Only a 12 months after the Mazda MX-5 Miata first went on sale in america, Ford’s Mercury Division started promoting a similarly-priced two-seat convertible right here. This was the 1991-1994 Mercury Capri, and I’ve discovered an instance of the hot-rod turbocharged model in a northeastern Colorado automotive graveyard.
The Capri identify has an illustrious historical past throughout the Ford Empire. First used on a Lincoln in 1952, it went on to function the identify for a hardtop model of the early-Nineteen Sixties Ford Consul within the UK, then because the designation for a low-end trim stage on the 1966-1967 Mercury Comet. Beginning within the 1969 mannequin 12 months in Europe (1970 in North America), Ford started promoting the best-known Capri of all: a sporty coupe based mostly on the Cortina, bought via Mercury sellers in america however by no means badged as a Mercury right here. Gross sales of that Capri halted right here after 1978 (they continued via 1986 in Europe), however the Mercury Division then moved the identify over to its model of the 1979-1986 Ford Mustang. After that, Ford Australia took the Capri identify for a brand new Mazda 323-based sports activities automotive starting in 1989.
Then Dearborn determined that an Americanized model of the Australian Capri could be successful on this facet of the Pacific, and left-hand-drive Capris started displaying up in American Mercury showrooms in late 1990. Right this moment’s Junkyard Gem is a kind of first-model-year automobiles, and it is the very uncommon turbocharged XR2 model.
Whereas this automotive was supposed to be a competitor for the Miata, it is actually that automotive’s Mazda cousin. Each automobiles obtained their energy from 1.6-liter variations of Mazda’s versatile B engine, although the Capri had the identical front-wheel-drive setup as its 323/Protegé (and Escort/Tracer) platform siblings. On the identical time, Ford was promoting Kia-built Mazdas with Festiva (and, a bit later, Aspire) badging, alongside Mazda MX-6s with Probe badges. Simply to make issues fascinating, American Mazda sellers have been promoting Ford Explorers as Mazda Navajos, whereas Rangers with Mazda badges adopted beginning in 1994. The Nineties have been Mazda-riffic instances at Ford!
This automotive wasn’t the primary Australian-designed, Mazda-based Ford product bought in america. That honor belongs to the 1988-1989 Mercury Tracer, which was based mostly on the identical Mazda 323 platform because the Capri and in-built Mexico. Afterward, the Tracer remained a member of the 323 chassis household however was a virtually equivalent twin to its Ford Escort sibling.
The Capri XR2 obtained one thing its MX-5 rivals by no means obtained on their 1.6-liter engines: turbocharging. This engine was rated at 132 horsepower, which gave the turbocharged Capri about the identical power-to-weight ratio as its lighter Miata rival. I’ve seen a couple of of those automobiles on race tracks, they usually’re impressively fast on a highway course.
An automated transmission was out there within the 1991-1994 Capri, however I’ve solely seen one so geared up throughout my junkyard travels. This automotive has the bottom five-on-the-floor handbook.
MSRP for the naturally-aspirated 1991 Capri was $12,990, whereas the turbo-ized XR2 listed at $15,920 (that involves about $29,277 and $35,881, respectively, in 2023 {dollars}). In the meantime, the 1991 MX-5 Miata price $14,200 ($32,004 after inflation). We all know how the gross sales battle between the 2 automobiles labored out, in fact. For what it is price, the very most cost-effective new convertible bought in america within the 1991 mannequin 12 months was the Geo Metro LSi ragtop, which price $9,740 ($21,952 now). It is marginally potential that a couple of Yugo GV Cabrios have been bought as ’91s (the 1990 worth was $8,990, or $20,262 at the moment), however I can discover no definitive proof in my reference library.
This one had a turbocharger substitute in 2002, in accordance with receipts I discovered within the glovebox, and the dearth of any paperwork dated after that makes it seem that it obtained parked for good not a lot later.
160,550 miles in a couple of decade exhibits that this automotive had an extended each day commute and served its proprietor or house owners nicely.
Consider it… as a metal bikini.
It is very low cost.
The Australian-market adverts for this automotive obtained some spectacular reverb impact on the narrator’s voice.
Your complete 1991 Australo-Ford lineup seemed like enjoyable, although they’d have carried out higher utilizing the Van Halen cowl of the Kinks music.