What's a Cologne Capri?

[Graham]

Well?

[TimD]

One that smells nicer than normal Capris because it's been owned by a hairdresser?

Sorry Peter...


Seriously, I think it's because Cologne was the base for the Ford works team for the European Touring Car campaign in the early seventies. As well as being the base of Ford's series production effort in Germany.

Of course I could be wide of the mark on one or other of the above explanations.

Possibly even both...

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by TimD
One that smells nicer than normal Capris because it's been owned by a hairdresser?

Sorry Peter...


Seriously, I think it's because Cologne was the base for the Ford works team for the European Touring Car campaign in the early seventies. As well as being the base of Ford's series production effort in Germany.

Of course I could be wide of the mark on one or other of the above explanations.

Possibly even both...

Generally that's correct Tim. The cars were built in Cologne to a Ford UK design. The engines were originally Weslake before Cosworth got involved and developed the GAA 3.4 litre engine.

There was a pic of one but somehow this new system has wiped it. Its still on my website though.

[TimD]

Hi Peter,

If you were meaning that fine picture of the restored/preserved Antipodean one you placed on Francesca's thread last week - my computer is still reading it AOK.

PS. I've just acquired a Scalextric Mk3 Capri in need of restoration. Needless to say, its new livery will be yellow and red, bearing the lucky #36.

It'll go very nicely with the black-with-red-pinstripes SD1 Rover I'm reassembling.

[Peter Mallett]

Yep.

This is actually one of very few originals left.




BTW. I know the man who owns that black SDi with the red stripes.

[Graham]

Guess what? I'm going to mention Combe.

Anyway, I asked because I heard the commentator say that a Cologne Capri will be at the 50th Anniversary meeting in July. I guessed you Capri nuts would know what it was.

Cheers.

[Peter Mallett]

More details please. Dates meeting who can we contact to find out more.;0

[Graham]

Not sure of the date (shameful, huh?) - look on the Combe website @ http://www.castlecombecircuit.co.uk

[DAVID PATERSON]

Downright devious Graham, you'll try anything to make Peter go to Combe.
Peter, do you know where in Aus that Cologne Capri is?

[Peter Mallett]

Have to trawl through some old e mails to locate the car and owner. will do so later. Can't go to Combe because I'm moving to the Netherlands on Monday and the only return trips will be for race weekends.

[Peter Mallett]

This is the e mail. Sorry folks its in NZ not Oz. Thousand apologies.

Peter, Thanks for your email. No problem you using the photo of the Capri.
It is an ex Lauda, then later went to South Africa for Jody Sheckter, then to Australia with Allan Moffat before going back to the UK when Ed Hubberd bought it and Norris Miles drove it before I bought it in 1994. There are three Cosworth powered works Cologne Capris left, one with Tom Walkinshaw, one with Ford Germany I believe. There are two similar spec Capris in the South Island of NZ but were originally weslake powered cars I believe. Roger Townsend of Christchurch is his name I don't have a contact in front of me.

Nelson Marshall email nelson.marshall@xtra.co.nz is building a Cosworth powered Capri replica and may be able to help with technical data, all we have is engine details. You may be interested in a motoring event we run look at http://www.targa.co.nz I also have an RS 3100 road Capri which I intend to sell shortly

Regards Mike John

There you go.

[Sparky]

Pete, Is this for real??

I'm moving to the Netherlands on Monday

Permenant? Work-wise? What what?!

[Peter Mallett]

Its real and .......... I'm here already. Should be here for about a year (which means three weeks to my company). Still, I'm not far from Snetterton or Spa or even Zandvoort!!!

Will be racing at Thruxton 2 July though.;0

[Graham]

So how much faster is the Cologne Capri than a non-Cologne version of the same era?

[Peter Mallett]

Back in the early seventies Ford decided to enter its 3.0 litre Capri as a works entry in Group 1 Saloon car racing. It was doing very nicely in the hands of privateers like Holman Blackburn and Gerry Marshall. Group 1 is basically production class racing. You know most of the background to that class.

However, the FIA (or FISA as it was then) introduced Group 2 Touring Car racing for a European Championship. The regs for this demanded a silhouette to be as the original car and engines diffs and gearboxes produced from production components. They could be relocated and gearing was free. However, the term “production” means that they had to produce for sale the required number of original cars and components to achieve homologation.

At the end of 1972 BMW introduced the Batmobile 3.0CSL (3.2 and later 3.4 litres) and started winning. Ford decided that it needed to get back to the front and thus the RS 2600 Capri was produced. This introduced fuel injection to the range. However it wasn’t that fast so for 1974 they produced the RS 3100. This one came complete with ducktail and fuel injection with an overbored engine. Therefore Ford now had an aerodynamic package (remember the silhouette requirements) and fuel injection on an engine that could now legally be enlarged to 3.4 litres.

Ford PR people didn’t like this because they were by now pushing the Mk2 Capri three door hatch.

The cars ran on slicks, had exceptional aerodynamics and yes, they were seriously fast.

I’m doing this from memory cos my books are back in the UK. Will check over the weekend.

Hope this is of interest Graham.

[Graham]

Hey, Gerry Marshal - I reckognise that name. Plus, I've just read he's back racing in a (I think) Firenza.

I must admit the Capri looks a pretty serious beastie, and I'm not a lover of Fords...

Thanks for the info - sadly it's all before my time. Wish I could have seen that type of car racing contemporarily.

Would you race a Cologne Capri if you could afford it, or would the running costs be too high (and the car too precious)?

[Peter Mallett]

Dunno about Gerry being back in a Firenza. He's never stopped racing though. You may well have seen him in the JC Bamford Astons. He sometimes comes out to play with us and also the MG Car Club where he started his racing career.

If I could afford it of course I'd race a Cologne Capri. They may be precious but so are the old Ferraris and Astons et al that people race.

[Graham]

Maybe I'm thinking of someone else. It's in Autosport this week, in the Club (national) section.

But I do recognise the name.

Is Paddy Hopkirk still alive?

So how much would a Cologne thingy cost to buy? £30,000?

[TimD]

Graham, you do have the knack of making someone feel very, very old!

Gerry Marshall was an absolute fixture of British club motorsport in the 1970s, along with Tony Lanfranchi and Barrie Williams. All of whom are still racing to a greater or lesser extent.

Gerry was quite seriously ill a few years ago, which put a hold on his racing activities. Put it this way, he's a big man, in his early sixties, and he was noted for his excesses and adventures as a youngster. His biography, which if you can find it, is an absolute cracker, is called "Only Here for the Beer".

But he's most certainly back, and has been bloomin' quick again for a couple of years now. As you rightly spotted, he has just lately returned to the Droopsnoot Firenzas of his heyday, but as Peter says, he is most regularly seen in one of a pair of fearsome modsports Aston Martins, a DB5 and a DBS V8.

This very afternoon, he scored his 597th professional race win with a lights to flag run in the DB5 at Silverstone.

With a competitive drive in the Top Hat saloons as well, with a '65 Ford Mustang, I think that before the season is out, the magical 600 will be his.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by TimD
But he's most certainly back, and has been bloomin' quick again for a couple of years now. As you rightly spotted, he has just lately returned to the Droopsnoot Firenzas of his heyday, but as Peter says, he is most regularly seen in one of a pair of fearsome modsports Aston Martins, a DB5 and a DBS V8.

This very afternoon, he scored his 597th professional race win with a lights to flag run in the DB5 at Silverstone.

With a competitive drive in the Top Hat saloons as well, with a '65 Ford Mustang, I think that before the season is out, the magical 600 will be his.

He's er. A drinking "buddy" of mine, (when I can afford to meet up with him

Apart from the reputation he's always been good company. I read the Autosport article today (can't get it in Holland). He was at Lydden after a break of 20 odd years.

Glad he got another win.

BTW. Barry Williams presented me with a prize at the Classic and Sportscar Show in May. Another nice bloke and a hero of mine.

[Sparky]

Would that be Barry 'Whizzo' Williams?


BTW, do you have a speed-related middle name Pete?

Peter 'Mad-Man' Mallett... Hey! It's got a certain ring...

[TimD]

Wow! Peter, I'm dead jealous about the company you keep. I've been a fan of Gerry Marshall since I saw him batting around Thruxton in the "Big Bertha" Vauxhall Ventora. Must have been about 1974, and I was knee high to a hubcap.

If there's one person whose autograph I've been after, it's Gerry. But he's such a presence that I've genuinely chickened out everytime.

I've got to say, standing at Copse this weekend, I enjoyed some sublime racing from that Aston. Gerry was not only seconds faster per lap than anyone else, but the line he was taking was absolutely perfect. Just the right amount of drift, allowing a gentle kiss onto the kerbing to set him up for the straight, it was absolutely mesmerising to watch.

He is still absolutely one of the greatest.

[skidmark]

I had a TVR a few years ago, around the time the Tasmin came out ... I was under the impression that the "Cologne" was just the engine design. The Taimar (which I had) was an "Essex" V6, whilst the Tasmin was a "Cologne" V6.

The Capri 3.0 was an "Essex" V6, and the later 2.8 was a "Cologne" V6 ....

Correct me if I'm wrong !!

[Graham]

I go all wibbly when someone mentions TVR

Go to :

http://www.pistonheads.com/tasmins/tasmin.htm

(I AM allowed to post that URL here seeing it's on-topic, aren't I ???)

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by skidmark
I had a TVR a few years ago, around the time the Tasmin came out ... I was under the impression that the "Cologne" was just the engine design. The Taimar (which I had) was an "Essex" V6, whilst the Tasmin was a "Cologne" V6.

The Capri 3.0 was an "Essex" V6, and the later 2.8 was a "Cologne" V6 ....

Correct me if I'm wrong !!

The Cologne engine was the 2.8 and later 2.9 V6. So called because it was built in cologne. The Essex V6 was actually designed to fit into the Transit van. It was based on the German V4 engine and built in er, Essex.

The Cologne reference in respect of the Capri was due to the location of the factory where the car was built. Nothing to do with the engine which, as stated previously, was actually an Essex V6 with fuel injection and overhead camshaft. Originally Weslake built an developed this engine as a 3.4 litre fuel injected engine. However Cosworth got involved and built a more successful motor which became known as the GAA.