1987 Ford Capri 2.8i Special

With 45,000 miles showing on the odometer, this wonderful Ford Capri 2.8i Special is finished in Rosso Red. In the care of its owner since 2016, it’s part of a good-sized collection of modern classics.

First registered in July 1987 (ah, halcyon days, eh?), the vendor tells us that he spent around £2,500 getting it through its MoT in 2018 – and it’s only covered a handful of miles since then and been dry stored.

If red was the definitive colour of the eighties, then Rosso Red was the definitive Ford colour of the era.

Certainly looks good in the gallery, doesn’t it? Of course, the fact that the panels appear to be in such good shape helps, as does the fact they all appear to align so well. Have a look at the images and admire what appear to be consistent shutlines, ripple-free flanks, and that iconic, slow-slung profile. It seems to have aged well, no?

The Rosso Red paintwork appears still bright and vibrant. Red tends to fade over the years and yet this one does look to have held up well.

There’s a proper metal sunroof too, which the vendor tells us opens and closes as it should and seals well.

The 13-inch alloy wheels appear to be in a decent condition with only the nearside front and rear needing some attention (#18 and #19) after having wheel weights removed and the protective lacquer damaged.

The centre caps could do with being refurbished. The rims are fitted with wide 205/60R13 Hifly HF201 tyres (which were low profile, back in the day…) that look like new and have decent tread.

Work to do? Well, the rear bumper is a bit bashed and wonky (#1), there’s a crack in the paint near a washer nozzle (#40), some underseal overspray to remove (#54), and the driver’s door lock surround is a bit scratched (#31). These are minor and cosmetic only though.

There is a bubble of rust on either sill (#32 and #33) as well as on the boot lid (#84) and the lower rear wheelarch (#36), so investigating these would be our priority. Our photos are great but going to see the car is always the best policy.

The Capri’s Recaro interior appears to be in fine shape, with those heavily bolstered front seats seemingly retaining their shape and support very well.

The low driving position forces a straight leg position but it’s comfortable and sets the tone for the Capri’s Old School driving experience – and we’re not damning with faint praise here; at a time when everyone was going crazy for front-wheel-drive hatchbacks, the Ford’s rear-wheel-drive chassis and old-time ergonomics were as much of a refreshing change then as they are now.

The steering wheel and gear knob are patinated but that’s okay because this is a classic car and classic cars are supposed to wear their history with pride.

The rest of the interior appears to wear its years even more lightly, showing age-appropriate wear but nothing more.

The boot floor looks solid from the gallery, and there’s a matching spare alloy wheel in there.

The amount of jobs for you to do will depend on your attitude to patination; while most folk would want to get the driver’s seat bolster recoloured (#81) everyone would want to fix the headlining (#108). The rest could all be left as it is.

As you can see from the video, its starts and runs well.

The engine bay is tidy enough and features a strut brace for extra rigidity. That said, we can’t think of many more satisfying jobs than setting aside a few days to clean and detail it, especially in the post-Christmas gloom with the space heater blasting warm air over you and a glass of something reviving within easy reach.

The underside has been recently undersealed.

The Capri’s MoT certificate is valid until October 2023.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clean and it comes with two sets of keys, the V5 registration document, and a bunch of old MoT certificates. They do record historic mileage above 45000. Sadly, like so many classics, the rest of the paperwork has gone AWOL at some point.

If you’ve always promised yourself a Capri – and you have, haven’t you? - you probably fall into one of two camps: you either want a late 2.8-litre injected car or an early 3.0-litre and while we might not be able to help with the latter we’re all over the former.

With low miles showing on the clock, a recent hefty bill, and 160bhp under the bonnet, we think our guide price of between £15,000 and £20,000 is very reasonable indeed.

But, if you disagree, then you’ll be delighted to hear that it’s also being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is currently located with the seller near Cardiff in south Wales, along with the Volkswagen Golf GTI 25, Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet, and Peugeot 205 GTI we are also selling for him; to arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.