Model Page
Ford Capri Tickford Turbo
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Produced: |
1983 - 1986 |
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Production Run: |
85 |
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Built: |
Coventry (UK) |
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Engine: |
Cologne 2.8 Injection V6 |
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0-60: |
6.4 secs |
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Max Speed: |
143 mph |
The Capri Tickford Turbo was the brainchild of John Miles, he was a test driver for Lotus and a respected journalist, he had been a fan of the Capri for many years and believed that Ford has not fully exploited the potential of the car. Miles approached Aston Martin Tickford – a company that had been setup in the 70’s to handle low volume special cars – to produce a special edition turbo version of the 2.8 Injection.
Capri Tickford Turbo Front Profile
Meetings were held between Miles, Bob Lutz (Chairman of Ford Europe) and Victor Gauntlett (Chairman of Aston Martin) and plans were set to develop the car - the Tickford Capri. The vehicle was to retain the practicality of the Capri whilst being capable of higher speeds having improved handling and reduced noise levels within the cabin.
Shortly into the project Bob Lutz was moved to Ford in America as a result the project was put on hold from Fords perspective. Not dissuaded the project continued without Fords direct involvement and an agreement was reached to produce 250 Tickford Turbo over the next few years.
The Tickford Capri followed on from projects including Lancia's and Metro's, these had proved unsuccessful and it was deemed that what was required was a larger, more expensive car for Tickford to re-engineer. The Capri was viewed as being an eight tenths Aston Martin, and it was planned that the car would produce a higher profit from a more limited volume than other special editions created by Tickford.
Capri Tickford Interior
Development on the car commenced, visually the car was a million miles away from the standard 2.8 Injection. Differences included new moulded front and rear bumpers, a blanked off front grille, re-designed rear wing and addition of side skirts. The appearance was rather angular and not in keeping with the smooth curves of the Capri but was probably more “of the time”. The body-kit whilst not the most visually appealing to everyone certainly helped the car aerodynamically, the drag co-efficient was reduced to 0.37 from 0.39, win tunnel tests proved that front end lift had been reduced by around 40 percent. With the front of the car being blanked off, air for the cooling of the engine had to be channelled in from beneath the car.
The interior was taken upmarket with the car being extensively re-trimmed. The dashboard had a deep polished wood veneer and the dashboard crashpad was trimmed in Connolly hide leather along with the new centre console that was installed. The centre console was used to house the extra instrumentation that was fitted to the car. The rear three quarter panels were trimmed in leather along with the three spoke steering wheel. Deep pile Wilton carpets were fitted to heighten the luxurious feel of the Tickford. Electric windows, sunroof and door mirrors were fitted to the car as standard and security was upgraded with the installation of an alarm. It was possible to order a full leather option that included door panels and seats.
Capri Tickford Engine Bay
More importantly the engine department received the Tickford treatment. A Japanese IHI turbo charger was fitted to the engine, mated with a Garrett intercooler to increase performance and prolong engine longevity. AFT digital computerised ignition was married up with Bosh K-Jetronic fuel injection. The installation was visually appealing, certainly more so that the Turbo Technic’s conversion however serious disadvantages surfaced. Turbo Lag was a serious issue as the turbo had been mounted at the front of the engine bay, the gasses slowed down as they travelled along the pipes to reach the turbo. Thus any potential benefits by housing the turbo in the cooler part of the engine bay were lost. With this exception the engine was a neat installation both visually and technically, fuel economy was actually increased by 1 – 2 mpg over the standard Capri 2.8 Injection. The engine developments increased power to 205bhp and torque was increased to a heft 262lb/ft – significantly higher that the Turbo Technic’s conversion available at the time.
Other improvements included the addition of a limited slip differential that was taken from the RS / Series X catalogue, this unit would lock at 40% rather than the 25% used later on the Injection Specials. A major improvement over the ordinary Capri 2.8 Injection Special was the introduction of ventilated disc brakes all round giving rise to a hugely improved stopping ability.
Capri Tickford Turbo Rear Shot
The cars were available in three colours, white, red and black. Complete 2.8 Injections were sent from the Ford factory in Cologne to the Tickford plant where they were subsequently stripped down and reworked – this was both labour intensive and inefficient. The purchase price of the car when new was £14,985, a massive increase over the standard injection that was priced at a reasonable £8125. By 1987 the cost had risen to over £17,000, this compared unfavourably with the faster, more modern Sierra Cosworth that was being sold at around £16,000.
Tickford never made the 250 cars they had envisaged years previously, they had purchased 100 complete 2.8 Injections from Ford yet only 85 were ever converted the remaining 15 were sold on as standard cars.
The Facts
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Engine: |
Ford Cologne V6 Turbo |
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Capacity: |
2,972 cc |
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Valves: |
12 |
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Compression Ratio: |
9:2:1 |
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Fuel System: |
Bosch K-Jetronic Fuel Injection |
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Maximum Power: |
205bhp @ 5,000rpm |
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Maximum Torque: |
260lb ft @ 3,000rpm |
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Transmission: |
Manual 5 Speed |
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Top Gear: |
25.7 mph per 1000 rpm |
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Brakes: |
Servo Assisted Vented front discs / rear solid discs |
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Kerb Weight: |
1245 Kg |
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0-60: |
6.4 secs |
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Max Speed: |
143 mph |
