1978 Ford Capri

To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys London event, 1 November 2025.
Offered Without Reserve 60,000 - 90,000 GBP

• Group 1 car constructed by established German touring car team Eichberg Racing
• Contested the 1978 Deutsche Rundstrecken Pokal in the hands of Klaus Niedzwiedz, Dieter Gartmann, Dieter Gustas, and Helmut Dorling
• Finished 12th overall and 6th in class in the 1981 Nrburgring 24 Hours; driven by Otto Sohn, Hanno Schumacher, and Bernhard Schmitz-Moorman
• Fastidiously restored and developed in the current ownership, at a cost exceeding 130,000
• Fitted with a correct Group 1 specification, Ric Wood-tuned Essex V-6 engine and gearbox
• Accompanied by its FIA HTP Papers and original Wagenpass

Having secured back-to-back ETCC titles in 1971 and 1972 in highly developed Group 2 form, the Ford Capri enjoyed further competition success in more modest, ostensibly showroom specification Group 1 guise. This included a hat-trick of victories in the blue riband Spa 24 Hours race between 1978 and 1980.

This particular Group 1 chassis was constructed for the 1978 race season by the Osnabrck-based Eichberg Racing squad. It was one of four such cars employed to contest that years Deutsche Rundstrecken Pokal. An itinerant schedule encompassed visits to Hockenheim, Zolder, and Zandvoort, as well as venues such as Saarlouis and Kassel Calden. At the latter fixture, future Ford Works driver Klaus Niedzwiedz secured victory in the category for over-2,000-cc Group 1B, while Niedzwiedz and Helmut Dorling also contested the 1978 ADAC Grosser Preis Tourenwagen, staged on the Nrburgring Nordschleife.

A similarly varied programme followed in 1979, albeit with the car under the new ownership of Raimund Bisping. Preparation responsibilities remained with Eichberg, with Wulf-Gunter Schumacher memorably driving it to a class victory in Septembers Bilstein Super Sprint at the Nrburgring. Other notable races entered included the ADAC-organised Nrburgring 4 Hours and its 6 Hour counterpart. The former yielded 8th in class for Schumacher and co-driver Bernd Ringshausen. Schumacher remained as the cars principal driver for 1980, which started encouragingly with 2nd in class at Zolder. The Nrburgring 4 Hours presented a superb 2nd overall, while the season ended strongly with class wins at Hockenheim and Siegerland, courtesy of Schumacher and Dieter Gustas respectively.

In 1981, ownership of the car passed to Otto Sohn, who campaigned it under the Scuderia Monestaria Mnster banner but continued to entrust its preparation to Eichberg Racing. Remarkably, over the next six seasons, the car would contest some 39 consecutive races on the Nrburgring Nordschleife, during which time it scored seven class wins, four 2nd places and four 3rd places. The 1983 season was arguably the teams most successful, with Sohn and Herbert Herler securing class victories in VLN-organised events of 4 Hour, 6 Hour and 333-mile duration. A further Nrburgring 24 Hours participation in 1984 in which Sohn and Herler were joined by Rolf Rosenkranz regrettably ended in retirement, although appropriately the cars illustrious competitive career drew to a close at the famous Green Hell in the ADAC Rundstrecken Trophy in April 1986.

Subsequently sold into long-term Dutch ownership in the early 2000s, the car was acquired by the consigning owner in 2022 and has since benefitted from extensive restoration and development by leading specialists Lavant Garage and Westbourne Motorsport respectively, at a cost of over 130,000. This included the fitment of a Ric Wood-tuned engine and gearbox at a cost of some 27,500 which was refreshed in February 2025 at a further cost of 6,500. The car has since competed in just two races, of which one was this years Goodwood Members Meeting, in which it finished a respectable 11th place overall.

Bidders should note that on inspection of the car, a chassis stamp cannot be found, but it is known by its continuous race history as chassis number 23072. It is not known whether the car has been re-shelled, and some parts of its original green race paint can be found beneath its current livery. Accompanied by its original Wagenpass, contemporary literature and FIA HTP Papers, this highly historic car is available for a mere fraction of its restoration cost and is guaranteed to afford its new owner a competitive and affordable introduction to the prestigious events for which it is eligible.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/auctions/lf25/.