Did Ford sell the Capri in America?
Ford did not sell the Capri in the United States under the Ford name. However, Mercury, Ford's North American brand, offered a Capri-branded two-seat sports coupe in America from 1970 to 1986, so Capri did reach the U.S. market—just not as a Ford-branded model.
To understand the U.S. Capri, it's helpful to distinguish the European Ford Capri, which debuted in 1969 and remained a Europe-centric model, from the Mercury Capri that was sold in North America. The arrangements reflect Ford's regional branding strategy rather than a single global Capri lineup.
How the Capri crossed into the U.S. market
Because Ford did not import the European Capri as a Ford, the American Capri presence came through Mercury. This allowed American buyers to experience a European-inspired sport coupe via a domestic brand, with model updates tied to Ford's North American engineering teams.
Mercury Capri: a quick timeline
Key dates and structure of the U.S. Capri are summarized below.
- First generation: 1970–1978 — Mercury introduced Capri as a two-seat, Pinto-based sports coupe in the U.S.
- Second generation: 1979–1986 — A redesigned Capri on Ford's Fox platform with updated styling and features.
- End of production: 1986 — Mercury discontinued the Capri as sales declined and market demand shifted.
These generations mark the U.S. Capri's lifecycle and show how Ford leveraged Mercury to bring the Capri idea to American buyers, albeit under a different badge.
What about the European Ford Capri?
The Ford Capri remained a Europe-focused model for most of its life, built by Ford of Europe and offered primarily in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and other markets. It was never officially sold as a Ford in the U.S. market; the Mercury Capri filled that niche instead.
Key differences at a glance
The U.S. Capri was distinct in branding and some mechanical details from the European Capri, though it drew stylistic inspiration from Ford's European coupe. Shared elements included bodylines and a two-seat or 2+2 layout, but engineering, trim, and standard equipment varied by market.
- Branding: Ford Capri (global) vs Mercury Capri (U.S.): The U.S. version used Mercury branding.
- Platform: Pinto-based first generation, then Fox platform for the second generation in the U.S., differing from the European Capri platform in its early years.
- Market presence: More limited in the U.S. than in Europe, serving a niche audience of sport-coupe buyers.
Ultimately, the Capri name did cross the Atlantic in Americans' garages, but through Mercury rather than a Ford-branded model.
Summary
In short, Ford itself did not sell a Ford Capri in the United States. The Capri did arrive in America, but under the Mercury badge, with two generations spanning 1970–1986. The European Capri remained a Europe-focused model, and the U.S. Capri's lifecycle ended in the mid-1980s as market tastes shifted away from small, two-seat sporty coupes.
