June was a big month for all car collectors who got a chance to shop at a special auction organized by Classic Car Auctions in the UK. The Summer Sale held on the 18th of June brought some real gems for those who were saving their money to get a classic at an affordable price. It counted 195 vehicles in total. Some of them were newer, others were older, and the condition of the rides varied a lot depending on the seller. But one was clear straight out — the auction was colorful and exciting.
Some vehicles that went for the highest amount of money on the Summer Sale include the 1959 Jaguar Mk IX 3.8, the 2012 Morgan Plus 4 Two Seater, the 1986 Naylor TF 1700, and the 1984 Porsche 911 3.2 Carrera, to name just a few. Visitors could view all the offers at the venue two days before the event and decide what car they want to bid on during the auction.
Still, despite a wide range of options, one car particularly stood out and attracted the most attention. A one-of-the-kind 1972 Ford Capri RS3100 was sold for big bucks last month and broke the world record for its model type. How did this happen, and why did bidders rival over the Ford Capri? Read all about it in this article.
Rare Find: The Ford 'Holy Grail' of Capris Hits The Auction And Draws All The Attention
There's a reason why the prototype RS3100 was dubbed the "Holy Grail" of the Ford Capri lineup. Do you remember the Ford Capri Mk 1 that was built from 1969 to 1974? In 1973, a special model arrived within the lineup, featuring a new V6, a lower profile, gold pinstriping, a ducktail rear spoiler, and some other adjustments. It was named the RS3100.
Only 249 of these units were made in 1973 for homologation purposes, which made the RS100 a unique model — one with a predisposition to become a classic. But the Ford Capri on sale at the Classic Car Auctions is even more special than this — it's a prototype of the RS3100 project built at Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) facility in South Ockendon. The car in question was the pre-production model used for photographs in the sales brochures, and it has had just one owner over its lifespan.
Ford used this car to make studio shots and introduce the entire lineup of 249 units. How exciting is that? Naturally, to be a representative of the lineup, the RS3100 from the auction was made with special care, finished in Sebring Red (a unique kind of orange) with a black vinyl interior and badged Capri GT.
The auctioned car was actually made in 1972, but it was registered in 1975 because Ford used it only for photos and not for driving. Thus, the prototype only had 500 miles on the clock upon the registration when a lucky customer bought it for £1,500 (about $1,800), which is equivalent to £21,000 (about $25,000) today.
Interestingly, the first owner had the car from the purchase until this very auction, driving it daily until 1982, when he stored the car with 70,700 miles on the clock. He made only some small touchups on the exterior paint. Otherwise, this RS3100 is in its original condition, differing from the other models of the lineup with fixed rear quarter windows, a flat 3-spoke steering wheel, and black rocker covers.
The Ford Capri Prototype RS3100 is also equipped with a standard version of the race car's 3.1-liter V6 engine, producing 148 bhp. When new, the car was able to go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds and develop a top speed of 125 mph.
The Ford Capri Prototype RS3100 Sold For Unbelievable £74k ($90K)
So, that's the car that appeared in the Summer Sale organized by the Classic Car Auctions. Ford fans got a unique chance (maybe even once in a lifetime) to purchase the prototype of the RS3100, and of course, that made the bidders rival for the car. The winner cashed out a whooping £74,250 (about $90,000) to be the one to take the Ford Capri Prototype RS3100 home.
Although the car didn't break the record for the Summer Sale, as the two Jaguar E-type models went to new owners for £105,751 ($129,742), it did so for its model type. The previous Capri that held the highest-price-tag title was sold at Silverstone Auctions in 2017 for £55,125 ($67,637). Otherwise, most of the other Capri units went for the price below or up to this price point.
We are excited (and a little jealous) that the new owner now has such a unique Ford in the garage. The sky-high price was definitely worth it since such rare cars don't come at auction that often at all.