Ford’s EV crossover coupe tipped to revive iconic badge
Production of Ford’s electric compact SUV, the Explorer, began last month at the Cologne plant formerly used to stamp out Fiestas and the company has formally announced that a second EV will be unveiled on July 10.
That news in itself doesn’t have much of a connection to the world of classic cars but perhaps more interesting is that much media speculation has already pointed towards the new model receiving the Capri badge. You can draw your own conclusions as to whether that’s a lack of imagination from the marketing people or a canny move to revive a once-popular name, especially since the prototypes which have been spotted at the factory seem to have a familiar coupe silhouette.
Ford has form here, having revived the Puma tag in 2019 and also having stretched the Mustang legend to breaking point by slapping the name on to a four-door EV saloon.
The original Capri was a success by any standards, clocking up a total production figure of 1,900,678 by the time it was discontinued in December 1986, the last two years of production devoted to right-hand drive cars purely to meet the demand from the British market.
Recycling the Capri name isn’t without precedent: the Consul Capri originally appeared in 1961 and the name was first revived in 1979 by Ford’s Mercury division for the Mercury Capri based on the ‘Fox’ body Mustang. The name was also used from 1989 to 1994 by Ford Australia for a Mazda-based roadster also sold in the USA as the Mercury Capri.
