Capri 50th Birthday - Dunton Ford, Essex - Sept 1st 2019
Discussion
I would encourage you to watch the following Youtube clip. You may have seen this one before, but if you look through it now, the significance of what we are about to unfold will be striking – VERY STRIKING!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AOffiv9wIM
Even though the first units commenced being produced from November 1968, the Ford Capri was an instant hit when it was unveiled to the world press on Tuesday 21 January, 1969 in the Beethovenhalle in Bonn.
Friday 24 January, 1969, the Brussels International Motor Show is recognised to be the first public viewing of the Capri. It was the start of purchase orders being taken for the official launch in February 1969 of what was to become the most successful European coupé Ford have sold and arguably, the most successful coupé ever in Europe, with 1,886,647 units sold.
The Ford press advert in 1969 was hard hitting and stated:-
“The new Ford Capri is the kind of car you’ve probably been hoping someone would make ever since you first put foot to clutch pedal. A genuine fastback. That doesn’t cost a fortune. Handles like a sports car. And holds 4 people”.
However, by the mid 1980s, changing consumer purchasing patterns into hot-hatchbacks was placing the old coupé in the shade. The final Brooklands Capri 280 model left the production line on 19th December 1986, with the “bye-bye, Capri” banner on the roof (1,038th unit of these limited production run and almost 1.9mil produced units in total).
Since then, Ford have only placed very limited interest in the Capri, only talking about the model that was in the past and is no more. There has never been a specific Ford event to celebrate its most successful coupé.
That Top Gear footage recorded in January 1987 (showed on BBC2 when Series 17 of the Classic Top Gear programme was aired in April 1987) with Sue Baker at the helm of the Capri and with all of those Capri’s on the Dunton test track was the last time this model was placed on this hallowed ground...........the last time.............
THAT IS UNTIL NOW!
With magnificent help from the St Francis Hospice charity,
Ford and the Capri are back!! Back in big style!
This really is the event you promised yourself for over 30 years and Ford, with St Francis Hospice, are reaching out to you, Capri Owner, to come back and present your car.
This seriously is an event you need to be at!!!
ALSO - this event is not just aimed at Capri / Capri Owners - it is a full on Classic Car Event in its own right. Even if you haven't got a Capri and have something classic / unusual / fast - bring it along please. It's just that theme will be around the Capri and the 50th Birthday.
This week represents 50 years since that unveiling of this classic, successful sports car when the 1st European Ford Coupé, the Capri, was born as it was shown to the press in the West Germany capital city, Bonn, for the first time, then on to Brussels Motor Show. It was sporting, it was revolutionary and it set the world alight.
Given the significance of this, Ford have willingly offered their grounds for a classic car show that will be hinged around the Capri and Capri owners for the 1st time ever.
This will be held at the Ford Technical Centre (formerly Ford Research and Engineering Centre) in Dunton, Basildon, Essex on 1st September 2019, where that Top Gear / Sue Baker footage was taken. There has never been a specific Capri event hosted by Ford in the past!
Not only will there be Capri’s in attendance, but a host of other modern and classic car clubs from Ford will be there. Also a number of classic models from other brands will be present, as part of the main show, a full on classic car festival under the heading of Frankie’s Classic Car Fest, which has been running for 8 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gitcuoEu5pw
There will also be facilities, vintage market, food stalls, a stage, a disco, a live band, fun for the family, fun for the kids. This will be an epic day.
As Capri Owners, we have the spotlight. We will collect on the famous Dunton Test Track where that iconic footage was taken, showing one of the last of a long line of Capri units being produced and interviews with key Ford personnel at the time explaining the rationale for deleting the model. We will be parked on the track that the R&D was completed on our models.
Please make this a day to remember to show everyone that the passion remains, even if the production has not.
Some other pieces of information:-
The Ford Heritage Capri’s will be in attendance – all of them – it is hoped.
Steve Saxty, creator and author of the book “The Cars You Always Promised Yourself” is hoping to be in attendance. He might be able to drive along in one of the Ford Heritage Capri’s.
Steve will also be able to sell & autograph his books and it is hoped that he might be able to complete either a small presentation of the book or maybe complete and question & answer session about it. This is to be confirmed and organised. More details will follow.
It is also hoped that Rod Mansfield, the chief engineer of performance Ford models of the 1970/80s, including the Capri, will be able to attend.
Also, Steve Burton of Burton Power will hopefully be there in attendance on the day.
We are looking to invite big Ford motorsport / motor tuning companies and Classic Car / Classic Ford publications with a hope of an article written about the day, using Ford and St Francis Hospice contacts and knowledge.
Stay tuned to this as we hopefully unfold and confirm more big names to this event. I will update this thread in chronological order but any key changes, please look to these opening 2 posts as the key source of information.
YOU HAVE GOT ME INTERESTED – WHERE DO I SIGN / HOW DO I SHOW MY CAR / HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ETC?
Pre-booking is essential to be part of this historic event and this will close on August 17, 2019.
The easiest way to book is using this online link (make sure you use the Ford Capri 50th Birthday box to be part of the Test Track display):
https://www.sfh.org.uk/frankies-classic-car-fest
You can also book by phone on 01708 771404 (the St Francis Hospice events line), if online booking is not convenient, and a downloadable form to apply by post will be available shortly.
The entry fee per car is £10, although there is an Early Bird offer if you apply before 30th April, which reduces this to £8. This will get you plus any passengers (no entry fee per person apart from public entry) into this great location, which is not normally open to the general public. In addition, all pre-booked entrants will get a free goody bag on the day as part of their entry.
All of the funds raised go directly towards patient care in the local community through Saint Francis Hospice services, and over £125,000 has been raised from the previous shows.
The show is open to the public from 10.00 until 16.00 and display cars need to be on site between 8.30 and 9.30 that day. You can either enter as an individual, or as part of a Capri or other club – just put the club name in the entry details (there is a box for this). We regret that no dogs (other than assistance dogs) are allowed on site by Ford.
So who's now interested ?
Please just post up on here any questions or PM me. Posting up on here means that if a few of you have the same question on your minds, you all receive an answer. That may be the better way. I'll be logging on to this thread every few days, so if I don't respond instantly, I'll get back as soon as. As you can imagine, as the message seeps out to more and more Capri owners through the different methods, my time becomes a little more valuable. But I promise to get back on here as soon as I can to respond
It would be useful for the forum members here to place their names down, just so we know who is interested and how many. I would suggest placing your name down when you have bought your entrance ticket.
Through the ticket sales, we will have an understanding as to how many Capri's / who is interested. But you may want to park together as a group and, therefore, making yourself known on here is one way you can reach that aim.
I will be reaching out to all of the regional Capri Clubs and will be placing an article in the Capri Club International. We have already seen significant enthusiasm from the E Anglia Capri Club and no doubt there will be more.
You have read a lot of detail in the 2 posts I have placed up and you'll need to refer back from time to time to digest all of this. There is one thing that I would like to make clear that you should take away from reading this right now, even if the rest is just a blur at this stage:-
If you are a Capri owner or you know someone who is a Capri owner - please read this last piece:-
There is unlikely to ever be a Capri event in the future that Ford will hold and host for you. This will most likely be the only and the last time. It's taken 30+ years to get something like this together and that's from people within the Ford Motor Company who remember this icon. I have just turned 50 myself in the last week, therefore, the Capri means a lot to me in a number of ways, one of those being that we are the same age. In years and decades to come, the Ford employee base will change and these cars will be resigned to historic motors that Ford once sold, with no real passion for what they meant and little memory of what they stood for. Please keep the spirit alive for this one, the probable one and only time that Ford will open up its hallowed turf to you. Thank you.
Given the significance of this, Ford have willingly offered their grounds for a classic car show that will be hinged around the Capri and Capri owners for the 1st time ever.
This will be held at the Ford Technical Centre (formerly Ford Research and Engineering Centre) in Dunton, Basildon, Essex on 1st September 2019, where that Top Gear / Sue Baker footage was taken. There has never been a specific Capri event hosted by Ford in the past!
Not only will there be Capri’s in attendance, but a host of other modern and classic car clubs from Ford will be there. Also a number of classic models from other brands will be present, as part of the main show, a full on classic car festival under the heading of Frankie’s Classic Car Fest, which has been running for 8 years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gitcuoEu5pw
There will also be facilities, vintage market, food stalls, a stage, a disco, a live band, fun for the family, fun for the kids. This will be an epic day.
As Capri Owners, we have the spotlight. We will collect on the famous Dunton Test Track where that iconic footage was taken, showing one of the last of a long line of Capri units being produced and interviews with key Ford personnel at the time explaining the rationale for deleting the model. We will be parked on the track that the R&D was completed on our models.
Please make this a day to remember to show everyone that the passion remains, even if the production has not.
Some other pieces of information:-
The Ford Heritage Capri’s will be in attendance – all of them – it is hoped.
Steve Saxty, creator and author of the book “The Cars You Always Promised Yourself” is hoping to be in attendance. He might be able to drive along in one of the Ford Heritage Capri’s.
Steve will also be able to sell & autograph his books and it is hoped that he might be able to complete either a small presentation of the book or maybe complete and question & answer session about it. This is to be confirmed and organised. More details will follow.
It is also hoped that Rod Mansfield, the chief engineer of performance Ford models of the 1970/80s, including the Capri, will be able to attend.
Also, Steve Burton of Burton Power will hopefully be there in attendance on the day.
We are looking to invite big Ford motorsport / motor tuning companies and Classic Car / Classic Ford publications with a hope of an article written about the day, using Ford and St Francis Hospice contacts and knowledge.
Stay tuned to this as we hopefully unfold and confirm more big names to this event. I will update this thread in chronological order but any key changes, please look to these opening 2 posts as the key source of information.
YOU HAVE GOT ME INTERESTED – WHERE DO I SIGN / HOW DO I SHOW MY CAR / HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ETC?
Pre-booking is essential to be part of this historic event and this will close on August 17, 2019.
The easiest way to book is using this online link (make sure you use the Ford Capri 50th Birthday box to be part of the Test Track display):
https://www.sfh.org.uk/frankies-classic-car-fest
You can also book by phone on 01708 771404 (the St Francis Hospice events line), if online booking is not convenient, and a downloadable form to apply by post will be available shortly.
The entry fee per car is £10, although there is an Early Bird offer if you apply before 30th April, which reduces this to £8. This will get you plus any passengers (no entry fee per person apart from public entry) into this great location, which is not normally open to the general public. In addition, all pre-booked entrants will get a free goody bag on the day as part of their entry.
All of the funds raised go directly towards patient care in the local community through Saint Francis Hospice services, and over £125,000 has been raised from the previous shows.
The show is open to the public from 10.00 until 16.00 and display cars need to be on site between 8.30 and 9.30 that day. You can either enter as an individual, or as part of a Capri or other club – just put the club name in the entry details (there is a box for this). We regret that no dogs (other than assistance dogs) are allowed on site by Ford.
So who's now interested ?
Please just post up on here any questions or PM me. Posting up on here means that if a few of you have the same question on your minds, you all receive an answer. That may be the better way. I'll be logging on to this thread every few days, so if I don't respond instantly, I'll get back as soon as. As you can imagine, as the message seeps out to more and more Capri owners through the different methods, my time becomes a little more valuable. But I promise to get back on here as soon as I can to respond
It would be useful for the forum members here to place their names down, just so we know who is interested and how many. I would suggest placing your name down when you have bought your entrance ticket.
Through the ticket sales, we will have an understanding as to how many Capri's / who is interested. But you may want to park together as a group and, therefore, making yourself known on here is one way you can reach that aim.
I will be reaching out to all of the regional Capri Clubs and will be placing an article in the Capri Club International. We have already seen significant enthusiasm from the E Anglia Capri Club and no doubt there will be more.
You have read a lot of detail in the 2 posts I have placed up and you'll need to refer back from time to time to digest all of this. There is one thing that I would like to make clear that you should take away from reading this right now, even if the rest is just a blur at this stage:-
If you are a Capri owner or you know someone who is a Capri owner - please read this last piece:-
There is unlikely to ever be a Capri event in the future that Ford will hold and host for you. This will most likely be the only and the last time. It's taken 30+ years to get something like this together and that's from people within the Ford Motor Company who remember this icon. I have just turned 50 myself in the last week, therefore, the Capri means a lot to me in a number of ways, one of those being that we are the same age. In years and decades to come, the Ford employee base will change and these cars will be resigned to historic motors that Ford once sold, with no real passion for what they meant and little memory of what they stood for. Please keep the spirit alive for this one, the probable one and only time that Ford will open up its hallowed turf to you. Thank you.
Yes, this is open to all vehicles - classic, performance, unusual, rarity. The theme is around the Capri this year and also a number of Ford car clubs turn up. But it is not exclusively Capri (or more widely, Ford). It is a full on classic and performance car show for any brand of motor.
To provide the background to the event, take a look at the Frankie's Classic Car Fest 2016 YouTube footage I placed up and it gives you a feel for what turns up. But that is not exhaustive.
I hope that answers and we would be pleased to see any of you come along with what you have.
Thanks.
To provide the background to the event, take a look at the Frankie's Classic Car Fest 2016 YouTube footage I placed up and it gives you a feel for what turns up. But that is not exhaustive.
I hope that answers and we would be pleased to see any of you come along with what you have.
Thanks.
Edited by DazRSK on Wednesday 23 January 15:41
Complete now with the new logo that underlines this event, we have some news to announce.
We now have reached a major landmark. We have 115 Capris now entered into this event.
This now makes this event probably the largest pre-booked event for the Capri 50th Birthday in the country at this stage in 2019. By 150 Capris, that will definitely be true. By 200 we start challenging for the largest collection of Capris in recent years.
Do you have a Capri ? Have you entered ? Do you know someone with a Capri ? Have they entered ?
The Event You Promised Yourself is now starting to take off.
Booking form is attached in the link below - please remember to select the Capri 50th drop down. Thank you.
https://www.sfh.org.uk/frankies-classic-car-fest
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