Alright, it wasn't that along we featured another South African domestic market (SADM?) fast Ford with the
Sierra XR-8
. But like that car, this apparently innocuous Capri appeals for exactly the same reason; it's a fairly humble European model with a sodding great V8 in it. And that's cool.
Have you ever heard of Basil Green? It was an unfamiliar name to us until researching the yellow Capri. He in fact enjoyed a similar relationship with Ford as Carroll Shelby. Both were the only men Ford would allow to modify its cars and then sell on with its support and a warranty. A bit like Mountune then. With V8s.
So we should look on a Basil Green Ford like a Shelby Ford. The Capri Perana V8 followed a Cortina Perana V6 that dominated South African touring car racing. The recipe is endearingly familiar: take the most powerful model currently available, give it a lot more power, attempt to improve handling and braking then stand well back.
Even now, over 40 years later, the Perana's stats look fairly wild. The 3000XL it was based on made 130hp; the Capri Perana produced 285hp thanks to a 5.0-litre Mustang V8. Weight was unchanged at 1,050kg. The brakes were identical to the 3000's save for uprated front pads. Erk.
350hp. In a Capri. MTFU time
But by all accounts, the only V8 Capri sanctioned by Ford was quite capable. Basil Green had made his name in motorsport prep and that was how Ford SA had noticed his talent. So the Perana sat 40mm lower than a 3000XL with better springs and rebuilt MacPherson struts. A modified Falcon rear axle with limited-slip diff also featured. It was something of a weapon on South Africa's circuits, with some suggesting its phenomenal success rate in 1970 (12 out of 13 wins in its class) was the reason rules were changed to ban it.
It is believed fewer than 600 V8 Capris were made for the road, obviously all for South Africa and between 1970-72. To come across a Perana in the UK is fairly exceptional then, but particularly so in this condition. What appears a fastidious three-year restoration has been recently completed using genuine Ford parts or making them to exact spec. That it reputedly cost more than the £35K again implies not a single facet of the rebuild was overlooked. As is the fact it looks pristine in every single picture.
The price will of course be a sticking point for the Perana. It is a lot for a Capri, even an immaculate and rare V8 special. It just lacks a bit of cachet over here, doesn't it? Or you could consider it like an early 70s V8 muscle car, which it is. When this 'Triple Hollywood White' 1973 Mustang 'vert is £30K, perhaps a few grand more for the Capri doesn't seem so bad. And yes, Perana is and always was a deliberate misspelling.
FORD CAPRI PERANA
Price: £34,995
Why you should: Basically a South African Shelby Capri. And V8
Why you shouldn't: You'll have to explain it. Everywhere
