THE new Ford Capri has been spotted for the first time as it took a test run decades after it was initially pulled from production.
The beloved classic model is making a comeback next year but has undergone some radical changes.
The Sun’s own Rob Gill exclusively revealed back in March that the motors giant would be reviving the Capri from 2024.
However, a major redesign will see the name badge slapped on a motor that is almost unrecognisable to even the most avid Ford nerd.
The popular gas-guzzling coupe, which was dubbed the “working man’s Porsche” in its day, has been reborn as an all-electric crossover SUV.
Now, a prototype of the new motor, set to cost around £40,000, has been spotted out and about near Ford’s factory in Cologne, Germany, as testers took it for a spin nearly 40 years after the last one rolled off production lines in 1986.
The snaps, released by Autocar, show the car decked out in a testing livery, with the back seat windows covered over and a grey wrap to hide any hint of its real colour.
However, the silhouette is obviously very different from the Capri of old, with this version looking more similar to some of its EV 4×4 competitors like the Audi E-Tron or Skoda Enyaq.
Gone are the Porsche 911-style stubby rear end and long sweeping bonnet, instead replaced a much larger body that favours straight lines over curves.
This appears to be very intentional on Ford’s part, with the chief designer of its European division, Amko Leenarts, saying: “Retro designs aren’t moving us forward.
“It’s always about totally new interpretation: that’s what makes it interesting.”
On the design process, he added: “What was really hurting me was [customers] saying we were boring.
“We have to come up with unique proposals: car designs that are clearly differentiated, that offer a unique perspective that nobody else has.”
To this aim, he emphasised the importance of staying away from making new EVs look like “appliances” and keeping them “sexy”.
Despite its retro design, the old Capri certainly won its fair share of admirers.
Examples have been owned by superstar singer Harry Styles and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
One even appeared in Only Fools and Horses as one of the many motors of Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter in the hit series.
That exact car actually sold in 2013, with a guide price of £28,000.
It comes after a Wheeler Dealers host offered a £5,000 reward amid a desperate hunt for his stolen Ford.
Meanwhile, a businessman who built a collection of 240 vintage cars using his ill-gotten gains from a payroll scam lost everything after his crimes were discovered.
