Ford Capri (Australia)

The Australian Capri, codenamed SA30, was a small front wheel drive convertible that Ford Australia designed, developed and built from 1989 to 1994, reviving a name that Ford of Europe had used from 1969 to 1986. It was sold in North America as the Mercury Capri, and its exports from 1990 made it the first Australian assembled car sent to the United States. It used the Mazda 323 running gear that Ford Australia also used in the Laser, with an exterior by Ghia and an interior by ItalDesign, and it was a 2+2 rather than a strict two seater, aimed at the Mazda MX-5 even though that car cost considerably more. Engines were 1.6 litre four cylinders, a base unit of 61 kW and a turbocharged unit of 100 kW. It had a poor early reputation for reliability, mostly from a leaking roof, and production ended in 1994 after 66,279 cars.