Now and then: Ford Consul Capri, ex Florin Piersic / Florin Piersic's Ford Consul Capri

O raritate de masina chiar cand noua, acest Ford Consul Capri, produs intre 1961 si 1964, odata facea furori pe strazile capitalei. In 1970, era condus de celebrul actor Florin Piersic, care era adeptul marcii Ford.

Prin 2008, un pasionat din Romania a gasit aceasta masina aratand foarte trista. Pretul cerut era enorm, mult peste valoarea pietii, asa ca aproape sigur, masina s-a degradat in continuare.

Ford Consul Capri era variantul sportiv a modelului Ford Consul Classic, produs in Marea Britanie de catre uzinele Ford de la Dagenham. Ambele variante - inspirate dupa stilul american de design - au fost esecuri comerciale, fiind prea scumpe si prea complicate - si designul devenind foarte demodat dupa introducerea Fordului Cortina pe piata, in 1962. Putine au fost produse (mai ales cu volanul pe stanga) si putine au supravietuit. In Bucuresti s-a mai gasit un Consul Classic, model berlina, in stare ceva mai decenta. (Si se spune ca acum 15 ani era unul in Silistea Mare, judetul Dolj.)

Pozele provin de pe pagina Facebook "Vanatorii de epave", o rezursa de-a dreptul bogata cu ce-am avut si ce inca mai avem...

 A rare car even when new, this Ford Consul Capri, made between 1961 and 1964, once drew crowds on the streets of Bucharest. In 1970, it was being driven by the famous actor Florin Piersic, an avowed fan of the Ford brand.

In around 2008, it was spotted in a sorry way by a Romanian car enthusiast. The asking price was enormous - far above market value - so almost certainly, this car has continued to crumble away.

The Ford Consul Capri was the sporting variant of the Ford Consul Classic, made at Ford of Britain's Dagenham plant. Both models - inspired by late Fifties American styling - were commercial failures, being too expensive and complicated, and the styling feeling very dated after the introduction of the Ford Cortina in 1962. Few were made (particularly in LHD), few have survived. In Bucharest, there survives also a Consul Classic sedan, in somewhat better condition. (And there are rumours that in a village in Dolj, there was another example about fifteen years ago.)

The photos come from the Facebook page "Vanatorii de epave" (=Wreck hunters), a superb resource.