My car made the cover of Autoweek, & Car & Driver &.....

Gentle reader,

As you have been following my blog, you know I love my car from the land-down-under: 1991 Mercury Capri XR2. Sporty, Mazda-powered, turbocharged, RED convertible.

Well, as it was the first car EVER imported from Australia, and it followed the then-modern recreation of the classic sports car, Mazda's MX-5 AKA: Miata, it was quite a news event. Making the cover of all the large American car magazines in July, 1990 and scooped by AutoWeek
all the way back in May. It was an exciting new car, the second in a hopefully expanding field of convertible automobiles. 

You may not be old enough to remember that Detroit thought that the convertible would be outlawed by the Federal government as unsafe and the 1975 Cadillac Eldorado was declared:
"The LAST convertible." Investors snapped them up and put them away hoping to cash in on them
years later. They didn't.

As you no doubt can see anytime you go outside, the convertible is far from dead. But, back in1989/1990, the Miata and Capri were setting the car world on fire. Fun driving was back!

Naturally, there were numerous Miata/Capri XR2 comparison tests. It was unfair for both as each was created for a different reason. The Miata (MX-5) as a pure, i.e., rear wheel drive, sports car of the English mode of years long past. The Capri was front wheel drive, had a "back seat" of sorts and thus was a different car. Sporty, not "Sports". Faster than the Miata due to it's turbo.

I recently scored two car magazines from the past: May, 1990 Autoweek, and May, 1993 Car and Driver. The former has a nice shot of "my" car, which was built in May, 1990, and the latter showing the Miata, Capri XR2, Honda Del-Sol and Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce. All in red.

 Below is an article from a year later in AutoWeek:

 I don't know how to MERGE photos in Photoshop, so two-page spreads will be separated.

 Below is an article from Collectible Automobiles. What month and year? I don't know:

Above is the cover with the following article:

 Below is the cover from the Car and Driver that I just got with the comparison test following. Take a look at the performance specs and the Capri XR2 out performs all the other cars, yet only finished 3rd. Albiet, ahead of the Alfa!

 Going back the July, 1990, the month my Capri was delivered to the original owner, here's Car and Driver's take on the new car from the land of OZ.

 Below is the cover from July, 1991 of Car and Driver. The article explains that you really should opt for the XR2 because the standard Capri is a non-performer.

Below is the cover of Motor Trend, also from July, 1990:

Below is an article from a UK (English) publication called Performance Automobiles. I don't know the date. Interesting the see the home market Capri, badged as a Ford and without a driver's air bag on the steering wheel. Also note the two-tone paint job. Not sure I like it:

Below is the cover and article from Road and Track from July, 1990:

 
So, if you took the time to read all those articles, Congratulations, you know now far more about my car and it's brothers than you ever wanted to.

Again, thanks for taking the time to look at, read and follow my blog. I am truly pleased that you have taken the time to do so.

Scott