Any car still in existence fifty plus years after it was manufactured has its own tale to tell on how it survived.

For 2025 the Capri Mk1 Owners’ Club will be displaying three vehicles which are new to the show; in original colours they have never before shown on their stand; and cars with their own unique stories.

At the November 2018 Classic Motor Show, Glenn Parker showed off his newly restored Sebring Red 3000GT R facelift car.  The restoration of that car, along with the excitement of displaying it at the show gave him the bug to restore another.  As a result of a magazine article brought about by his cars appearance at the NEC he was contacted by the owner of a car which had been tucked away in a garage for over 30 years.  A deal was struck and in March 2019 Glenn became the owner of EPV959L – a Copper Bronze, top of the range, 3000 GXL.  It had been the first car of the gentleman who contacted Glenn – given to him by his father as a reward for passing his driving test.  Even so, it was an elderly car at the time and soon had engine issues.  Money was shelled out to fix it but within 6 weeks it had become terminal.  No more money was spent but the car found a quiet corner in the families garage and there it stayed until Glenn came to the rescue.  It was in a very sorry state both mechanically and bodily but now its back to how it would have been in the early 1970s when it first hit the road.

UBH150L is also a 3000 GXL but finished in Miami Blue with blue interior trim.  Back in May 2011 the Club secretary was contacted by a family in High Wycombe, Bucks. concerned that they had a car stored in their garage – the pride and joy of their long deceased father – which had attracted interest from individuals they regarded as undesirable.  Could he come and appraise the car and perhaps find a buyer?  When he arrived he found a vehicle which had barely covered 20,000 miles from new and apart from some minor surface rust, appeared in perfect condition.  The mechanical parts would need overhauling but, considering it had not left the garage for in excess of 30 years, it was a truly remarkable discovery.  A buyer was found but it drifted around several owners and eventually was sympathetically restored.  In this state it found an adoring owner in Dundee.  Rather than use it though he tucked it away and admired it.  Finally, earlier this year he decided to sell and it found its present owner, David Bodrozic who lives in Cambridgeshire.  The car has now covered 22,000 miles.  David plans to run the car and has already attended a number of shows local to him.
Back in 2003 Simon Parrott was looking for a classic car that he and his wife could use for a motoring holiday in Europe.  He came across HLY10K a 1971 Tawny 1600 GT XLR which, despite being in a less than perfect state, he fell in love with.  Over the course of three years he got in up to a state he was happy and confident enough with to enjoy a three week tour of Europe in.  As so often happens, family matters meant it was no longer practical to have the car so, reluctantly, he sold in in 2010.  A couple of years ago, circumstances had changed and he bought himself another Capri Mk1 as a project car.  It wasn’t HLY though and he moved it on after doing quite a chunk of the work needed and found himself another project from Matthewson’s Auctions.  Within weeks of getting that car, he had the opportunity of buying back HLY.  He jumped at the chance and is now happily enjoying it second time around.  Will the other project be done or moved on?  We’ll have to wait and see.  That’s a rare one owner 1969 1300 XL in the rare shade of Aquatic Jade.  Perhaps a candidate for a future Classic Motor Show appearance?