CAPRI MUSTER
Australia’s capital hosts old Ford fest.
Each year the ACT Small Ford Owners’ Club put on their National Capri & Classic Small Ford Muster and enthusiasts from far and wide head to the Nation’s capital to take part in this very popular and well-run event. The activities over the weekend include a meet ’n’ greet on Friday evening, while Saturday started with an observation run, then a lunch break and show and shine, while in the evening there was a dinner and trivia quiz at a local hotel. Another observation run was held on Sunday when ended at the Murrumbateman Inn for lunch and the final presentation. Those attending the event were free to pick and choose whichever activities they wanted to participate in.
The cars seen over the course of the weekend ranged from a Mk1 Cortina up to a Mk2 Focus and even a 2016 Mustang. However each year, without fail, it is the dedicated fans of the Capri convertible that put together the biggest turnout of any particular model. Amongst the impressive line-up of cars were examples of the original model as well as the later XR2 Turbo and Tickford-badged Clubsprint model.
The Capri convertible was assembled in Australia from 1989 to 1994 and was built using Ford Laser/Mazda 323 running gear. The Mazda connection may be a bit of a turn off for some fans of old-school Cortinas, Escorts and Capris. However, it is important to note that the inspiration for the convertible came directly from the 1983 Ford Ghia Barchetta concept car, which was built on a Fiesta XR2 platform.
The Capri Muster returns to Canberra this October.