By Classic Yorkshire correspondent Tony Lofthouse
A pair of classic 3-litre Ford Capris that featured in the ITV series, The Professionals, have sold for a record £186,750 at auction.
The cars were driven by undercover agents Bodie and Doyle (played by actors Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw) in the 70s TV hit.
Ford were happy to supply the pacy cars for the show as part of the sales drive for the coupe.
The pairs previous owner kept them for 16 years and lightly restored them in 2021, before they went ‘under the hammer’ with Midland’s auction house, Iconic.
The Capri car came in a range of engines from 1300cc to 3100cc and between 1969 and 1986 1.9 million cars were produced.
In the TV show, our all-action duo would zoom around in countless car chases in their 3.0 S model that could reach 148bhp. Bodie took the wheel of a Stratos Silver Capri, whilst Doyle favoured the Solar Gold model.
According to Ford, the Capri’s TV exposure would add to the allure of the popular British coupe, particularly with the younger target market.
The previous record price paid for a 3.0 S was £55,000 in 2016.
The winning auction price for the two cars shows the growing ‘classic’ interest in the Capri – certainly some jump on the £6,147 the 3.0 S cost new in 1980.