Ford VHK Press cars

[trigger]

 

VHK 469S was a more basic model.

[Charlie Croker]

I love reading stuff like this as i'm one of those anal gits who thrive on this kind of info.lol.

 

Lots of discrpanies as the info is old i would imagine. I heard one of the VVW Capri's was still around though.

Not a press car but in 1988 i had a Granada 2.8 Ghia on a S reg with the X-Pack rubber spoilers on.........not a bad set of wheels for a lad of 21 to be smoking (litarally sometimes) around in.......... anyway my pal had a Mk2 Escort Mexico in a great shade of pea green PAJ $%^R i cant remember the numbers.lol. He offered me a straight swap and i knocked him back as i needed a 4 door car at the time.

[Dan_2018]

A few more VHK Granadas I have spotted while watching retro TV.

 

 

[Dan_2018]

Another Cortina spotted.

[davocano]

I saw VHK481S at Wheels Day in 2014, wearing 491S plates.

 

[flat4alfa]

Does Roger Chinery still have 481?

 

This was it the Sweeney Fan Film screening at Haverhill

 

[D Spares & Tyres]

And 'HOO', 'VOO', 'WOO' and 'XOO' plates

 

One of my work colleagues has a pretty clean late model Escort Finesse with a 'WOO' plate and literally every optional extra fitted to it, plus an 'RS' body kit and wheels. I suspect it was originally a Ford management car.

 

I bought H*** KOO a mk3 Fiesta when it was about 10 years old. It was on top of the top of a scrap pile but looked very tidy so bought it for £50 I think it was.

 

Filled the edges of the roof/ gutter area where the chains had damaged it, welded the sills and sold it on for good money. Was a decent little car that. Even took it back in part ex a couple of years later and sold it back on again with more welding.

 

Ex Ford car or just a previous Essex resident?

[flat4alfa]

 

VHK470S 1978 FORD CORTINA MK4 2.3 GHIA

ITV series OUT 1979/80

 

Better photo, full-frontal action

 

 

 

VHK520S 1978 FORD FIESTA 1.3 S

Cylinder Capacity (cc) 2792CC

 

Imagine that, a Mk1 Fiesta with a 2792cc motor...

Must have been some excitement at DVLA control that day, as 520 was really a Ford Granada 2.8iS press car that Motor used as a long-termer

 

 

 

 

 

VHK536S 1978 FORD CORTINA MK4 1.6 GL NEVADA BEIGE

 

Furtive full-frontal also available

 

 

 

 

VHK 74S 1978 FORD ESCORT MK2 RS 1800

 

Tax due: 01 January 2019

Was offered by Coys in 2016 for high estimate £110,000, but isn't on the past sales list..

 

 

 

 

VHK497S 1978 CAPRI Mk3 X PACK, WHITE

PRESS CAR AND PACE CAR FOR RACE SERIES

 

Still on SORN.  Since Photobucket wrecked the Internet, here is a photo or two

 

 

     

[flat4alfa]

The 'Professionals' car it is not, then. At least he's honest about the reshell.

 

VHK495S now in silver, sold for £53,760 by H&H auction, April 2016.

 

[Felly Magic]

I'm sure there is a Thames TV clip on their channel featuring some VHK Capris for the launch of the mk3 waaaaaay back when

[Felly Magic]

Bingo, found it

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7xT6bnL0Kw

[flat4alfa]

In other news:

 

VHK282M FORD CAPRI MkII

Vehicle details could not be found

 

 

 

VHK517S 1978 Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia

The Sweeney S4 E10

Tax due: 01 March 1985

Date of first registration: August 1977

Cylinder capacity: 2792 cc

Export marker: No

Vehicle colour: BEIGE

 

 

 

VHK488S Ford Capri 2.0S

CAR magazine December 1978

Tax due: 01 July 1993

Date of first registration: January 1978

Cylinder capacity: 1993 cc

Export marker: No

Vehicle colour: RED

 

Trigger's Retro Road Tests!

 

 

VHK299S Ford Capri 3.0S

Brands Hatch Podium car

Tax due: 01 October 1990

Date of first registration: January 1978

Cylinder capacity: 2994 cc

Export marker: No

Vehicle colour: RED

 

 

 

VHK471V Ford Escort 1.6 GL

Press Photo

Vehicle details could not be found

 

[bezzabsa]

Finally found the colour of my old MK4 Cortina GFK687T , Highland Green... never knew until I saw the colour palette above

[trigger]

On 13/02/2013 at 23:44, autofive said:

VHK457S 1978 FORD GRANADA MK2

Date of Liability 01 04 1993

Date of First Registration 01 08 1977

Year of Manufacture 1977

Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1998CC

CO2 Emissions Not Available

Fuel Type Petrol

Export Marker Not Applicable

Vehicle Status Unlicensed

Vehicle Colour RED

A bit of a thread bump here by 10 years but this was in Grange Hill in 1980 and was actually silver 👍🏻

[warren t claim]

Also used in the TV drama Out.

[danthecapriman]

9 hours ago, warren t claim said:

Also used in the TV drama Out.

Lovely colour on that one. Anyone know the name of it?

[wesacosa]

1 minute ago, danthecapriman said:

Lovely colour on that one. Anyone know the name of it?

possibly Apollo Green?

[wesacosa]

3 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

possibly Apollo Green?

actually I think Apollo is darker 

maybe regency?

 

[danthecapriman]

3 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

actually I think Apollo is darker 

maybe regency?

 

Regency would certainly tie in with the cars year.

[robt100]

Parked next to VHK493S at the Capri 50th event in 2019. Has a rare white mk2 JPS the other side of me, was the first drive out after having the engine swap/resto done on mine, so was a bit worried I may send up 2 very rare cars in flames🙈

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, robt100 said:

Parked next to VHK493S at the Capri 50th event in 2019. Has a rare white mk2 JPS the other side of me, was the first drive out after having the engine swap/resto done on mine, so was a bit worried I may send up 2 very rare cars in flames🙈

VHK 494S is the peppermint green one that survives too. Both early press cars.

No idea if it’s actually true or not, but I’ve heard those early mk3’s used on Fords test/press fleet are actually mk2 shells modified at the factory to become mk3’s.

[JeeExEll]

I heard that too Dan and believe it's true that there were crossover cars.

I had a 'HK' Capri early 90s. 

This one.

Pic from Hot Car magazine. It was loaned to Hot Car and I think they used it in a cheeky entry to a  weekend standard saloon car race on a racetrack somewhere with number plates removed. They had pics of their graphite-over-silver entry in the mag. Hmmmm.

When I had it it was still solid but untidy and very tired mechanically at 140k. A daily driver for a few months. Cost £400. Seriously.

90s turbo fwd era meant rwd dinosaurs were available for peanuts, Capri 3.0 Ghias, Granadas, etc  which cost a lot when new.

It found it's way to the north east of Scotland around 1986 to the same street my friend lived in. Was really tidy in 86 but had a had a hard life since 82.

 

[sierraman]

To say 99.99% of late 70’s Fords are long since scrapped it’s a miracle as many VHK plated survived as have. 

[JeeExEll]

I dream of being in a Ford dealers showroom and car park 1970 to 1980. 1978 has a special mix of characters, especially if you include the last of the Mk1 Granada Ghia 4-door / coupe / Granada 3.0S in there.

[danthecapriman]

48 minutes ago, sierraman said:

To say 99.99% of late 70’s Fords are long since scrapped it’s a miracle as many VHK plated survived as have. 

I was thinking exactly that looking at the photo of the white Capri above. How the hell it’s survived the press car days, and half a century of shit British winters and that period in the 90’s early 00’s where they were worthless. 
Pure luck or someone loved it and made sure it survived.

My mk2 was absolutely bolloxed by 2001 when I got it. The only reason it’s still here is my refusal to let it die!😄

[sierraman]

Cars were usually fucked by 7-8 years old, folks must have been out every weekend changing exhausts, clutches, welding etc. But then again people were more ‘car people’ back then so maybe there was the enthusiasm to keep them going because they were ex Ford you wouldn’t find now. The SOO Capri survives because it was a bit famous at the time and it was unusually for the time a professionally modified car, most of them at the time would have been total lash ups full of filler. 

[danthecapriman]

Likewise the Sweeney Consul GT. 

How on earth that didn’t end up on the oval I do not know. Someone must have seen some value in keeping it. 
It’s odd though, to think it, and cars like it, were sold off and used as a car just like any other. It must’ve been weird pulling up in Tesco car park and being parked next to the car Regan & Carter were tanking around in! 
Most people probably wouldn’t notice of course!

[sheffcortinacentre]

4 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

VHK 494S is the peppermint green one that survives too. Both early press cars.

No idea if it’s actually true or not, but I’ve heard those early mk3’s used on Fords test/press fleet are actually mk2 shells modified at the factory to become mk3’s.

Quite possible the ,the black Treg mk"5" Ghia EST  used in an episode of the professionals is  modified MK4 .

[danthecapriman]

2 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Quite possible the ,the black Treg mk"5" Ghia EST  used in an episode of the professionals is  modified MK4 .

They usually have odd differences to the normal production versions. I’m sure VHK494S has or had a standard mk2 wiring harness and various other things that were mk2 hangovers the normal mk3 didn’t have. 
It’d be interesting to see how far built they were before being pulled and converted to the new generation model. Obviously a mk2 Capri has a lot of different sheet metal at the front in particular. Likewise the mk4 - 5 Cortina.

[sheffcortinacentre]

The ests it's just front panel, into & mirrors the latter caused problems as the frt door glass is smaller on a 5 as the mirror is on window frame which ment the windows couldn't be wound up on this one.

The saloons used in that series we're all pre-production cars registered in June/July 79 to aid filming ( & free advertising over Christmas when broadcasting began)  as the cars didn't go into production til August for launch in October