Classic Cars January 2019

January 2019 Issue 546 Welcome Our celebration of the giant-killing Ford Capri has Phil reliving the highs and lows of the cool coupé’s life journey You had to develop a pretty thick skin to be a Capri owner in the Eighties and Nineties, or have a good sense of humour. Fortunately, I’ve always been able to laugh, even when the Capri joke was on me, which it often was during that low point in the car’s image. Then, the fashionable performance bargains of the day were pert hatchbacks sporting GTI or GT/E badges. The Capri had slipped from urbane challenger of exotic names to urban bad boy, a rolling canvas for the worst excesses of the car modifier’s craft. What a difference a couple of decades makes –…

You had to develop a pretty thick skin to be a Capri owner in the Eighties and Nineties, or have a good sense of humour. Fortunately, I’ve always been able to laugh, even when the Capri joke was on me, which it often was during that low point in the car’s image. Then, the fashionable performance bargains of the day were pert hatchbacks sporting GTI or GT/E badges. The Capri had slipped from urbane challenger of exotic names to urban bad boy, a rolling canvas for the worst excesses of the car modifier’s craft. What a difference a couple of decades makes – the closer the Capri has crept to its 50th birthday, the better it has recaptured that original cool and the respect for what it achieved. Hell, you can…

[ The List ] Your dream drive made real ‘It already feels like my car I’m so at home in it’ What does someone who designs Bentleys by day dream of? In Crispin Marshfield’s case it’s Porsches. Will one he nearly bought lead to regret? Words RUSS SMITH Photography CHARLIE MAGEE Essex-based salesman and drummer Ken Johnson is just explaining how he has managed to acquire four Porsche 928s when the familiar and distinctive sound of a flat-six fills his driveway. That will be today’s lucky reader, Crispin Marshfield, who has fittingly arrived in a Porsche to drive a Porsche. And there’s a strong connection between the two models that is partly what he is here to explore and relive, as Crispin explains. ‘I couldn’t imagine…

Essex-based salesman and drummer Ken Johnson is just explaining how he has managed to acquire four Porsche 928s when the familiar and distinctive sound of a flat-six fills his driveway. That will be today’s lucky reader, Crispin Marshfield, who has fittingly arrived in a Porsche to drive a Porsche. And there’s a strong connection between the two models that is partly what he is here to explore and relive, as Crispin explains. ‘I couldn’t imagine needing more performance. You give it some and the V8 keeps going and going.Yet it feels so planted and fills you with confidence’ ‘A few years ago, when the time came to replace my 996, the choice came down to a 928GTS and a 997 version of the 911, which at the time could both be had…

CRISPIN’S DREAM DRIVE LIST Lamborghini Miura ‘Almost erotic. If I had one I’d park it in my living room.’ Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS ‘As a serial 911 owner I would love to see what all the fuss is about.’ Porsche 959 ‘Interesting to see how such a spaceship from 25 years ago would stack up today.’ Porsche 928GTS ‘Only car here I have considered buying. I’d like to see what I missed.’ Ferrari Daytona ‘A gentleman’s supercar and for me still the front-engined king.’ Ferrari 288GTO ‘Less obvious and prettier than an F40 and probably nicer to live with.’ 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 ‘Loud, crude and lairy. Is it as brutal as it looks?’ Iso Grifo ‘A perfect combination of Italian style and American muscle. Probably my perfect classic.’ McLaren…

Lamborghini Miura ‘Almost erotic. If I had one I’d park it in my living room.’ Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7RS ‘As a serial 911 owner I would love to see what all the fuss is about.’ Porsche 959 ‘Interesting to see how such a spaceship from 25 years ago would stack up today.’ Porsche 928GTS ‘Only car here I have considered buying. I’d like to see what I missed.’ Ferrari Daytona ‘A gentleman’s supercar and for me still the front-engined king.’ Ferrari 288GTO ‘Less obvious and prettier than an F40 and probably nicer to live with.’ 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 ‘Loud, crude and lairy. Is it as brutal as it looks?’ Iso Grifo ‘A perfect combination of Italian style and American muscle. Probably my perfect classic.’ McLaren F1 ‘It doesn’t hurt to ask. The product of an incredibly focused vision.’ Bugatti Veyron ‘The complete opposite of the F1 in many…