Premier League legend stars in bizarre Ford Capri advert just days ahead of iconic motor’s return as an EV
A PREMIER League legend could be spotted in Ford’s latest update ahead of the first look of the revived Capri.
The iconic nameplate with its brand new look will be officially unveiled to the world on July 10 – some 38 years after it was discontinued.
In a short video posted to Ford UK‘s X profile, former footballer Eric Cantona can be spotted attempting to plug an electric car charger into the fuel filler cap of a Mk3 Capri.
Eagle-eyed viewers can also spot the words ‘the legend is back’ written on the motor’s rear window, with the date ‘10.07.24’ underneath.
This comes just days after another bizarre update from the car giant, which saw the Capri’s arrival teased by some graffiti at the Ford plant in Cologne, Germany, that said “the legend is back”.
Three of the previous generations of the iconic coupe were built in Cologne.
The Capri is considered one of the most celebrated and popular motors in Ford’s history, and enjoyed a near 20-year production run before it was scrapped in 1986.
However, while the former Capri model was a sporty coupe – considered by some to be the British equivalent of the Ford Mustang – the upcoming Capri will seemingly be an e-SUV crossover twinned with the existing Ford Explorer.
Ford have already dropped a series of not-so-subtle hints that the Capri will be returning, including the release of snaps sent out via an unusual interactive advert placed in a number of print publications.
Running under the title of “comeback cars,” it quoted Manchester United legend Cantona, saying: “When the seagulls follow the trawler, it’s because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.
“Now, throw these images in the online sea and find out who follows.”
The listing then asked readers to text the word ‘comeback’ to a dedicated WhatsApp profile,and those who did were rewarded with two snapshots of the car, showing its front right and rear left corners.
At present, the link between Cantona and the new Capri has yet to be clarified.
Last year, spy pictures of the upcoming Capri, released by Autocar, show the car decked out in a testing livery, with the back seat windows covered over and a grey wrap to hide any hint of its real colour.
From these pictures, it was obvious by the silhouette that the new Capri will look very different to the classic, with this version resembling its EV 4×4 competitors such as Audi with the E-Tron or Skoda’s Enyaq.
The retro Capri is a favourite among car collectors, with many good-condition models selling for a fortune at specialist auctions.
In May, a pristine ultra-limited edition example of the Capri 280 was listed at £69,995.
And a Mk1 Capri was posted last month with a starting bid of £49,950.
The arrival of the upcoming Capri comes as Honda look to revive an iconic model of their own – the Prelude.
The long-forgotten sports car was discontinued back in 2001 but is all set to return as a hybrid motor with a very elegant look.
Petrolheads will also be buoyed to know that a number of other former Ford models are set to return – including the beloved RS200.
The legendary fast Ford will get a limited production run this year, with a British firm having received backing from the Blue Oval to “produce and remaster” it.