11:10 am, October 9, 2024
The revival of the Ford Capri name has been a contentious point but new data shows that more than half of car dealers surveyed don’t think it’s a good idea.
In its monthly survey, the Startline Used Car Tracker, the finance house found that only 42% did think it was a positive move but 32% believe it will give consumers a reason to look at the new electric car.
It was announced earlier this year that the famous Capri moniker would be making its way onto an all-electric SUV, when people had just about got over the Mustang name being used in the same way.
It was revealed in the monthly survey that 39% believed that the name should be saved for a future sports car.
However, of those surveyed 16% of dealers said they don’t remember the original Capri name, 21% said the name won’t influence buyers and 16% went even further to say it means nothing to buyers.
The Startline Used Car Tracker comes out each month and in this most recent survey it spoke to 300 consumers and 62 dealers.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: ‘There are some old cars that people have very fond feelings about and the Capri is certainly one of those, so Ford’s decision to bring back the name for a modern electric SUV is an interesting one and has aroused at least a little controversy among some in the motor industry.
‘We thought it would be interesting to ask dealers what they thought of the idea and there is a sizeable amount of support with a substantial number thinking that it’ll help the new model – although many believe that the name should be saved for a sports car that has more in common with the original.
‘The fact that 16% of dealers don’t appear to have heard of the Capri probably makes some of us feel a little old but despite the affection in which the model is held by many, this is a model that went out of production almost four decades ago.’
