Hemmings has been making a go at auctions. One of their first offerings was a white 1982 Mercury Capri RS coupe with red vinyl bucket seats, a Windsor 157 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with a Motorcraft 356CFM two-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and 33,000 miles. That was enough to get me to generate an update to this eight-year-old post about the later 1986 version.
“Proof that getting there can be a fun experience in itself.”
For 1986, Mercury’s Capri had three engine choices and two transmission choices. Standard on the GS was the Lima 88 bhp (aargh!) 2.3 liter/140 ci in-line four with a Carter YFA one-barrel carburetor mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Power options for the GS included the Essex 120 bhp 3.8 liter/231 ci V6 with fuel injection and the (wonderful) Windsor 200 bhp 4.9 liter/302 ci V8 with sequential fuel injection that was standard on the 5.0L. All three engines could be paired with a three-speed automatic transmission for an additional $510 (the V6 required the automatic while the 5.0L came standard with a five-speed manual transmission with overdrive).
Mileage ratings for the various configurations ranged from 23 city/28 highway (21/26 by today’s standards) for the four-speed manual/in-line four combination that I’m not convinced that anyone bought to 17/25 for the “big daddy” five-speed manual paired with the V8.
Performance with the 2.3 liter four paired with either transmission was ghastly. 0-60 came in about 15 seconds, which meant a Capri driver with the Lima engine would see only the taillights of Iron Duke-powered Camaros and Firebirds (such a sad competition!). Moving to the V6 paid significant performance dividends, dropping the 0-60 time by about 3.5 seconds. Of course, the V8 was by far the best: even the automatic was in the 7 second range, while the manual could do 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds.
Mercury made three attempts at the Capri. The first was an imported version of the European Ford Capri and was sold from the 1970 to 1978 model years, first as the Capri and then as the Capri II. The second was Mercury’s version of the Fox body Mustang and was sold from 1979 to 1986. The final version of the Capri was an imported version of the Australian Ford Capri, sold from 1991 to 1994. Sense a trend here?
The base price for a Capri GS was $8,331 (about $24,800 in 2025 dollars). For that money, the Capri came relatively well equipped by mid-1980s standards. External features included halogen headlamps, tinted glass, and the distinctive bubble-back rear hatch with rear-window defroster. Mechanical equipment included power steering, power brakes, and P195/75R14 tires (still available thanks to Hankook and Kumho) on 14-inch wheels with turbine wheel covers. Inside, power windows, interval wipers, tilt steering wheel, and an AM/FM stereo radio were standard.
The more sporty Capri 5.0L stickered for $10,950 (about $32,500 in today’s dollars) and added the V8 mentioned above, dual exhaust, a Traction-Lok rear axle, and P225/60VR15 low-profile tires (a size still readily available) on cast-aluminum performance wheels.
Options & Production Numbers
Exterior options for both the GS and the 5.0L included a flip-up open-air roof ($315) or a T-Roof ($1,100). Inside, buyers could add air conditioning ($762), power door lock group ($182), speed control ($176), and an AM/FM stereo radio with cassette ($300).
Sales for the last of the second-generation Capris were not at all good, but Capri sales had not been good for years—Mercury’s traditional problem wedged between Ford and Lincoln. By 1986, Capri sales were about 9% of Mustang sales.
The View From 2025
Fox body Capris sometimes show up in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds and eBay Motors, but there’s not a lot of activity. Bring a Trailer has auctioned a total of ten second-generation Capris, most of them the specialty ASC McLaren version. I’ll say that Capris are uncommon rather than unloved.
Make mine Smoke Metallic, please.
Other Mercury models I have written about include the 1983 Grand Marquis sedan, the 1984 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS station wagon, the 1987 Lynx XR3 hatchback coupe, the 1988 Cougar XR-7 coupe, and the 1988 Grand Marquis Colony Park station wagon. I seem to like the big Mercury’s.
Last updated September 2025.
Eighties Cars 