Car club riding in style

ADMIRE the hottest ride of the 1960s and 70s when the Capri Car Club of Victoria rolls into town on Saturday.

About 20 of the popular Ford coupes will be on display from 1pm to 4pm at Sidney Myer Place for a show and shine, driven in by owners from across the state to celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary.

Local organiser Murray Mansfield said attendees could see a range of models at the event.

“It will include the first model, mark 1s originally, some mark 1s with V6s in them which were the race cars. Also, some convertibles and a fully imported mark 3 which has a fuel injected engine in it,” he said.

“All of these cars have been restored and they’re a great spectacle.

“A lot of people often said, and I’ve had it said to me, that ‘it was a car that I would’ve loved to have had myself’ because they were way ahead of their time in their styling, they were just so flash in those days.”

Mr Mansfield said club members still enjoyed taking their restored cars for a drive more than five decades after they first hit production lines.

“My first Capri was a 1972 one I bought, it was a brand new one at that stage,” he said.

“When it came time for my eldest son to buy a car, he thought he would like to have a Capri, so we scouted around and found one in a bush block in Castlemaine.

“I ended up buying it back off him, restored it again and I’ve still got it.”