa where it was fitted with a set of Dunlops and entered in the 24 Hours to be driven by Nigel Clarkson and Jeremy Walton. Throughout the 24hours 713 ran faultlessly (apart from tyre problems) to finish a remarkable 13th overall.</p><p>713 then returned to Ford to, presumably, join 712 and 714 in retirement, however, that was not to be. A certain Tom Walkinshaw was invited to pedal the car in the 1974 British Saloon Car Championship for Group 1 cars which, for the first time, was for 'showroom' production cars on racing tyres in four classes divided by cubic capacity. Now sporting the blue and white 'Shell Sport' livery and producing 175bhp, Tom finished 4th overall and 1st in Class 'C' with six wins and numerous places. At some point in 1974, 713 was lent to works Suzuki Grand Prix rider, Barry Sheene, to contest a Celebrity Race at Brands Hatch and once again 713 and its famous driver featured in the press.</p><p>At the beginning of 1975, the car was sold to Stuart Rolt who campaigned it very successfully in that year's BSCC completing the season with 34 points. The following year, 713 was on the grid at Silverstone and Thruxton in April, at Brands for the GP support race in July, and finally in the TT in September with Jody Carr. For that race, Stuart was able to take advantage of some special TT rules including wider wheels and a deeper front spoiler. He recalls that that was the last time he raced 713 and it was sold privately.</p><p>The car's next owner put it into a garage where it was to remain untouched for 36 years. In fact, our vendor purchased 713 in 2010 but wasn't able to collect it until 2014 as at some point another garage had been built directly in front of the one with the Capri in, meaning the door would only open a couple of feet. Anyway, around four years ago 713 was extracted and began the next stage of its life.</p><p>Our vendor, Graham, never planned to restore 713 but simply return it mechanically to a level that meant it could be taken to events. He commenced by having the engine rebuilt back to factory specification to exacting standards still retaining the original block. and at the same time going through the braking system and fuel lines. He was pleased to find that it still had the 'locker' diff, vented front discs, and drilled drums from its days in the BSCC. 713 now drives and stops but is not on the road as such, purely attending shows and displaying its heritage.</p><p>This is a fabulous opportunity to own a piece of Ford's racing history and its unique provenance means that it would be welcome at Ford events anywhere. It may be possible to prepare 713 to race in Historic Saloons, or restore the car completely, or just leave it as it is, sound but shabby, with three famous names on the side as a reminder of the 'golden days of saloon car racing.</p><div><br /></div>
Edited by DBSV8 on Tuesday 10th November 01:22
Edited by DBSV8 on Tuesday 10th November 01:36
So XWC713L was the 3.0GXL, that Lauda drove, in Austria, it had previously been ran in the 73 Avon Tour, it was then re painted white / blue, raced by Stuart Rolt, left in a garage and then sold @ auction in August 18.
XWC 712L was also an ex Avon Tour of Britain car, didn’t Roger Clark drive it on the tour and it broke down, putting him out of the event ?
Edited by neutral 3 on Tuesday 10th November 20:44
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