Only a year later Mazda MX-5 Miata First sold in the United States, Ford’s Mercury Division began selling a similarly priced two-seat convertible here. This is Mercury Capri 1991-1994and I found an example of a hotbar turbocharged version in a car graveyard in northeastern Colorado.
The name Capri has an illustrious history in the Ford Empire. First used on a 1952 Lincolnit continues to be used as a name for a hardtop version of the early 1960s Ford Consul in the UKthen the designation for a low decorative grade on Comet Mercury 1966-1967. Start from model year 1969 in Europe (1970 in North America), Ford started selling The most famous Capri of all: a sports coupe based on Cortina, sold through Mercury dealers in the United States but was never badged as Mercury here. Sales of that Capri stopped here after 1978 (they continued to 1986 in Europe), but the Department of Mercury then changed its name to its version belong to Ford Mustang 1979-1986. Afterward, Ford Australia takes the name Capri for a new one Mazda323sports car-based starting in 1989.
Then Dearborn decided that an Americanized version of the Australian Capri would be successful on this side of the Pacific, and left-hand drive Capris began showing up in US Mercury showrooms in the late 1990s. Today gem dump It’s one of the first cars, and it’s very rare turbocharged version of XR2.
Although this car was intended as a competitor to the Miata, it is actually a cousin of the Mazda car. Both cars draw power from 1.6-liter versions of the Mazda’s versatile B enginealthough the Capri has the same front-wheel drive setup as its own 323/The Sponsored Person (And Escort/Followers) platform siblings. At the same time, Ford sold Mazdas made by Kia with Festiva (and, a little later, Aspire) badge, next to Mazda MX-6 with exploration badges. To make things interesting, Mazda dealers in the US sold ford explorer car EQUAL Mazda Navajoswhile Rangers with Mazda badge The next started in 1994. The 1990s were tough times for Mazda at Ford!
This vehicle is not the first Australian-designed Mazda-based Ford product to be sold in the United States. That honor belongs to 1988-1989 Mercury Tracer, based on the same Mazda 323 platform as the Capri and manufactured in Mexico. After this, the Tracer remains a member of the 323 chassis family but is an almost identical twin to its Ford Escort sibling.
Capri XR2 has something its MX-5 rivals never have their 1.6 liter engine: turbocharged. This engine is rated at 132 hp, giving the turbocharged Capri the same power-to-weight ratio as its lighter Miata rival. I have have seen a few of these cars on the trackand they’re impressively fast on the road.
The 1991-1994 Capri had an automatic transmission, but I just see a person so equipped while my scrap yard tour. This car has a five-year manual on the basic floor.
The MSRP for the naturally aspirated 1991 Capri is $12,990, while the turbocharged XR2 is listed at $15,920 (about $29,277 and $35,881 in 2023 dollars, respectively). Meanwhile, the 1991 MX-5 Miata costs $14,200 ($32,004 after inflation). Of course, we know how the sales battle between the two cars plays out. For what it’s worth, the cheapest new convertible sold in the United States in 1991 was ragtop Geo Metro LSi, priced at $9,740 ($21,952 today). Most likely a few Yugo GV Cabrios sold as ’91s (the 1990 price was $8,990, or $20,262 today), but I can’t find any solid evidence in my reference library.
This one had its turbocharger replaced in 2002, according to a receipt I found in the glovebox, and the lack of any later date makes it appear that it was parked after that. long.
160,550 miles in about a decade shows that this car has had a long daily commute and has served its owners or owners well.
Think of it… like a steel bikini.
Its very cheap.
The Australian market ads for this vehicle have some impressive reverb effects on the narrator’s voice.
The entire 1991 Australo-Ford lineup looks interesting, though they’d do better with using cover of Van Halen belong to Kinks song.
