After selling more than a million Mk 1’s Ford Capri’s between 1969 and 1974 Ford gave the ‘Car you always promised your self‘ a new body with a shorter bonnet / hood and hatch back tailgate while retaining most of the original running gear.

The 4 cylinder 2.0 litre / 122 cui Pinto motor was offered as a half way house between the top of the range 3.0 litre / 183 cui V6 Essex powered vehicles and the lesser 4 cylinder Kent powered models.

The Capri II, like it’s predecessor was sold under the Mercury brand in the USA, it was taken off the US market after the 1977 model year.

The 2.0S, seen here at last weeks Bristol Classic Car Show, was available with came with standard alloy wheels, in 1975 a John Player Special, (tobacco brand !) limited edition was announced with gold coloured alloy wheels, the 1976 example seen above has similar black and gold paintwork to the JPS limited edition which mimicked the colour scheme seen on the world championship winning JPS Lotus team cars of 1972 and 1973.

The most famous Ford Capri II 2.0S, in British circles at least, was a white one that was seen on the Intro to a TV series called Minder, about London’s criminal under world featuring a crooked entrepreneur Arthur, pronounced Arfur, Daley and his ‘Minder’ Terry McCann who is seen in the opening sequences test driving and accepting a 1976 white 2.0S in return for his ‘services’.

Terry’s Jam Jar, cockney slang for car, registered SLE 71R was voted the 28th most popular TV car in a 2005 pole by Sky satellite TV viewers.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Terry’s Jam Jar’ edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’ I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !