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Post by chrisb on Jan 20, 2019 15:25:47 GMT
great stories Jim, as someone once said, "please sir may we have some more?"
I liked the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts and watched many a one being hurtled around a forest - sometimes legally too...
When were you in Midlothian Jim?, I seem to recollect a time when there were a lot of cars in Kent with outsize engines but the handling was a bit questionable and stopping was an occasional bonus, without having to jump out first that is
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Post by charleselan on Jan 20, 2019 15:40:16 GMT
No Escort Mk 1 should have anything but either a Lotus Twin Cam or Ford BD series motor  . |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2019 14:19:44 GMT
No Escort Mk 1 should have anything but either a Lotus Twin Cam or Ford BD series motor . In a perfect world................where all roads are rally stages, and all corners can be taken sideways ;-) |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2019 14:24:10 GMT
great stories Jim, as someone once said, "please sir may we have some more?" I liked the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts and watched many a one being hurtled around a forest - sometimes legally too... When were you in Midlothian Jim?, I seem to recollect a time when there were a lot of cars in Kent with outsize engines but the handling was a bit questionable and stopping was an occasional bonus, without having to jump out first that is Thanks for the encouragement Chris, not so many more tales to tell, sadly. I grew up in and around Edinburgh. The Escort tales date back to the late 70's (last Millenium!) when I was at Napier college, and the first couple of years after that working on the Edinburgh Interceptor sewer system for a couple of tunnelling contractors - Ah the glamour! |
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Post by chrisb on Jan 24, 2019 5:13:20 GMT
you are welcome Jim, it is great to hear from you and Edinburgh in the late 70's must have been some city, I didn't venture to Scotland until the 90's and it is my most visited country outside of England since - I just love it, in fact I have just arranged to go to Edinburgh next week to see the Turner exhibition, which will be cool
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2019 6:26:41 GMT
Enjoy the exhibition, I've had a look on line and it looks like their Turner collection is huge.
I grew up in Muirhouse, which fans of 'Trainspotting' will recognise.
Lucky for me, alcohol was the drug of choice at the time. The hard drugs only came later, after my family had moved out to the beautiful new town of Livingston - if you like roundabouts and square box houses, you'll love Livingston! I prefered Leith and lived there for a few years while I was at college.
I don't think I appreciated how amazing the City of Ednburgh is until we left. Now when we visit, I spend days wandering around the city, enjoying the architecture, infrastructure (how could you not want to be a Civil Engineer with all the amazing bridges in the area?), and ambiance.
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Post by mikael on Jan 24, 2019 9:41:53 GMT
If I may be allowed to extend the subject-range slightly, then, Motor Sport Magazine (online) reminds us that the Ford Capri is celebrating its 50th anniversary, as the sales (according to Wikipedia) started just at this time of the year in 1969.
My father had one (a 1.6L) in the early part of the 1970's (Mk. I, in silver-grey, with a black "vinyl roof", as was so popular back then). Of all the cars he had during my childhood (and it was quite a few) this was my favorite and one I truly adored. I thought it looked just fabulous.
A thing I often wondered about is, while the Capri enjoyed some motor sport successes, it was only a fraction of the success that the Escort enjoyed (as I understand it, at least). I wonder why this is so. Was it simply because Ford thought it was better, business-wise, to promote the Escort, or was it because the Escort was more "nimble" and easier to balance?
Intuitively, it seems clear that the Escort was better suited for rally than the Capri, but (as I understand it) the Escort was more successful - in the long run - on asphalt/tarmac as well.
Or ... am I wrong here?
François Cevert (and Jackie Stewart) 1972
Jackie Stewart (and Emerson Fittipaldi) 1973
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Post by charleselan on Jan 24, 2019 17:17:26 GMT
If I may be allowed to extend the subject-range slightly, then, Motor Sport Magazine (online) reminds us that the Ford Capri is celebrating its 50th anniversary, as the sales (according to Wikipedia) started just at this time of the year in 1969.
My father had one (a 1.6L) in the early part of the 1970's (Mk. I, in silver-grey, with a black "vinyl roof", as was so popular back then). Of all the cars he had during my childhood (and it was quite a few) this was my favorite and one I truly adored. I thought it looked just fabulous.
A thing I often wondered about is, while the Capri enjoyed some motor sport successes, it was only a fraction of the success that the Escort enjoyed (as I understand it, at least). I wonder why this is so. Was it simply because Ford thought it was better, business-wise, to promote the Escort, or was it because the Escort was more "nimble" and easier to balance?
Intuitively, it seems clear that the Escort was better suited for rally than the Capri, but (as I understand it) the Escort was more successful - in the long run - on asphalt/tarmac as well.
Or ... am I wrong here?
François Cevert (and Jackie Stewart) 1972
Jackie Stewart (and Emerson Fittipaldi) 1973
Great pictures of a car that has now gained iconic status, strange to think that the Ford Capri was held in somewhat of a disdainful manner by some during its life time. From memory I would say that the Capri and Escort both had very successful and long racing careers, both being marketed cleverly by the Ford Motor Company at time when they were market leaders in motorsport. The Escort really made its name in rallying, and also was a great touring car on track, particularly in the smaller capacity classes. The Capri had a pretty successful race career from the Cologne Capri's of the Group 2 era of the early 70's right through to the Zakspeed turbo GTC cars of the 1980's. Also in the UK the Capri was a very successful Group A racer until the Rover SD1's came along in their various guises, the early battles between these two were the stuff of BTCC legend in the 1980's. Great cars both and now very collectable in whatever form they may come in. |
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Post by René on Jan 24, 2019 19:02:58 GMT
you are welcome Jim, it is great to hear from you and Edinburgh in the late 70's must have been some city, I didn't venture to Scotland until the 90's and it is my most visited country outside of England since - I just love it, in fact I have just arranged to go to Edinburgh next week to see the Turner exhibition, which will be cool I have been to Edinburgh once in the seventies, I think 1977. I was on holidays with my parents in the Lake District and we visited Edinburgh for a day. I was about twelve then but still have a few clear pictures in my mind of that day, an impressive city. Lucky you Chris to see a William Turner exhibition. They say he was a difficult man but what a painter he was. One of the first impressionists, long before Monet et al. Beautiful work. |
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Post by René on Jan 24, 2019 19:15:49 GMT
If I may be allowed to extend the subject-range slightly, then, Motor Sport Magazine (online) reminds us that the Ford Capri is celebrating its 50th anniversary, as the sales (according to Wikipedia) started just at this time of the year in 1969...
Great post Mikael on the Capri and I love the ad with the Grand Prix car with canopy! Fantastic. My father in law told me many times about his brand new Capri and how he discovered they ‘forgot’ to paint the underside of the passengers door! Quality control was questionable back then!  They raced the Capri throughout the seventies and eighties as JC said. Certainly as a Group 5 car it was quite impressive in the DTM (DRM). I’ve got quite a few slot car models of the Capri! Great car.   |
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Post by chrisb on Jan 24, 2019 21:37:01 GMT
Mikael - brilliant, read the article and I love Capris - they were such good fun, much maligned but great -
JC- I had a Mark2 two litre Mustard with a brown roof, I loved it, always sideways always smiling - it was a hoot and a really good car,
Rene, that is just breathtakingly awesome! I did love those Capri's, flame-spitting - angry and just great, wasn't it a 1.4ltr Turbo?
thanks again Mikael, I would post a picture of my Capri and I together with my oldest friend, sitting on the boot c/w beer and a ciggie, but would be concerned outside of our merry group as to any possible repercussions that may have on my bank balance
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Post by Carl on Jan 24, 2019 23:41:24 GMT
Mikael, Thanks for the great photos of top level racing Capris! I remember seeing pictures of the one being driven by Jackie Stewart and Francois Cevert. Curiously all the racing Carpris are devoid of Ford Design Studio's side accents! Weren't the racing teams aware of all the time and effort that went into them? Cheers, Carl |
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Post by mikael on Jan 25, 2019 5:05:57 GMT
Great pictures of a car that has now gained iconic status, strange to think that the Ford Capri was held in somewhat of a disdainful manner by some during its life time. From memory I would say that the Capri and Escort both had very successful and long racing careers, both being marketed cleverly by the Ford Motor Company at time when they were market leaders in motorsport. The Escort really made its name in rallying, and also was a great touring car on track, particularly in the smaller capacity classes. The Capri had a pretty successful race career from the Cologne Capri's of the Group 2 era of the early 70's right through to the Zakspeed turbo GTC cars of the 1980's. Also in the UK the Capri was a very successful Group A racer until the Rover SD1's came along in their various guises, the early battles between these two were the stuff of BTCC legend in the 1980's. Great cars both and now very collectable in whatever form they may come in. JC, I started to realize already when I found the photos of "racing-Capris in action" that what I had written was coloured to much by my Danish upbringing - but I chose to let it stand. I realize now that the Capris mostly made their mark on long circuits of Grand Prix standard, using the most powerful engines and "long-legged" gearings. Small-displacement Escorts took to the Danish "mickey mouse" circuits like ducks to water - such memories are strong and this has coloured my outlook, I guess. In the 70's, a driver named Erik Høyer took one national championship after the other in Ford Escorts. In 1974 he actually took the championship in a Capri. But in 1975, he was back in an Escort!  Danish Champion 1972 (from www.fordcc.dk. Scan by Lennart Hermansen)  This is probably from 1973 (same car, but with small differences: different front spoiler, different stripes over the bonnet and the roof). This was in Group 2. All the following (photos/championships) were in Group 1.  Danish Champion 1974 (from youngtimer.dk)  Danish Champion 1976, RS2000, Mk. II (from youngtimer.dk)  Danish Champion 1977 (from youngtimer.dk)  Danish Champion 1979 (from youngtimer.dk)  Danish Champion 1981 (from youngtimer.dk) (The text says that this was Erik Høyer's Championship No. 15 - but his first championships were taken in a Mini.) |
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Post by Carl on Jan 25, 2019 17:44:23 GMT
Mikael,
The Group 2 Escort (#304) recalls a great lost love. We didn't have a comparable series at that time in America and I would fall in love with such pictures in Road & Track and Sports Car Graphic. Although unavailable here, I really wanted a Ford Escort with those gorgeous flared fenders...
-Carl
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Post by charleselan on Jan 25, 2019 19:39:45 GMT
Great pictures and super detail about Danish motor sporting history Mikael.
In the UK the Escorts run by Alan Mann and Ralf Broad were the ones that everyone recalls in the BTCC. Originally the red & gold Mann cars were entered in the 2 litre capacity class but ended up enlarged to slightly over that size, especially in the legend that was Frank Gardner. Broadspeed Escorts were mostly run in the up to 1300cc class initially but later they ran bigger versions with such great names as John Fitzpatrick and David Matthews. Fitz' had a very long and illustrious career but Dave Matthews (who was married to Trevor Taylor's sister Anita no mean racer herself) career was ruined by a huge accident at Silverstone while racing Broads Group 2 Capri during the British GP support event.
To this day I remember seeing the aftermath of the initial impact of the multi car accident which seriously injured Dave and the great Gerry Marshall. I was seated on the outside of the entrance to Club Corner, the accident happened just after the fast sweeping left curve at Abbey. I could see above the crowd on the inside of Abbey Dave's Capri soaring into the air, quite frightening and a huge impact.
For me the Mk1 Escort always has it on the looks stake, just a lovely little saloon car. as Carl says above it was amazing with those big flared arches, which as I have mentioned earlier come from the Long wheelbase Ford Transit van. Also for me the best Capri in racing guise was the early Mk1's from Cologne.
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