Is This The Coolest Ford Ever Made?- Lotus Consul Capri
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- Join us as we dive into the fascinating story of the Ford Consul Capri, a classic car that was only produced for two years before being overshadowed by the Cortina. In this episode of Down at the barns we meet Steve, a passionate car enthusiast who has created a unique Lotus version of the Consul Capri. Steve believes that if this version had been released, it could have saved the car from its short production run. Discover the history, the modifications, and the incredible journey of this rare gem. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more classic car stories! 🔧✨
#fordconsulcapri
#fordcapri
#lotuscapri
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Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:20 The Car Features?
02:10 Lotus Consul Capri
03:27 Interior
05:50 Lotus Green Stripes
06:35 Under The Bonnet
07:09 See It Drive
08:20 Gearbox
09:46 Is This The Coolest Ford Ever Made?
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This is the coolest Ford ever in my opinion. I recall seeing them as a child - and I thought they were literally out of this world. Beautiful classic coupe.
@@datathunderstorm yes I actually saw one (Capri 1500) in the metal just two weeks ago at Wokingham classic car show. Those rear body lines are just to die for 🙏👍🇬🇧
@@philtucker1224 If I was GOD, you would DEFINATELY get into heaven, with your opinions!
@@nygelmiller5293 fair play “ daddy” 😇
@@philtucker1224 thanks for commenting
@@datbs Love the look of the car, my favourite colour (had an Ermine White 71 Mexico) and for me the best looking wheels on any fast Ford.
This is the only Capri i would buy. Takes me back to my youth, i loved them then and love them today if only i had the money. Supercool.
Thank you for commenting Steven
@stevenlloyd5705 the later shape in its first version was also a nice car
Fabulous looking motor.
As a child I had the Corgi model in Ermine White with the salmon pink roof.
I have a 1968 Ford Escort but tbf if I had the resources I'd have a Capri like this one, not so much with a twink but maybe a 711M6015BA engine.
This model in the video is Drop Dead Gorgeous 😍
Stevenlloyd5705, are you from Stockport ?
Love this car. There was a Ford Classic near me when I was small. I thought they looked so modern even compared to the Cortina. Why did Ford continue with the heavy Corssair?
My brother and I had a 1964 Consul Capri. To this day still one of our favourite cars!❤
Thanks for sharing
The Capri is the coolest car ford made in the UK absolutely stunning lines
Thank you for your comments Christopher
A mini masterpiece. I do Capris - the later models - for a living but my heart resides in mk1 Cortinas. This little gem seems more Cortina than later Capri. Lovely.
What sort of things do you do on the Capri’s and what year models Colin
@@datbs Hello. I restore them and supply used spares. At the moment there’s a 71 1600GT, which is ready for paint, a 71 3.0 replica, an 82 2.8i, which has just come back from paint and a lovely Mk3 Cortina 2.0GXL which is almost finished. Been doing classic cars as a hobby, all my adult life, and as a job/hobby, full time, since retiring from teaching 14 years ago. Never owned an original Capri from early 60’s. Cheers.
@@colinwhite5355interesting where are you based ? And would you be interested in doing a video?
I loved the Consul Capri and I loved the Lotus Cortina Mk 1.
The combination of the two is an absolute dream.
@DavidMorris-tp9vm I was lucky enough to work at a restoration company & do full mechanical restorations on 2 Lotus Cortinas in NZ.
When it comes to cars this was my first love. Saw my first one when I was just four years old back in the late 60's and it was love at first sight. I have always wanted to own one for show purposes, but have not got the room to store it anywhere. If I ever had the money I would rent a lockup and put as many of our great British classics as I could in it for people to reminsce over.
Now that would be cool
One of the prettiest cars ever designed! My parents friends had one in a beautiful colour combination.
Very cool!
What a fantastic car the Capri was I served my apprentiship at a main ford dealers in Birmingham and thought the Capri was the the best looking car on the planet and still is well done you
Thank you
My dad had a 1963 1500 GT Coupe 438 FXU - bright orange red, Had spare tyre in a cover on the rear boot lid - engine bored out to 1650 and ported with a twin choke weber, which there wasn't enough room under the bonnet for the frying pan air cleaner, so it was left off and there were sooty flame marks under it, as it flamed out on overrun. I was only a kid at the time and remember the smell of four star and hearing it spray into the carburettor when the choke was out on a cold start - it was probably nearly as quick as this one!
Thanks Dudley interesting story
My sweety owned a 1962 ford consul Capri registration was 868 pny .the ford Capri had a set of 4 lotus steel's...fitted ...........😊
That is bloody gorgeous tbh...
What a lovely car! I love the 4 door Consul Classic, too!
robertngreen....... Not long before we emigrated from Yeovil,Somerset to Oz my dad bought the 1st Classic in the county. Dark blue with grey vynil trim. He bought it from a dealer in Dorset who had it in the showroom for 2 days. That's the only detail I can remember. He got a job offer in Oz about 3 months later & lost a shedload on the car when he sold it. One of the first things he did when arriving in Melbourne was to buy a Zephyr because he had never owned a "6". I ended up with that car years later after having an $80 aud Austin Somerset for 2 years when schoolfriends had a Capri GT each & the other a Standard 10 with a Spitfire motor & suspect brakes. Cor,those were the days !
@user-pb8vc8vp8w What a brilliant story! Great to remember such details!
My opinion only...
Tastefully modified.
Correct colour scheme.
Excellent engine.
It's an absolute beauty.
👍
I agree with you
A tastefully done restoration, it’s great to see these cars being put back on the road, well done.
Mk 1 Escort BDA, iconic.
Agree David
I had a consul classic 1500 in the early 80's. It went well & had a sort of dimmer switch to adjust the windscreen wipers speed.
It was totally rotten even back then & already had fibreglass front wings. When I sold it for £250, the bloke who bought it managed to pull the gearlever out of the gearbox as he tried to put it in 1st gear.
I loved the look of the Capri 's coupe roofline.
Thank you for sharing
I don't know if they were the same but that happened on my 1968 Escort. There was a plastic part with a fine thread that held the lever in place and it would often have a stripped thread.
I had the classic and had the very same problem with my gearstick. Great car though. Well ahead of it's time.
This just has to be one of the most interesting "might have beens" ever. Well done to Steve for the vision, time, and effort to make this happen. A Crayford convertible version would have worked on this car too.
Hello welcome to my channel and thank you for commenting
Well that brought back memories. Back in 1969 I went on holiday touring Scotland with my mate in his Consul Capri GT (blue). On one section of the A1 when I was driving there was a long straight slightly downhill section. He told me to floor it and see what it would do and it indicated 95mph. He was a bit disappointed it would not reach 100 but it was the fastest I had ever driven by a long way. I cannot remember when I last saw one of these, standard or GT.
Great memories
Had a Mk 1 Cortina 3 door 1500GT and purchased a consul capri with no engine as a project (both in the 70’s) due to some job changes I let the Capri go (for nothing)! Another of my cars I wish I still had, the Consul Capri is just gorgeous 😊
Terry - wonder where it is now !
😢My first ever car was a 1962 Panama Yellow/Ermine White Consul Capri reg. PEN 639. I bought it in 1969, aged 18. Years later in 1990, I bought a 1963 GT in Goodwood Green reg. HFX 93. I owned this one for 16 years. Unfortunately both cars are now gone, but I still have lasting memories of both!
Hi Nick , good memories shame they are no longer around 😢
I had friends with these cars & from memory the 1500gt had a weber 28/36 dcd carb. It made 75 BHP. I loved to drive in it. Probably the best looking car that Ford ever produced. Like say a GT40. Many mods were to fit a 1600 cross flow with a 4 branch & twin 40's. A A3 cam & some head work made these things fly.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts Stevie
Epic ❤ loved the shape of these when they came out , fantastic With the Lotus conversion, curious to see the actual Lotus version and what was done to "add lightness ". Personally I see this car as beautiful and complimentary to the other cars in Ford's range at the time rather than in opposition . Great show looking forward to many more ❤
My mate had a Consul Capri that his grand father left to him. It was a nice looking car but was heavy & under powered. It handled horribly with roll steer & understeer. His next car was a Mk 1 Lotus Cortina, which was very quick and handled excellently. The twin 40 DCOE weber carbs had to be tuned every week to maintain the good performance, which was a pain. That car was lightened by the factory with Al Alloy roof, wings and bonnet. This would make a difference to your Capri. Anyway, you've made a fine job of it and transformed it's handling and performance. It looks excellent and you should be very proud of it.
Thank you for commenting Mark
I had two later Capri's (both in the eighties) and have always really loved this original since a kid and this one is something special, so yes please.
Hello, welcome to the channel thanks for sharing
@@datbs Hiya, My first car was an Anglia Estate, so still not million miles away from the early Capri
@@postsurrealfish nice 👍 Do you still have a classic
@@datbs No, now I am retired I am without a car completely. They are making London undrivable and I wouldn't have a nice place to keep a nice one safe here. But I still when I can, let loose on a nice little karting track, when I am near the south coast.
Love the Consul Capri, it was the nearest thing we ever had to the 69 Impala
Yes great car Golden Apple
Never knew that lovely Capri existed. I am a 69 to 86 Capri man but i always liked the Consal Capri so much respect.
Hello Mark, welcome to the channel do you still have a Capri ?
That is one cool looking car. As a teen, I always wanted a Consul Classic, but now I think the consul capri is even better
I would sell a limb to get that Lotus Capri, I have had 15 or so of the next generation of the Capri. But to the original is the prettiest car Ford produced.
Hi Soulboy , please don’t sell your limbs , wow you’ve owed 15 Capris what do you have now ?
Yep, Saw it at the NEC in Brum. Bloomin gorgeous.
Thanks for commenting
A very cool miniature version of US 1950’s styling, you can see where the Anglia, Cortina and latterly, the lovely elliptical shape of the rear passenger windows of the 69 Capri Mk1 came from….
Welcome to the channel Mark , thank you for commenting 👍
Always loved this Capri BUT WOW a lotus Capri , thats just 100% mega cool , I want one !
You and me both!
When I was young I thought these were absolutely hideous and so underwhelming performance wise. I’ve grown up now. I now realise I was utterly clueless. They do have a genuine proper style and soul.
There’s something about them
@@craigyllyn
Always thought they were absolutely gorgeous. Admittedly the almost 30 second 0 to 60 time on the original 1340cc engine was a little disappointing!
A very smart conversion.....looks fantastic. This car will become very desirable and valuable. Great job, hats off.
We agree!
THAT IS THE COOLEST. Its been my dreamcar since it came out. I had a Corgi 1/43 model, light blue if I remember it correct. I was 5 or 6 years old then.
Thanks for sharing
Mk 1 GT cortina my first car after passing my test . loved it especially the gear stick position .
Bet you wish you still had it ?
Capri all the way, and yes you are right, it is the coolest car ford ever made
Welcome to the channel thank you for commenting
I have to agree. This is an absolute beautiful car. Dad in late 60s early 70s had a blue Consul Capri. Stunning car they are so beautiful. Must add though, the Mk 3 2.0 GXL Cortina is also stunning.
Yes great car
Loved 'em when they first appeared and love 'em even more now. That example has been beautifully reworked. A custom mesh grille insert in Lotus green maybe?? With 5 discreet stars? Definitely the coolest ever UK Ford (although I once saw its sister, the Consul Classic, with a Rover V8 that was defo tasty!)
Welcome to the channel John , thank you for sharing this 😊
Love the body lines of the Capri and the Lotus conversion is outstanding. Too bad the factory didn't offer this one back in the day. Capri please....but a nice LC would be an acceptable consolation prize....or us that a Consulation prize?
Yes such a shame Bisonmsc
As a child I loved the Consul Classic and Capri. They were great-looking cars.
Do you have a classic now?
@@datbs No, I've never personally had a Ford. But as a 6yo in the mid-'60s I was admiring the Classic and the rarer Capri, while my parents had a Mk II Ford Zodiac. My first car was a Datsun 280ZX, which is a "classic" in itself these days - though not in the condition mine was in! 🙄
@@AHoundOnAHonda yes classic now
Absolutely Fantastic !
Thank you Mike
I always wanted aConsul Capri but never had the spare cash. I'd have wet myself to get my hands on a LOTUS!!!
Super car Roy
That is a beautiful little car. I love the style. I wish cars looked like this today.
Yes they just all look the same !
What a cool Restomod 👍👏 (I am a British Ford fanatic from the seventies) utterly perfect and gorgeous! Well done buddy! 🇬🇧
Glad you enjoyed it
Lovely car. I would enjoy owning both cars and use the Capri on Sundays!
Hello Andy, thank you for commenting
I'm lucky enough to have had a MK1 and MK2 Lotus Cortina. But this is stunning. Great work and thanks for posting this.
Glad you enjoyed it!
As a school boy I would see these and think wow! In fact the family across the road form where I lived had one. I told my father how much I liked it and he disagreed, he had a Ford anglia estate at the time, his first company car. I still like th shape and think its pretty cool.
Absolutely love it...superb...no other word can describe it.👌
Thank you so much 😀
I remember these cars very well. One of my teachers had one and we all loved it. Back then where I lived not many people could afford a new car. 👍
Thank you for commenting
From memory, one of the reasons the Lotus Twin-Cam wasn't made available in more of the Ford model range was that the engines, rather than being assembled in the Ford engine plant at Dagenham, were semi hand-assembled at the old Vincent-HRD motorcycle works in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. This meant that there was only capacity to meet Lotus needs for the Elan range ( plus limited numbers of Lotus Sevens ) and Ford needs for the Cortina.
Hello Terry, welcome to the channel thank you for sharing this information 😊
I agree and I remember when I was a young pup,seeing a Black Cheery example at a car dealer across the road from where I worked
They were nice then and still have great looks✅
Glad you like it
Only had a 1340cc Classic. Blew the engine chasing a Lotus Cortina on a long downhill stretch in S,Wales
Hi David, welcome to the channel shame about the engine !
I love it !! Always did , great lines , and today. It's looks are sublime !
Glad you like it!
Back in 1972 I was 2,1 I bought a new Cortina 2000GXL, later that year a lad that I knew wanted to swap his 1966 E Type drophead for my Cortina, and I did the deal, early 1973 someone else that I knew wanted to swap his Elan Sprint for my E Type, once again the deal was done (It was quite a common thing to do in the group that we hung around in) later that year the lad that had my E Type swapped it for a Consul Capri that had been heavily modified, it had a Mustang V8 engine, lowered, uprated brakes, and a fabulous bright red paint job. He used it as his daily driver, but also ran it in sprints at Curborough Sprint Course near Lichfield.
Interesting story !
I was about 3 yrs old when these cars were new. My grandad had a Consul Classic, his business partner had a Consul Capri GT (I think) and his neighbour had a Capri convertible, as I recall they were all discounted heavily at the local Ford dealer because they didn't sell well.
Personally if a Lotus Consul Capri was available now at an affordable price I would snap it up!
Those were the days Philip
I had one of these for nearly 30 years, highly modified ( big block ford v8) sold it when I got divorced 😢, fortunately the owner is now a great friend and she's in good hands ❤ and I agree with Bobby it's one of the best cars ever 😊
Great please send us a picture of it
In the 60's I knew someone who had a GT with a stage 3 tune 51/2J steels, suspension tweaks, twin fuel tanks and unheard of in those days a rear window wiper. It was really planted on the road and went like hell.
Hi Paul , welcome to the channel thanks for sharing
Bobby Pryor from Radio Two is just gorgeous and clever!!
I had the Corgi model of the Chevrolet Impala (Fire Chief) car in 1965. I also really loved the rear wings 🙏❤️
I built my own version of this back in 1975! I owned a Consul Classic 315 2 door at the time, a 1340cc model that the crank was (as usual) hanging out of. But I was fortunate enough to acquire a MKII Cortina Lotus as salvage, it had been comprehensively rolled and I paid £75 gladly. So it was only time and effort to do the transplant. A year or so later the 315 got rear ended and written off and I managed to obtain a Consul Capri and again transplanted the Lotus running gear into it.
Though, to be fair, I never developed it to the level of this car and left it in it's original yellow with white roof, it was certainly a very quick car back then and made a wonderful "street sleeper" I moved it on around 1979, as it would no longer contain my growing family but i've always regretted the parting. Research a couple of years ago suggests it no longer exists, which is a pity!
That's a real shame
Definitely a favorite & regret not going to look at one advertised when I was young, given they were never sold new here & I was looking at mk1 'Tina's. Later drew up plans for a Cortina Capri for a hacked up body (with pieces of mk3 'tina roof), inspired by the Saxon.
Plenty of comments regarding extra weight compared to 'Tina but it should also be remembered GT 'Tina used heavier 'export spec' body than the first Cortinas.
Hi Anton, welcome to the channel thank you for sharing
100% the coolest UK Ford ever.
I never even heard of these until a couple of years ago. I wish more of them had found loving homes this side of the pond.
My Dad had A Mk1 Cortina, but After seeing this beauty i believe that yhe Consul Capri was probably tha most beautiful of it´s era.
Capri is just the coolest Ford ever. I fell in love when. I saw my first CLssicthen the Capricame along. So cool!!
So cool!
A great video of a rare beautiful car 👍
Like a work of art 👍
It is a great car
Looks amazing, especially as a Lotus version. A neighbor of ours back in the day had a red one, I always liked it.
Very cool!
If it isn't the coolest. It could be one of the most beautiful
Great lines
Love it, I always liked the Consul Capri.
Welcome to the channel Chris thanks for taking part
My Father had the Ford Classic, with column gear change. Still looked good though.
Of all Ford's, yes I agree that the Consul Capri was cool. When a boy, my father had a Cortina estate, and my mate David's father had a Consul Classic (the 4 door version of the Capri). That was cool, but the Capri trumps them all. And well done for creating a 'Lotus' Capri - so cool, it's in the freezer box!
Thanks for commenting
Very similar to me, Dad had a Cortina estate fitted out with police equipment as he worked in Telecommunications department of the Home Office.
Our next door neighbour had a blue and cream Consul capri and I kept telling him that he should get one too but to no avail 😂
Wow !! Absolutely stunning. I love it
Thank you so much!
Gorgeous!
Thank you! Cheers!
absolutely stunning
Hello Mrkeople welcome to the channel thanks for commenting
In the mid sixties I started working as an apprentice at Gates of Woodford and Mrs Gates had a white Ford Capri GT with a red interior absolutely stunning car
They look great in red
I used to have a 62 ford anglia with a lotus Twicam engine and box. Did well in rallies back in the day. I had Classic struts and discs and coil over rear end. This car is great, I would love to own it.
Very cool!
Cool, definitely cool, I've always loved the consul Capri lines
Hi Austin, welcome to the channel thank you for commenting
Gorgeous Consul Capri ❤❤❤
Yes certainly is Yorkshire do you have a classic ?
Love it!
Thanks!!
My Dad had a Consul Classic, which had the same front as this but was a 2-door 4-seater with an Anglia-style rear window design. It too had an enormous boot like the Capri, drum brakes all round, 1,500 cc engine, a column-mounted gear shift and skinny tyres. There was nothing cool about it!
Yes agree don’t think the Classic was quite as interesting
I love the Capri Classic, always have done! This is deffo the coolest I've ever seen! 😁🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
It really is! Wordreet
There were also a limited numberber of Capris modified by the coach builder Hooper. One regularly parked outside our house in Leytonstone and I put in an offer to buy it but to no avail.
Capri every time! Stunning car ❤
Loved these capris, I was a apprentice engineer in the sixties and one of our shop foreman had its 4 door sibling the classic,
Thanks for sharing
Best looking car Ford ever made in UK.
Ever driven one ?
that's a very cool Ford, I love the hardtop look (no posts when windows are down). Motor looks cool with the twin cams.
Never seen one.
YES VERY COOL , one of the best Ford ever built for the UK market . The lad and his Dad done well . 😉❤👍👍👍
What a great car
Hi Allenemery , yes it really is
1970 I had just passed my driving test, my first car was the Ford Consul Capri with a column change. I paid £65. I used to regularly travel to the Midlands from a south coast airfield, a 6 hour journey, pre motorway days.
That's a great memory from back in the day!
I owned a Consul Classic in the 60s & remember fitting square Vauxhall Viva headlamp units into it.
The farmer next to us had a beautiful one in sky blue. It had a removable roof. He used to drive around with his daughters sitting on the boot with their feet on the back shelf seat. It looked so cool!
Sounds great
@@datbs I can see them drive past and up the lane on a hot summer day, even now.
I've never been a Ford fan but you'd have to be a fool to say the Consul Capri wasn't cool, they're just a great looking car and this one is beautiful.
Thanks for sharing
How can our friend think it WASN'T cool when it was new? I was 10 years old at the time - and I've ALWAYS thought it was cool! I'm not one of those people that only likes things when they get old!
BUT I've always liked tge similar CLASSIC, in 2 door form, and also 4 door form!
People with money often don't begrudge spending huge amounts of it, on OTHER cars, like BRISTOL or BENTLEY cars, etc.etc., but I "go for the set", and buy the 2 - door, the 4 - door Classics, AND this car!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts , I was thinking more on the lines that cars had moved on by the time it was made but definitely a cool car
@@datbs that's exactly what I thought you meant! But in the general scheme of things , I do think this car, and the Classic have more lasting individuality, like (in a different way, ) the Corvair!
@@nygelmiller5293 agree with that regarding Corsair
They’re very cool little cars, look like a miniature ‘60 Starliner.
Agree 👍
Beautiful car , a little bit of at least 3 different Ford's, that I can see ! 👍 Good job.
Thanks! 👍John
Beautiful !!!!!!
Thank you! Cheers!
I had a consal capri,that I built over 20 years ago xel796b I'm glad it's got a new life now as I couldn't use it in the end,but wot a car to look at it is with out a doubt art on wheels,truly stunning.
Thank you for sharing
Definitely the Capri is coolest Ford
Thanks for commenting
Nice Car! My first car was a 1960 Ford Starliner. I have always thought that this model of the Capri was a "mini Starliner".