Ford revived the Capri name as an electric coupe-SUV nearly four decades later

The Capri was Ford's iconic 1970s sports coupe, a name associated with a playful, attainable European fastback. It had been gone for almost four decades when Ford decided the electric era was the moment to bring it back.

In July 2024 Ford unveiled the new all-electric Capri, then began shipping it that October from the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center after a $2 billion investment converted the historic plant. Rather than a retro re-run, it was a mid-sized coupe-SUV built on Volkswagen's ID platform, and priced from £42,075. Ford was explicit that it was about putting soul into the EV world.

The relaunch generated huge attention. Before first deliveries, almost 200,000 consumers had configured a Capri online. Of those, 24% chose Vivid Yellow — a direct homage to the classic Capri's Daytona yellow — making it the most popular colour. 55% opted for the Premium model, and Ford leaned into standard luxury features like a massaging driver's seat and heated seats.

Drew about 200,000 online configurator builds and put the Capri back on European roads after almost 40 years

Ford needed an electrified model with instant recognition in a crowded EV market

The Capri name carried emotional weight across Europe that a letter-and-number badge could not

The $2 billion Cologne conversion made it logical to apply premium names to the new plant's output

The Vivid Yellow homage linked the new crossover to the original coupe's DNA

Shared VW underpinnings kept development cost and risk manageable

Reusing a beloved nameplate buys instant recognition, but only if the reframed product fits the moment

The Capri went on sale across Europe in late 2024 with first customers receiving cars just before Christmas. Premium take-up was strong — 55% chose the Premium trim and 24% picked the heritage Vivid Yellow — and the model earned a strong expert safety and running-cost rating. It was not without controversy: some motoring critics questioned whether putting a famous sports-coupe name on a crossover diluted the icon, a trade-off Ford accepted for the recognition and configurator buzz it generated.