I managed to get the keys to the last Capri ever built at Cologne, Germany on the 19th December 1986 and as is typical of the Capri, it certainly made an impression on my wanton lust for the cheeky Capri.
Affectionally referred to as the Brooklands Capri because of its shade of green paint, the £12,000 Capri offered Ricaro leather seats and a much needed, if somewhat hooligan inducing limited-slip differential. For the time too, they were fitted with massive 15” alloy rims and low profile tyres. In today’s terms, a 15” wheel is fitted to your poverty wagon!
For an old classic car, one thing strikes you about this Capri and that is its drivability. I’ve owned many classics through the years and one thing that can become tiresome is the constant battle you have in driving it when faced with the pitfalls of today’s roads and traffic interruptions. Sometimes just keeping a classic in a straight-line becomes a hassle.
The 280i Capri, with its standard power steering, takes little effort to turn on twisty roads. That said, it isn’t without its problems, though this is more to do with the softly sprung (sporty set up at the time) ride that wobbles and squashes the springs with roll and pitch that today, for a sports coupe, motoring journalists would find unacceptable.
Engine refinement from the 160PS 2.8 litre injection V6 cylinder engine is as smooth today as any V6 now. Sort of. The essence of the Capri 280i is its burbling engine sound. This does encourage dropping it down and gear or two and accelerating hard. And it will storm to a claimed 130mph.
The striking thing about the Capri is the long bonnet that seems to travel forever forward. Unlike its lesser siblings, say, packed with the 1.6 pinto engine and room for extra luggage, the 280i takes up all the available space.
Interior is full of inferior appointments. Notably, the carpet joins above the transmission tunnel by the clock. Today, some 33 years later, it is endearing to the beauty that was Fords sports coupe. One thing that is notable and in my eyes at least, worthy of deep joy, is the door architecture. The use of 4 grey materials, set off with black plastic sculptures and appendages really do make them a visual treat. The perforated vinyl complimenting the perforation of the leather-covered seats.
And whilst the ride of this sporting rear-wheel drive is set to a softer setting that belies its sporting potential, the seats, sculptured into bucket seats, are sumptuous in their comfort and support. As a classic car, this is certainly one that you could travel great distances in with minimal fatigue.
Sadly, the likes of Capri, the car you’ve always promised yourself, are probably never likely to happen again, not just from Ford, but most manufacturers. The days of the coupe seem numbered in favour of raised boxes on wheels. It makes you wonder what the next generation of motoring enthusiasts are going to aspire too in 20 years time? It might be a Capri like this £12,000 from new example.
But just look at that £12,000 price tag. Good Capri 280i’s are not £12,000 anymore. They are not £5,000 anymore. Try £44,995 for one with 6212 miles on the clock. With that in the back of my mind, I was glad to hand the keys back to Ford PR with the car still intact.
An invitation dropped on the mat recently from an awesome company called Great Escape Cars, based in Redditch.
It was an invitation to join them on one of their classic car road trips.
Let me explain; Great Escape Cars are basically a classic car hire company with a twist.
They offer a range of services, from a one hour classic car taster, to a full day road trip where you get the chance to experience 5 different cars from their £300,000 fleet of classic cars, with lunch included. There are many other options too, something for everyone you might say.
The day started with a meet and greet at the Great Escape Cars premises in Redditch. Coffee and a chat with the other attendees and a look around the fleet.
There are something like 20 cars on the fleet, there something for all tastes.
If you’re a Jaguar fan, you’re in good company. On the day we had a plenty of choice in the Jaguar stable; XKR convertible, Mk2 3.4, Mk2 3.8, XJS convertible 4 litre, XJS coupe V12, XJS coupe 4 litre and XK150.
Fancy something a bit newer, they have; a Porsche 911 (996), Ford Capri 280, Saab 900 T16S or even a Mondeo ST200. If you prefer something more traditional, how about; a Morris Minor Traveller, MGB GT, HMC Healey or Alfa Romeo GTV V6 (916). Whatever your taste, these guys pretty much have you covered.
5 cars were allocated to us randomly.
Our day started in the Jaguar XJS coupe V12, series 2. Slip in to the stylish, leather and wood trimmed, unmistakably Jaguar cabin, and you immediately feel special. There’s a touch of the old film star to it. It feels like we should be cruising to Monaco for my latest premiere.
This is a lesson in how GT cars should be. It’s not modern car fast but it’s chic, dignified and relaxing. The V12 is silky smooth and the car drives very well.
Next up was the MGB GT. Ours was a 1971 chrome bumper model. This is such an alluring, pretty car, you can’t help but like it. Driven by such names as Margaret Thatcher, Sting, John Voight and many more, the MGB GT is arguably THE iconic, archetypal british sports car.
With 97bhp when new from the 1798cc engine, it’s not fast by modern standards, but is a lovely way to pass some time driving through the Cotswolds.
After a spot of lunch at the incredible Caffeine and Machine in Warwickshire, we were off in our next ride.
Mine was in an iconic british muscle car that I have always admired from afar but never manager to win her heart. The charismatic, rarefied and brutish 1986 Ford Capri Brooklands 280.
The Capri was the British Mustang, a muscle car for Europe.
Leather Recarros and that 3 spoke leather trimmed steering wheel are unmistakably Capri. Fire up the V6 and you’re met with a menacing, deep rumble.
Hopefully I’ll get another chance to drive one one day, but if not, that’s ok, I’ve had my moment in the sun and it was worth the wait.
Next up was the 1988 SAAB 900 turbo. There used to be a SAAB garage near me when I was a lad and I remember swooning over the 900 turbo. Now here I was, sat in the leather driving seat of one.
As you would expect, it wears it’s miles very well. It’s no match for the modern crop of 250+bhp hot hatchbacks but the SAAB turbo makes a very healthy 175bhp from it’s 2.0L intercooled 16-valve. It’s old school laggy but goes really well when you press on. You can’t help but giggle when it comes on boosts and heads for the horizon.
Last was the Jaguar XKR convertible. What can you say about this car. It’s a brute. The 370bhp supercharged V8 has all the power you need. The interior is typical Jaguar. Soft leather seats and burl walnut trim and the torque from that supercharged V8 is intoxicating. This is a true continent crushing GT car.
I would strongly urge anyone who wants to try one of these classic cars to give Great Escape Cars a call.
Maybe you haven’t had the opportunity to drive one before, or perhaps relive your youth and drive something you reminisce about.
New research released today by leading breakdown cover provider Green Flag reveals that a whopping 58 percent of drivers are unaware of the MOT changes which come into effect this Sunday.
Under the new MOT rules, drivers could be fined up to £2,500 if they are driving a car with an invalid MOT. A massive nine in 10 (89 percent) of drivers are unaware of this figure, while one quarter (25 percent) are unaware that they will be fined at all.
Recent research by Green Flag found that up to 21 million cars on the roads are faulty and a tendency to “ignore the problem” is racking up bills in British households.
Drivers are spending an average of £574 per year – a national average of £21.5 billion – on car repairs; and 47 per cent of these repairs could have been cheaper if the issue had been addressed sooner, the research revealed.
Nick Reid, Head of Automotive Technology at Green Flag, commented, “Driving a faulty car is a huge issue. Not only is it dangerous for you, your passengers and other drivers on the road; not getting issues seen to only makes them worse, which means a bigger bill for you.
“Our research indicates that, under the MOT changes which come into effect on Sunday, the majority of drivers are going to get caught out, and potentially face fines for their vehicle treatment. We are urging drivers to read up on the new rules and ensure that they book MOTs in early, so if their vehicle fails they have time to get it repaired before putting it through the test again.”
According to the Green Flag research, one-sixth (16 percent) of drivers don’t book their MOT in early, meaning that if it fails they have no time to get it repaired before putting it through the test again.
When asked about getting their car repaired, drivers revealed they wait an average of 10 weeks before they get the issue seen to. More than half (57 percent) of drivers say repairs are too expensive, 27 percent say they don’t have the time and 23 percent say they simply can’t be bothered.
To help drivers overcome the time and expense issue of getting cars repaired, Green Flag has launched Smart Service, available to new and renewing customers of Green Flag. Smart Service is provided by RoadServe and is designed to save drivers time, money and hassle on MOTs, services and mechanical repairs.
RoadServe acts as the reliable middleman between motorists and the garage, so no more confusing conversations or questionable quotes. They’ll handle everything from the moment the car is booked in. To find out more, visit the Green Flag Smart Service site.
Group B rally cars were fearful monsters of rallying when you had formula 1 power raging through the woods and villages all over the world. A succession of accidents finally killed the Group B section of the sport off with the final blow coming in with the tragic death of Henri Toivonen driving a Lancia Delta S4 on the 2nd May 1986.
During the heydey of Group B, radio controlled manufacturers were quick to monopolise on the consumers’ lust for Group B machinery and no company did a better (or worse) job than the Tamiya plastic corporation.
Over the years of 1983 to 1987 and starting with model number 58036 and the launch of the game changer in rallying, Tamiya released the Audi Quattro in July 1983. In total Tamiya released 4 group B rally cars. So pull your aerials up and charge your racing packs as I run you through these four classic gems. I’ve also included links to the Tamiya videos on Youtube.
Audi Quattro
This was quite a fitting replica of the car it displayed. Like the original, Tamiya’s Quattro was also heavy. This was the companies third attempt at making an off-road chassis. In making it a true off roader with the ability to withstand true rallying abuse, the delicate electronics were all encased in a water tight tub. Great you might be thinking but the SRB chassis of the Sand Scorcher et al was much better at this and it also had proper go-anywhere suspension.
Tamiya endowed the Quattro with swing arm front and trailing link rear axle with suspended transaxle. This encased a clutch system that never slipped because you could’t put any more power through it other than the Mabuchi RS 540 motor. Tamiya said it was powerful. We who drove the car back in the 80’s begged to differ. The advert that played on a loop in Beatties toy shops sold us a fat bloody lie! It didn’t have 4 wheel drive and due to its lack of get up and go, it didn’t need it either.
All this was not damped in anyway by coil springs only all round. For want of a better word, the rears were adjustable depending on road surface. It was a crude make do system of adjusting a collar.
The box chassis was limited to its surface choices. Most off-road tracks other than mild dust would render the vehicle stuck in the mud. On bumpy ground it was truly horrendous by the way it bounced around like an excited 4 month old puppy. The body coming off its rear clip system was common.
It wasn’t very good at being an off road rally car. Unlike the Audi, this effort from Tamiya wasn’t going to win any races. In fact I don’t remember anyone in my local park winning with a Quattro!
Where it did wonders was with the body and the details. Tamiya still are the kings of details. Now forgiving it the elongated front wheel arches and squashed body (it actually looked more like the Sport Quattro S1) it was a delight to detail with a complicated decal set of Audi Quattro colours. It even had the option of fitting the 6 spotlights to the front. The tyres were road going life like Michelin TRX’s that never seemed to wear out. This was also the only Tamiya to be piloted by a woman and to celebrate this Tamiya even made a new mould for the little driver included that was to be Michèle Mouton.
Opel Ascona
Hot on the heels of the Quattro was the next release, the Opel Ascona.
Again this had the awful box chassis with no off road ability but stranger still was the decal livery of the lesser known Akai team Ascona when Rothmans Racing was more dominant on the rally scene. It took me several years many moons ago to even find a picture of the Akai car.
They chose Walter Röhrl as their driver of choice for this model but with no name mentioned on the side. Walter and Opel took second place in the manufactures trophy being beaten by Audi.
That may have been a result to Audi but to the model builder Opel had the last laugh. The body for the Ascona was and still is one of the nicest to look at. It is far better proportioned than the Quattro.
Lancia Rally 037
This car has been cruelly quoted as Tamiya’s third truck. That’s not fair you say when you handle the lovely styrene injection moulded body. You can even wire up the front and rear lights and for added joy, the 4 spots on the front can also be illuminated.
You spend ages on the body. It’s a thing of beauty with detail and apart from the rather large wheel arches, it all looks quite smart. Even the tyres are those lovely Michelin TRX types as fitted to the Quattro and Ascona.
You then mount the body onto the chassis and stand back aghast at the true truck like stance this elegant coupe has. The body sits high on the new space frame chassis. The wheels protrude the width of the vehicle and it all looks a bit comical.
The chassis really was an upgrade though. Tamiya had done a lot of development in making this a proper off-roader. It spawned the much-loved Frog. The Frog had hop up parts like oil filled rear shock absorbers and a differential as standard. The basic chassis has never been out of production since 1983’s release as the Subaru Brat. Out of the box the Lancia came with coil springs and a solid rear diff which made off roading great but wet corners interesting. Everything was suspended individually and despite its light weight design, this was one indestructible chassis. There was also a belly pan available and other people made upgrade kits for various bits.
What it did was go fast when you changed the Mabuchi RS 380S motor to the RS 540 or better still one of the hotter motors Tamiya offered. The Lancia was a true weapon compared to the other two now lame ducks fighting for a slow and steady finish. What it also did with speed was to disintegrate that elegant body into a thousand pieces. The chassis might be rally tough, however, the body is quite like a real Lancia with the ability to shed bits here and there. One wrong turn and you’re reaching for the gaffer tape to put it back together.
Tamiya did re-release the shell mounted to a better TA03RS chassis and while they were at it they also amended their wheel arch faux pas. It wasn’t a patch on the original.
Toyota Celica Gb B
Like Group B itself, this was to be Tamiya’s swan song to the rally with this technically advanced if somewhat flawed Toyota Celica. This was a violently fast machine.
The scale was not like the others. This was 1/12th scale. The others were all 1/10th. This made the Celica a more delicate creature but my word what a chassis. If you liked scaled precision then this was for you. A mid mounted Technigold motor that in itself would look great next to the Queen’s crown jewels. It also had adjustable timing. Drive was transmitted through 3 differentials to the 4 wheel drive layout.
The suspension was also a work of art. Adjustable rear suspension for 3 handling characteristics and 3 different damper rates and double wishbones and an anti-roll bar at the front. It sounded great. It read fantastically. You assembled the kit with joy. You then discovered the oil filled shocks were the worst in the world and would leak oil, the rear wishbone mounts for the shock absorbers would break and that Technigold motor would strip the cog that fed the rear gearbox. It might have worn a Toyota badge but it lacked every ounce of Toyota reliability.
On and sort of off road it was a hoot. Very fast and if it stayed in 4WD, it would keep up with most things in a straight line. It’s cornering prowess with off-road or tarmac tyres left a lot to be desired. I did race one for a while at Crystal Palace with no wins to my name but only a handful of retirements. It certainly gave you sweaty palms.
Oh well, there is always the body. And this was again a delight to make with details galore. This was one of the last where you had to paint all the bits. Soon after they started using stickers for most of the details. The fine art was about to be lost but in the mean time, you didn’t know this so you enjoyed the painstaking HOURS it took to paint not just the shell but also the 2 drivers in the blow moulded cockpit.
Soon after they started using stickers for most of the details. The fine art was about to be lost but in the mean time, you didn’t know this so you enjoyed the painstaking HOURS it took to paint not just the shell but also the 2 drivers in the blow moulded cockpit.
The old Tamiya stuff is still the best. With nostalgia so ingrained in us and with a crazy support of radio controlled clubs out there you can’t not get the support or parts you need to buy to maintain and enjoy any one of these group B monsters. For my money I’d have to go for the… all 4 of them. The Quattro and Ascona have beautiful drivetrains that make for a beautiful sound. The Lancia is a gem of detail even if it does look like a truck and the Celica has a chassis made of fine architecture l could just lick.
Choose your retro car to suit your needs. Choose it to suit your favourite manufacture but more importantly choose it to be enjoyed to the max. After all group B was all about taking it to the max!
A hot sunny day in June saw the launch of Jaguar’s new XF Sportbrake released to the world via the internet and to journalists from the motoring and sports worlds in the Brick Lane area of London.
Tennis was very much the theme for the launch of Jaguar’s much awaited Sporting estate car that completes the XF range well. And just in time for its official use during Wimbledon in just a few weeks time. For the third time running, Jaguar is this year’s car of choice providing XF Sportbrake, XF, XJ and F-PACE. Try and keep count. Expect to see a lot of luxury with 170 cars on loan.
Ian Callum, Head of Jaguar Design was there to give a brief over the cars’ new design and importance. Meanwhile, Nick Collins was informing us about the great sale success Jaguar are having at the moment with sales doubling within the last year. There are some exciting times to come from Jaguar. The black cat is on the prowl.
The lovely Clare Balding started off proceedings introducing the car with the help of the ball boys and girls lifting the covers across a makeshift tennis court. This revealed the stunning looking new car in the only fitting colour, white.
Britain’s tennis number 1 Andy Murray and boxing champion Anthony Joshua demonstrated the 1700 litre boot with their trophies. Those boxers belts are not small by any stretch of the imagination. And from June 15th to July 2nd, Andy’s trophy will be travelling around the country in the XF Sportbrake. Andy Murray himself said, “Letting go of the trophy will be difficult, but there’s no better vehicle than the Jaguar XF Sportbrake to take it on this UK tour. I’m pleased that people are going to be able to get up close to the trophy when it visits schools and tennis clubs, and hopefully, it might encourage people to pick up a racket this Summer.”
Proceedings continued with strawberries and cream and a tennis match between the sporting stars and Jimmy Carr and Rob Brydon. To make it fairer it was evenly matched with sports star and comedian pairings. Commentary being done by Clare and Tim Henman.
Many new and innovative features are to be found on the new XF. Cabin Air Ionisation gives you and your family clean air, Gesture Control lets you operate the panoramic sun blind or open the boot when your arms are full of kit, forget the keyring and swim, surf, cycle or run with an activity key. And to help with the lifestyle the new XF comes with a handy two-tonne towing capacity lets you take the trailer, boat, jet ski or horse box
THEGAYUK hope to get a first-hand experience of the new XF Sportbrake as and when they become available to the press. The car did pretty much go into production during the launch. so watch this space. Prices start from £34,910.
