Win a Corgi Ford Capri RS3100

20 May, 2015

The rarest production Capri of all — the RS3100 — was originally unveiled in November 1973, with 200 road-going versions quickly constructed in order to homologate a racing version of the car.

The RS3100 concept came about due to the increasing reliance on aerodynamics by European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) competitors — especially BMW who had just introduced the so-called ‘Batmobile’. As such, the racing version of the RS3100 gained its FIA papers on January 1, 1974, and these specially built racing versions, with their wide bodies, massive slick tyres, and quad-cam Cosworth V6 engines would later become known as the ‘Cologne’ Capris.

The road-going RS3100s were rather less exotic, powered by the venerable, British-built Essex V6, now enlarged to 3091cc. Easily recognizable by their massive rear ‘duck-tail’ spoiler, the RS3100 road cars are now highly prized collectables.

Thanks to the good guys at Toymod Ltd, we’ve got one of these special Capris — actually a very rare model of the RHD Australian export RS3100 — resplendent in Sebring Red, to give away to a lucky reader; just answer the following question:

Q. How many Ford Capri RS3100 Group Two race cars did Ford build for the 1974 ETCC series?

Name

How many Ford Capri RS3100 Group Two race cars did Ford build for the 1974 ETCC series?

I agree to the terms and conditions

Terms and conditions: The prize is available for delivery in New Zealand only. One entry per person. Prizes are not transferable, not redeemable for cash, and no exchanges will be made. There is one prize to be given away. The promoter is Parkside Media Ltd, 254 Richmond Road Grey Lynn, Auckland. The decision of the promoter is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Employees of Parkside Media, associated sponsor(s), and their immediate families and agencies are not permitted to enter. Entries are the property of New Zealand Classic Car magazine and The Motorhood and may be used for promotional purposes by Parkside Media. Entrants must be over the age of 18. Entrants agree to their name/photo being used for publicity purposes. By entering this competition you agree to receive occasional information from New Zealand Classic Car and The Motorhood, including monthly newsletters. Entries close [insert closing date]. Prizes are as specified and are not transferable or redeemable for cash. If the winner does not claim the prize within 21 days of contact being attempted, the prize will be withdrawn and a new winner drawn. Parkside Media reserves the right to make any changes to any prizes and to provide the winner(s) with a substitute prize.

Chrysler’s classy cruiser

I first saw our feature car, a 1970 V8-powered Regal 770 hardtop, towing a trailer carrying the tidy Ford Anglia classic racing saloon in Broadspeed racing colours that has featured in these pages. The coupe is comparatively rare here, which means anyone contemplating purchasing one of these big two-doors is sure to see prices continue to climb. The latter Charger has claimed much of the Aussie Chrysler limelight, but the simpler and classier lines of this car, which appeared dated soon after its introduction, now have a more timeless appeal.
Former owner, Balclutha motor engineer, Mike Verdoner, remembers the car well. He believes it came from Dunedin originally.
“I’m not sure about the car’s history, but I bought it off its owner at Kaitangata. Unusually, it was advertised in the local newspaper, the Clutha Leader, which was a surprise as these usually go for a lot more money on the internet. I had it for quite a few years. It needed a little bit of work to tidy it up, so I had to decide whether to spend the money on it to do it up, which could have been twenty grand. Its value at the time was not like it is now, so I sold it to Ewan. It’s probably now worth three or four times what I sold it for.”

The Pininfarina 230 SL

It’s October 1964, and imagine you’re an automotive journalist covering that year’s Paris Auto Show (Mondial de l’Automobile). As you approach the Pininfarina booth, you come across a car that looks a bit like the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL introduced the previous year at the Geneva Auto Show, a car then arriving at Mercedes-Benz dealerships around the world.
But looking closely, its styling and proportions seem to be a bit different. And it has a fixed roof, unlike the Pagoda-style greenhouse of the removable hardtop seen on the production 230 SL. While today, the styling of the W113, under the supervision of Head of Styling Friedrich Geiger, with lead designers Paul Bracq and Bela Barenyi, is considered a mid-century modern masterpiece, acceptance in-period was not universal. Some critics called out the concave design of its removable roof, which ultimately gave the car its “Pagoda” nickname.