The Car You Always Promised Yourself – The J.D Classics Ford Capri 1300L Mk. I

A great deal of mythology surrounds the Capri Mk. I, including the belief that virtually every model on the road in this country was at least a 2000GT in XLR specification. A variation of this delusion is the 3000E and the later 3000GXL were relatively common sights in the early 1970s. This was far from the case; motorists who could only afford a 1.3-litre or 1.6-litre version were significant targets of Ford GB’s marketing for the Capri.

By the late 1970s, a second-hand 1300L version often fell into the hands of aspirational motorists with limited budgets. They usually seemed to be owned by gentlemen with such names as ‘Gary the Greaser’, who acquired their Capri via a small ad in the Southampton Evening Echo. With a careful application of aftermarket matt black paint on the bonnet, a home-applied vinyl roof, a set of Ro-Style wheels from a scrapyard Cortina 1600E and a pair of Lucas fog lamps, your 1300L looked just like a 3000E. Albeit after dusk and during an October fog.

And this is one reason why the 1969 Ermine White Capri sold by J.D Classics is so unusual. As they note:

it entered the care of its current owner in 2017, carrying with it a dream that began with a young enthusiast’s ambition in Oxford. Originally intended for a V8 upgrade that never materialized, the car arrived in a sorry state, its wings corroded with neglect. Despite this, the underpinnings - chassis, floors, and engine bay - remained surprisingly sturdy. Under the owner’s meticulous guidance, the car’s trajectory shifted from a radical V8 transformation to a restoration dedicated to reclaiming its original factory essence.

The owner eventually invested over £50,000 in the Capri, “including an £18,000 allocation for original new old stock body panels”.

And the result could have stepped out of the infamous launch film - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnCXiv1cVdg. It is also a reminder of how Ford GB pioneered a US–style hierarchy of trim packages for the Capri Mk. I. In 1969, the initial engine choices were 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre units, and the higher-powered 1.3-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre GT. The basic 1300 cost £890 7s 10d, but your friendly local dealer would tempt you to spend another £15 0s 4d on the L-pack which gave you a lock for the petrol filler cap and (cosmetic) air extractor vents.

Further up the hierarchy, the £32 12s 10d X-pack included reversing lamps and reclining front seats, while only GT owners could choose the decadence that was the “R” custom pack. For a mere £39 3s 4d, you too could be the next Steve McQueen with a Capri fitted with a leather steering wheel cover, auxiliary lights, Ro-Style wheels and a matt black bonnet.

But the cleverness of Ford’s marketing was the owner (or the fleet buyer) would not have to spend £1,087 10s 8d on a 2000GT, plus another £79 12s 10d for the complete XLR pack, to achieve a new status. The 1300L would be more than enough to create a stir in the office car park or when arriving at a client’s premises. A Cortina 1600 Super 4-Door Mk. II may have cost £901, and an Escort GT just £851, but neither was “The Car You Always Promised Yourself”.

The proud owner could always invest their hard-earned bonus in enhancing their 1300L, as cloth trim was just £5 4s 6d extra. Servo-assisted brakes, at £10 8s 11d, were somewhat less of a luxury. What makes the J.D Classics Capri so notable is the original driver did not throw caution to the wind and specify “Sports Road Wheels” for £19 11s 9d. This is a stunning example of the Capri 1300L’ au naturelle’.

After all, this is the car that was “totally different from anything else on the European scene”.

With Thanks To: https://woodham-mortimer.com/

This Capri is available through JD Classics (correct as of 23^rd February 2023) https://woodham-mortimer.com/Cars/For-Sale/1969-ford-capri-1300-l/c568df59-bc4a-4d03-cc04-08db3b87ad3b