6. Ford/Mercury Capri
The success of the Mustang was very influential and inspired most American brands into offering a pony car model of their own. Even in Europe, the Mustang was pretty popular and common, but Ford wanted to explore the market further with a smaller, European version which would be cheaper and more suited to the needs of European buyers. This is how Ford Capri came to be in 1969.
Designed in the UK, the Capri was a European Mustang in every way. Using a “long hood-short deck” formula and semi-fastback styling, Capri looked great and had a fantastic stance. Despite being based on the standard Cortina floorpan and used the same engines, Capri looked like a thoroughbred sport or a muscle car and it was often confused for a US-built Ford. This affordable coupe proved very successful almost the same as the Mustang and sold in millions through its 16-year life span. It was also imported into the USA as Mercury Capri in the mid-`70s.