Ford Capri
Author
Discussion

Bri999

Original Poster:

2 posts

3 months

Monday 12th May
quotequote all
Should the car makers stop using classic car names for their new corporate brands. One is the New Ford Capri. The most rediculous retro ever, why? There's plenty of names in this universe without insulting the original Capri. But the answer will probably be 'cause they can".

Cliftonite

8,586 posts

154 months

Monday 12th May
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You have seen the current Ford Mustang model? :-)


Bri999

Original Poster:

2 posts

3 months

Monday 12th May
quotequote all
Yes. How much out of sync with original.

markymarkthree

3,017 posts

187 months

Wednesday 14th May
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Cliftonite said:
You have seen the current Ford Mustang model? :-)
Except the Mustang is not a reborn retro name. It has been in continuous production for 61 years and counting. smile

Zetec-S

6,474 posts

109 months

Wednesday 14th May
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It's to generate publicity in the motoring press, who are going to give it more column inches as they can reference the original model and invoke people's sentimentality for clicks/interest. If, for example, Ford called their new cross-over SUV the "Ustica" it would get lost amongst a sea of articles about similar models from Europe and Asia.

The sort of person who get's upset about a manufacturer reviving a 40 year old model name and using it on a new EV model is also the sort of person who is very unlikely to buy that new EV anyway, no matter what it's called. Most people who buy the new Capri probably wouldn't recognise the original anyway.

Evil.soup

3,918 posts

221 months

Wednesday 14th May
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Zetec-S said:
It's to generate publicity in the motoring press, who are going to give it more column inches as they can reference the original model and invoke people's sentimentality for clicks/interest. If, for example, Ford called their new cross-over SUV the "Ustica" it would get lost amongst a sea of articles about similar models from Europe and Asia.

The sort of person who get's upset about a manufacturer reviving a 40 year old model name and using it on a new EV model is also the sort of person who is very unlikely to buy that new EV anyway, no matter what it's called. Most people who buy the new Capri probably wouldn't recognise the original anyway.
I have to agree with all of that, its all about clicks these days, more clicks, positive or negative, the better.

Capri owners are old men with hairy chests, white hairy chests probably these days. Can't imagine any of these people are the target market for the EV Capri.

It's a shame though, the market is screaming out for an interesting coupe from a blue collar brand like Ford. It would have to be an EV, but imagine if they built a Tesla model 3 style rival named the capri, now that may have been good.

thejaywills

517 posts

123 months

Thursday 15th May
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The Capri they got in Australia..


craigjm

19,329 posts

216 months

Thursday 15th May
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Bri999 said:
Should the car makers stop using classic car names for their new corporate brands. One is the New Ford Capri. The most rediculous retro ever, why? There's plenty of names in this universe without insulting the original Capri. But the answer will probably be 'cause they can".
I assume when you are thinking Capri you are thinking of this car and it’s updates -



But this car was really already reusing a name from an earlier model



I suppose at least it’s still a two door coupe but they are not really similar.


The Pistonsdead

5,367 posts

223 months

Sunday 22nd June
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craigjm said:
Bri999 said:
Should the car makers stop using classic car names for their new corporate brands. One is the New Ford Capri. The most rediculous retro ever, why? There's plenty of names in this universe without insulting the original Capri. But the answer will probably be 'cause they can".
I assume when you are thinking Capri you are thinking of this car and it s updates -



But this car was really already reusing a name from an earlier model



I suppose at least it s still a two door coupe but they are not really similar.
I get the guys drift, but the "New Capri" bears no resemblance whatsoever to the original.
It's a big turd of a monolith that's hideous beyond compare..

r5kdt

401 posts

201 months

Tuesday 24th June
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Zetec-S said:
It's to generate publicity in the motoring press, who are going to give it more column inches as they can reference the original model and invoke people's sentimentality for clicks/interest. If, for example, Ford called their new cross-over SUV the "Ustica" it would get lost amongst a sea of articles about similar models from Europe and Asia.

The sort of person who get's upset about a manufacturer reviving a 40 year old model name and using it on a new EV model is also the sort of person who is very unlikely to buy that new EV anyway, no matter what it's called. Most people who buy the new Capri probably wouldn't recognise the original anyway.
From what i have heard speaking to the local dealer they are having trouble shifting these SUV, so doesn't even seem to appeal to the people who wouldn't recognise the original.

As for getting upset with them using the Capri monica, yes i do have an issue with it for the very reason of its sentimentality. Ford have a plethora of names it could have use including Cortina, and Sierra, family cars much more suited to this monstrosity.

This was not and was never going to be "the car you always promised yourself" and for that reason i am happy to see this fail.

If only Ford had gone the route of Renault with the 5 and made a homage. not everybody wants an £60k SUV!

Wacky Racer

39,821 posts

263 months

Tuesday 24th June
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It's a name, does it really matter that much?

WR

(Four brand new Capris between 1976-9)

Moonpie21

576 posts

108 months

Tuesday 24th June
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Its just a name.

I loved the old Capri, the headmistress at my primary school had a black 3.0l laser, I thought it was awesome, a dream car.

My wife has just purchased a new capri EV, bright yellow to suit her desires, she didn't grow up in the UK so the name means nothing to her. She loves the car, yes it has its foibles, but I have to say it's pretty good just not my cup of tea. They have some pretty good deals on them; 0%APR, money off and free chargers so my wallet was happy. (it was always going to be a hard sell when so many alternates exist).

Do I buy a car for it's name... no not really, yes I'd have issue buying a Ford "ball fondler" or some equivalent. I'd question my sanity buying the Renault Twingo Wind as I'd be the butt of everyone's jokes ba bum tsch. If Ford brought out a 2 door sports car with a fantastic engine and handling (think Ford GT) for a brilliant price, would I care if they called it the Ford Galaxy because it reminded me of their people carrier... no I wouldn't.

arbitmusings

9 posts

1 month

Monday 7th July
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old one was wow, new one is meh frown

uktrailmonster

5,926 posts

216 months

Tuesday 8th July
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Moonpie21 said:
Its just a name.

I loved the old Capri, the headmistress at my primary school had a black 3.0l laser, I thought it was awesome, a dream car.

My wife has just purchased a new capri EV, bright yellow to suit her desires, she didn't grow up in the UK so the name means nothing to her. She loves the car, yes it has its foibles, but I have to say it's pretty good just not my cup of tea. They have some pretty good deals on them; 0%APR, money off and free chargers so my wallet was happy. (it was always going to be a hard sell when so many alternates exist).

Do I buy a car for it's name... no not really, yes I'd have issue buying a Ford "ball fondler" or some equivalent. I'd question my sanity buying the Renault Twingo Wind as I'd be the butt of everyone's jokes ba bum tsch. If Ford brought out a 2 door sports car with a fantastic engine and handling (think Ford GT) for a brilliant price, would I care if they called it the Ford Galaxy because it reminded me of their people carrier... no I wouldn't.
Totally agree. I followed one of these new Capris the other day on the A5 near MK. I thought it actually looked pretty good and it handled well through the roundabouts for a fairly large SUV and certainly wasn’t lacking in acceleration.

As for the name, I don’t think it gels with the iconic 70s/80s version, but no need to take it so seriously and certainly no need for people to get upset about it! We can also probably take it that there isn’t going to be a modern day Ford 2 door coupe equivalent any time soon.

LuS1fer

42,633 posts

261 months

Tuesday 8th July
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I saw my first, last week, in Málaga. It looked quite elegant, in black and is better looking than most SUVs out there, especially VWs

However, as soon as you see CAPRI, you automatically think "Oh no it isn't" and I think Ford have suffered a lot of unnecessary negativity from that pushback. More resistance, given the Explorer has been relatively uncontentious.

They would have been far better off calling it something else although much of their back catalogue is too cheesy or low rent ( Zephyr, Zodiac, Granada, Scorpio).

highway

2,367 posts

276 months

Tuesday 8th July
quotequote all
Evil.soup said:
I have to agree with all of that, its all about clicks these days, more clicks, positive or negative, the better.

Capri owners are old men with hairy chests, white hairy chests probably these days. Can't imagine any of these people are the target market for the EV Capri.

It's a shame though, the market is screaming out for an interesting coupe from a blue collar brand like Ford. It would have to be an EV, but imagine if they built a Tesla model 3 style rival named the capri, now that may have been good.
The market isn’t crying out for coupes at all. They are largely dead. Sports cars the same. People don’t want them anymore. Given the camera enforcement, combined with spiteful penalties for minor transgressions, you can see why people aren’t so interested in buying ‘drivers cars’ anymore.

Those that want something interesting, hanker after something properly exotic or something from Porsche.

There are no ‘blue collar’ coupes anymore. Toyota tried the Supra and the Gr86 sold a little but nowhere near as much as the GR Yaris.
Don’t know if Ford still sell the Mustang but you don’t see many on the road. Vauxhall, Renault, Peugeot don’t make a coupe anymore. Alpine tried but the A110 is a niche product and sold in tiny numbers.

The same applies to sports cars. The MX5 continues but the Boxster is about to die. You don’t see them in near the numbers that you used to. I see barely any post 2020.

The world wants suv and has done for some time. Automatic, CarPlay and ideally not old enough to require an MOT.

uktrailmonster

5,926 posts

216 months

Tuesday 8th July
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
I saw my first, last week, in Málaga. It looked quite elegant, in black and is better looking than most SUVs out there, especially VWs

However, as soon as you see CAPRI, you automatically think "Oh no it isn't" and I think Ford have suffered a lot of unnecessary negativity from that pushback. More resistance, given the Explorer has been relatively uncontentious.

They would have been far better off calling it something else although much of their back catalogue is too cheesy or low rent ( Zephyr, Zodiac, Granada, Scorpio).
It would have been a carefully calculated PR move. It was bound to upset the 50 and 60 something crowd, but generate a load of press attention in the process. The actual buyers are likely to be 30 something, young family types who won’t have any emotional attachment to the old Capri.