The 1962 Ford Consul Capri was the coupe version of the Ford 109E Consul Classic.

Production of the Capri began in November 1968. It was unveiled in January 1969 at the Brussels Motor Show, with sales starting the following month. The intention was to reproduce in Europe the success Ford had had with the North American Ford Mustang: to produce a European pony car. Under the new body, the running gear was very similar to the 1966 Cortina. The rear suspension employed a live axle supported on leaf springs with short radius rods. MacPherson struts were featured at the front in combination with rack and pinion steering sourced from the Ford Escort.

The Capri proved highly successful, with 400,000 cars sold in its first two years. Ford revised it in late 1971. It received new and more comfortable suspension, enlarged tail-lights and new seats. Larger headlamps with separate indicators were also fitted, with quad headlamps now featured on the 3000GXL model. The Kent engines were replaced by the Ford Pinto engine and the previously UK-only 3000 GT joined the German line-up. In the UK the 2.0 L V4 remained in use. In 1973, the Capri saw the highest sales total it would ever attain, at 233,000 vehicles: the 1,000,000th Capri, an RS 2600, was completed on 29 August.

On 25 February 1974, the Capri II was introduced with all new bodywork. After 1.2 million cars sold, and with the 1973 oil crisis, Ford chose to make the new car more suited to everyday driving with a shorter bonnet, larger cabin and the adoption of a hatchback rear door. A further revision came along in 1978, and although little more than an update of the Capri II, it usually often referred to as the Mk III.

Ford began to focus their attention on the UK Capri market as sales declined elsewhere, realising the car had something of a cult following there. Unlike sales of the contemporary four-door Cortina, Capri sales in Britain were mostly to private buyers who would demand fewer discounts than fleet buyers, allowing for higher margins on the coupé. Ford tried to maintain interest in 1977 with Ford Rallye Sport, Series X, "X Pack" options from the performance oriented RS parts range. Although expensive and slow selling these proved that the press would enthusiastically cover more developed Capris with higher performance. However, the rise in popularity of "hot hatchbacks" and sports saloons during the early 1980s saw demand for affordable sports car fall throughout Europe. Between 1980 and 1983, Ford launched the Fiesta XR2, Escort XR3/XR3i and Sierra XR4i. In 1986 the Capri was withdrawn.

Vanguards have modelled both the Mk1 (pre and post facelift) and the MkIII Capris.