Are Ford Capri Prices Still Rising? This Rough Mk1 Made £8,400

This Ford Capri auction result is an interesting indication of just how much enthusiasm remains for early Mk1 Capris.

The 1970 Ford Capri 1600 GT XLR certainly wasn’t presented as a pristine example when it went under the hammer at Anglia Car Auctions.

It was scruffy, needed restoration or recommissioning, came with no history and there was one fairly significant problem when it came to moving it around – nobody had managed to find reverse gear.

And yet somebody was still prepared to bid £8,400 for it.

Are Ford Capri prices still on the rise?

A desirable early Mk1 Capri

There is, of course, rather more to this car than its condition.

First registered on 1st August 1970, it’s an early Mk1 Capri 1600 GT XLR, finished in the fabulous-sounding Aquatic Jade with a contrasting black vinyl roof.

The XLR specification also gives it some desirable period details.

These include Rostyle wheels, auxiliary front lamps, a clock and map light, while inside there’s a black interior, manual gearbox and even the original stereo.

Its odometer showed 68,250 miles.

So while its appearance might suggest a fairly humble restoration project, it’s also exactly the sort of early Capri specification that enthusiasts are likely to find interesting.

It certainly wasn’t pretending to be perfect

We rather like auction cars that don’t hide what they are.

Anglia Car Auctions described this one simply as a project for restoration or recommissioning and said that, although scruffy, it appeared to be in reasonable shape overall.

It also ran and drove.

There was, however, that issue with reverse gear.

ACA hadn’t been able to find it.

Whether that ultimately proves to be something relatively straightforward or the beginning of more substantial gearbox work is for the new owner to discover.

There was no history accompanying the Capri either, and the successful buyer would need to apply to the DVLA for a new V5C.

In other words, there were certainly a few jobs on the list.

So what is a rough Mk1 Capri worth?

That’s what made watching this one go under the hammer particularly interesting.

Anglia Car Auctions placed an £8,000-£10,000 estimate on the Capri.

For an immaculate early Mk1, that might not immediately sound remarkable.

But look at the car that was actually crossing the block.

This was a visibly aged project that its next owner could potentially spend a considerable amount of time and money bringing back.

Would bidders see the work required?

Or would they see an early 1600 GT XLR first?

We filmed the auction from start to finish.

Have a figure in mind before watching:

£8,400 before fees

The bidding eventually reached a hammer price of £8,400.

With buyer’s premium added, Anglia Car Auctions records the final result as £9,072.

That actually puts the car comfortably within its £8,000-£10,000 estimate.

But it’s the £8,400 hammer price that we find particularly interesting.

Someone was prepared to spend that much on the Capri before doing anything about its cosmetic condition, investigating the missing reverse gear or beginning whatever restoration and recommissioning work awaits.

And that’s before considering the cost of making it into the car they ultimately want.

Perhaps early Capris have simply reached that point

We’ve seen it happen with plenty of once-common classics.

As the best examples become increasingly valuable, attention gradually moves towards cars that would once have been dismissed as too rough or too expensive to restore.

Suddenly, the starting point itself has considerable value.

The Mk1 Capri also has something else firmly in its favour: enormous nostalgia.

For many people, this was the attainable European coupe that looked far more exotic than an ordinary family saloon. More than half a century later, the shape still has an extraordinary ability to get people talking.

And this isn’t just any Mk1.

It’s a 1970 GT XLR retaining plenty of those details that make an early Capri particularly appealing.

Would you have paid £8,400?

That’s the question we’re left with.

Look at it purely as a restoration project and £8,400 might sound like a substantial starting point.

Look at it as an increasingly desirable early Ford Capri 1600 GT XLR and perhaps the result makes rather more sense.

Either way, somebody wanted it enough to put their money down.

Now comes the really interesting part – deciding what to do with it.

Would you carry out a full restoration, or would you be tempted to preserve some of that wonderfully aged appearance and concentrate on making it mechanically sound?

You can still see the original auction description and full gallery of photographs on the Anglia Car Auctions website:

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/auctions/2763-20-Jun-2026/14984~6-1970-ford-capri-1600-gt-xlr