1964 Ford Consul Capri - Convertible

First registered on 13 July 1964 as a Consul Capri Coupé, the conversion was carried out at some point prior to 2015, though there is no paperwork or further details on this works, other than it not being carried out by Crayford.

Alongside the aforementioned conversion to a cabriolet, the standard, somewhat underpowered four-cylinder engine has been replaced with a pre-Crossflow 1.5-litre inline-four with twin-choke Weber carburettor - the same engine that would go on to power the Ford Cortina in 1963, and the one found in the Consul Classic ‘GT’ models.

Purchased by the previous owner in 2015 as a project, the car ended up getting a full restoration at a cost of circa £30,000, the results of which are nothing short of fantastic - the underside is almost as clean and fresh as the upper half of the car! The works were carried out in-house by Cult Classics of London, including the body being stripped back to bare metal, painted inside-and-out, a full interior re-trim, and fitment of a new hood. There are no documents or invoices for this work, though there are a number of photographs which we’ve included in the gallery below.

Purchased by the current registered keeper in July 2021, the owner sadly passed away recently, and the car is now being sold on behalf of his widow by a long-standing friend.

In the care of its late owner, the car was regularly displayed at local classic car meets and events, including the famous CarFest South which was held only a stone's throw from the registered keeper’s address.

Resplendent in the wonderfully tropical shade of Ford Caribbean Blue, this Consul Classic Capri Cabriolet (yes, that’s a mouthful!) looks every inch the 60’s American classic, with its restrained fins at the rear, pillar-less construction and quad front lights.

Overall, the car presents fantastically following careful use in the years since its restoration was carried out, but that doesn’t mean its quite perfect. Both doors and the boot could do with some panel adjustment, whilst the bonnet badge isn’t central.

The chrome bumpers and window trims have some commensurate wear/patina, along with a few small dents along the top edge of the windscreen trim.

The paintwork is in excellent shape throughout, with no signs of any untoward scuffs or major blemishes; only some light stone chips and marks to the door edges give any evidence of the car having been driven and enjoyed sparingly.

Up above, the roof is in very good condition, with a few crease lines noted in the plastic rear window. There are no rips, tears or damaged areas to the fabric that we could see. The entire roof un-bolts and folds down, with room to stow it away in the boot.

Unusually, there is a chip/section missing from the upper edge of the drivers door glass - shown in the photos below.

All four wheels are in good condition, though there are a few mis-matched bolt covers and a few missing altogether.

Moving inside, the re-trimmed interior presents very well, with a two-tone tan/biscuit colour palette that complements the bright exterior well and matches with the fabric roof.

Both front seats are in excellent shape, showing no signs of any rips, tears or damage. There are a few light creases as you’d expect to find, and the rear outer corners of both seats are dented from being against the removable roof support pillars.

In the rear, the seats again look virtually unused, save for some light marks on the base. The rear of the seats has a cover panel (between the seat back and the rear of the car) that is slightly loose.

To the sides of the rear seat, the panels are scuffed/ripped around the roof mounting points from the roof being removed/fitted, whilst the upper edges of the paintwork around these areas also exhibit a few small scratches.

In the capacious boot, the spare wheel/tyre look to be like-new, and the luggage compartment as a whole presents very well.

There are no known faults with any of the car’s electrical systems.

Under the bonnet, the 1.5-litre pre-crossflow Cosworth-tuned engine looks to be in fine fettle, and the whole engine bay is impressively clean, tidy and free of any obvious leaks or signs of untoward issues. It is also worth noting that the head has been converted to run on lead-free petrol.

Starting with ease and settling into a smooth idle, there were no signs of any smoking or rough running during our photo shoot, though the seller did note that the temperature gauge in the car climbed quickly, though never made its way into the red zone.

Underneath, the chassis looks to be in outstanding condition, and numerous photographs of the underside have been included in the gallery below.

Sadly, there is not a massive history folder with the car, though there are some insights into its specification and recent life.

A number of restoration photographs are included showing the car stripped down and at various stages of re-assembly, alongside two info cards that were shown with the vehicle at various classic car events.

The V5 registered keepers document is present, showing 7 former keepers. We note that it states the car is a saloon, not a coupe/convertible.

A document has been put together detailing recent expenditure (shown also in invoices) and includes items such as a carb rebuild, two engine tunes, an unleaded fuel conversion, new clutch bearing and more, with a total of £1,656.47 spent on the car since February 2021.

As always, all of the documentation included with the vehicle has been photographed and is shown at the end of the gallery below.

Undeniably beautiful with the roof off and the Caribbean Blue paintwork in the sunshine, this delightful open-top Ford has lived an interesting and - in its later years - charmed and cosseted life, and remains in excellent condition throughout.

Offered for sale with an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000 you can be almost certain you’d never bump into another at a classic car show!

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located Overton, Hampshire. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.