A strange phenomenon that seems to permeate through my entire model collections is that I seem prone to collecting the wrong versions of things. Looking on eBay to see just how luxuriously wealthy I would become if I was to begin flogging my models off, I am frequently disappointed to find that X model would be worth hundreds of quid, if only it was a different colour.
And so it goes with this Ford Capri I picked up for £19.99 in Norwich about a decade ago. If I’d bought an RS2600 or RS3100, or a 3000GT I would have been able to upgrade to a Gulfstream VI by now, but alas I plumped for 1969 1700GT instead.


This is the only Minichamps 1:18 I own, and there are some slightly strange quirks to it. Firstly, and to be honest not only a quirk of Minichamps, the trunklid doesn’t open. I always think it’s a shame when only some of the apertures open, especially on non-budget models, particularly when you reason that Bburago and Maisto manage to have 100% opening on most of their models, and in a lot of cases you don’t even lose out heavily on detail, either.
Secondly the steering seems to be spring-loaded to the left, so the wheels are permanently posed at a jaunty angle. I guess there’s nothing wrong with that, it just seems strange, and also limits your choices if you came to display it on a diorama, for example. Namely, a diorama where the car isn’t permanently turning left.
Third thing is particularly odd, and is a really strange bit of quality control SNAFU; there are dots of orange/red paint all over the centre console, as if a DIY restoration had been particularly careless.

Fortunately, the rest of the model is fine. The Capri silhoutte, long bonnet, short boot, has been captured well, as have the “sports” steel wheels which Ford insisted were worth boasting about despite having zero advantage over their regular steel wheels which must have cost exactly the same to produce. The stance looks right; having the wheel cocked to the left makes for a slightly gangly appearance- which is about right for a ’69 Capri.

Inside the wood trimmed dashboard is accurate to the right-hand-drive Capri generally, though I can’t say whether it’s accurate due to the strange choice of prototype used by Minichamps. Why did they choose right-hand-drive on a 1700GT; a car that was never sold in England? Perhaps it was for the Japanese market? Seems odd.

Under the bonnet lies a rendition of the V4 17oo Ford Taunus engine that powered this car. Capris for Mainland Europe used the V4 engine in either 1300, 1500 or 1700cc forms, or a 2000cc Cologne V6. British built cars carried either a 1300 or 1600cc inline four from the Kent family, or a British built (and completely different to the German models) 2000cc V4. To this day it seems strange to have so much production line duplication.

Aside from the niggles mentioned earlier, this is still a well made and substantial feeling model. The paint is possibly a little thickly applied, but the tampo quality is crisp and accurate and time seems to have been invested in getting the headlamps to look convincing, too. For the most part they’ve done a good job.
1:18 Capris’ show up on eBay from time to time, but beware that desirable colours, trims etc command far higher prices. Maybe it’s time you added one to your collection. After all, the ’69 Capri was “The car you always promised yourself”…
(All images copyright Chris Haining / Hooniverse 2015)