Ford Capri II vs Toyota Celica vs Vauxhall HP Firenza: style on a budget

By Simon Hucknall

| 13 Oct 2025

Classic & Sports Car – Ford Capri II vs Toyota Celica vs Vauxhall Firenza: style on a budget

In 1973, the arrival of a new Toyota Crown raised eyebrows in our middle-England cul-de-sac, where most driveways were decorated with conservatively styled British products, plus the occasional Fiat or Renault.

But even these daring entries were wholly conventional in comparison to the Crown.

Our neighbour Heinz Minor’s example was orange, vast and, to an impressionable eight-year-old, its neo-American design smacked of the Detroit metal that served as a backdrop to every American TV detective show at the time.

The Toyota Celica has transatlantic styling

Festooned with gadgets and switches inside, the Crown purred into life without drama every morning as Heinz would leave for work, its impregnable reliability anathema to his co-residents.

Sure, after a year its body panels were oxidising, and the British car press was rightly sniffy about the Toyota’s dubious handling.

But there was no doubt that the Japanese had started to carve a niche in Britain and Europe with their durable, easy to live with and generously appointed motor cars. The invasion had begun.

The Toyota Celica 1600 ST’s steering feel on turn-in is notable by its absence

The Celica, being more compact and not quite so glitzy, was a more palatable entry from Toyota into the hearts and minds of British car buyers.

It arrived at a time when the concept of a practical four-seater coupé, powered by a fairly frugal four-pot motor, found appeal among drivers looking for sexier styling and decent poke, yet with little compromise versus a saloon.

Ford had mastered the class years before with the launch of the Capri in 1969, and by 1974 its revised model brought greater modernity and the added versatility of a rear hatch.

This Ford Capri II 2.0S has been restored

Arch-rival Vauxhall had also joined the fray in 1971 with the Viva-based Firenza; two years later it launched the more gutsy ‘Droopsnoot’ model, adding further allure to the range.

But, while all three contenders targeted similar buyers, they each offered a very different ownership experience.

Toyota had launched the Celica (and the Carina saloon, with which it shared a platform and most mechanicals) at the Tokyo motor show in October 1970.

The Vauxhall HP Firenza is feisty and demands attention from its driver

The Celica hit the UK showrooms in May the following year, priced at £1351, just £60 more than the equivalent Capri – the 1600 GT – at the time.

But its fulsome kit levels more than compensated: a steering lock, heated rear ’screen, pushbutton radio, clock, hazard flashers, tinted glass and a well-stocked instrument cluster were all standard.

With its ‘pony car’ design, the Celica looked cool and was very much en vogue, belying its rather more humble Carina underpinnings.

The Toyota Celica 1600 ST’s 1.6-litre ‘four’ makes 100bhp

Power came from a five-bearing version of Toyota’s 1588cc, short-stroke, four-cylinder 2T engine, with an aluminium-alloy cylinder head and hemispherical combustion chambers, while the valvegear was operated by crossover pushrods from a single, high-mounted side camshaft.

Twin Mikuni-Solex sidedraught carburettors gave the engine a lift over the Carina’s single-carb set-up, with a 100bhp maximum arriving at 6000rpm and 109lb ft at 4200rpm.

Enough, according to Autocar, to hit 60mph in 11.5 secs and go on to 105mph.

Is the Toyota Celica 1600 ST the best-looking coupé of this trio?

Underneath, the Celica’s suspension was by MacPherson struts up front and by a well-located, four-link live axle with coil springs at the rear.

‘Our’ car, belonging to serial Celica owner Phil Williamson, is a late TA22-series model registered in 1976, a year before production switched to the next-generation car.

It picks up the mid-cycle revisions made in 1974, including larger pads for its front brake discs, a sealed cooling system and flared wheelarches.

A new design of 13in steel wheel was also introduced at the time, but Phil has since fitted age-appropriate 14in Wolfrace slot-mags – a common upgrade.

Toyota’s four-seat coupé uses chrome to stand out

Of our trio, the Celica is by far the most Americanised in visual terms, unsurprising given that market’s importance to Toyota.

But that’s by no means a criticism, and to my eyes its deep C-pillars, flush-fitting bumpers and pillarless glasshouse make it the prettiest car here, especially when viewed in profile.

That extends to the cabin, too: trimmed throughout, here in a mix of cream and brown, with not an inch of metal showing, the Celica’s interior looks like something from the class above and knocks the efforts of Vauxhall and Ford into a cocked hat.

The Toyota Celica 1600 ST’s cabin is luxurious

In the driver’s seat, you face an attractive three-spoke steering wheel, with a choice of horn buttons – for town or country – on each spoke.

A broad instrument binnacle, with two main and three auxiliary dials, is logically laid out and sits atop a high transmission tunnel and centre stack, looking sporty and focused for the driver.

Which is not quite the impression you get as you drive away.

Despite having the sweetest gearshift of the trio (this car features the optional five-speed ’box), the Celica’s manual recirculating-ball steering, while pleasantly light, inspires little confidence from the off.

The Toyota Celica 1600 ST was fitted with high levels of equipment

There’s play around the straight-ahead, while on turn-in it reveals little about what the front wheels are doing.

Combined with moderate grip from both axles when you start to explore the car’s limits, it somehow flies in the face of the Celica’s aesthetic.

Treat it as a cruiser, however, and the Toyota makes more sense.

The driving position is excellent, and as you work your way through the light, precise gearshift, the twin-carb ‘four’ sounds and feels peppy, with minimal vibration and a willingness to spin towards its 6500rpm redline.

This Toyota Celica has a five-speed gearbox

You’d never call this Toyota fast (a more potent, double-overhead-cam GT model joined the ST in 1973), but that hardly matters.

The pleasure you derive is more from how well-engineered everything feels, from when you press down on the light and progressive clutch, to flicking up the Celica’s right-hand indicator stalk; there’s a general cohesiveness in the controls that’s hard enough to find in a modern car, let alone one from 50 years ago.

By the time Ford launched the Capri II in 1974, it was hot on the Celica’s tail for user-friendliness.

Nicely weighted steering and a simple chassis set-up make the Ford Capri II 2.0S engaging to drive along a B-road

Philip Thomas Clark’s original design had looked exotic, glamorous and perfectly in keeping with the burgeoning jet-set age; it really did have buyers believing it was the car they had always promised themselves.

And, like the launch of the Mustang in the United States, it was a particularly astute marketing ploy, because beneath the Capri’s rakish bodywork lay very basic, tried-and-tested underpinnings, making it cheap to produce and simple to maintain.

Independent suspension by MacPherson struts looked after the front end, while a live axle supported by cart springs was the none-too-sophisticated arrangement at the rear – and it didn’t change throughout the Capri’s long career.

The striped seat trim in this Ford Capri lifts the cabin

The Ford Capri II was the result of the one major redesign the model had during its 17-year life (1978’s Capri MkIII was more of a cosmetic facelift).

Introduced in February 1974, the new version was identifiable visually by its more rectangular headlights, shorter bonnet and large, opening rear hatch that brought added practicality for families.

Inside, the Capri II had a slightly more salubrious cabin, as well as a refreshed and more modern-looking dashboard and instruments, plus a smaller steering wheel.

The Ford Capri II’s 2-litre Pinto engine improved drivability over the V4

Mechanically, the most important change was the adoption of the 100bhp 2-litre Pinto ‘four’, which replaced the aged and not particularly refined 2-litre V4 that had served the car through its first generation.

The new, overhead-camshaft unit provided an important improvement to the Capri’s drivability and performance, with Ford now claiming a 0-60mph time of 10.4 secs and a maximum speed of 106mph.

Peter Todd’s impeccably restored 1977 2.0S is – quite literally – a shining example of a Capri from its prime era.

Purchased new by an RAF pilot, it eventually went with him to a posting in Germany for some years.

The Ford Capri II 2.0S has plenty of grip, which hampers playfulness

After suffering ill health in 1999, the owner put the car into storage for the next 20 years, eventually selling it to Peter in 2019.

The Capri then underwent a full nut-and-bolt restoration to the condition you see here.

While it isn’t a limited-edition JPS model, the car’s black bodywork with gold pinstriping certainly looks the part, adding to a more aggressive and purposeful stance than the Celica.

Inside, as with the Toyota, the driving position is first-class, with the small, three-spoke steering wheel embossed in the centre with twin chequered flags to provide a veneer of sportiness.

The steering wheel’s flags hint at the Ford Capri II’s sporting aspirations

The slab of dash behind it is quite bland after the Celica’s, but the S model’s rather fetching striped fabric trim – along with the practicality of split, folding rear seats – goes some way to compensate.

On the road, the Capri immediately feels like a more substantial car, from the weight of its steering to the way its chassis interacts with the road’s surface (although it is barely 80kg heavier than the lighter-feeling Celica).

Pick up speed across our fast B-road test route and, while there’s an abundance of grip from the chunky, 13in 175/70 Pirellis – actually, a bit too much of it to be truly entertaining through the twisties – the Capri’s old-school rear end runs out of ideas relatively early on, which in turn tempers your enthusiasm.

Ford’s Capri II was launched in 1974

Subjectively, the Capri’s Pinto feels torquier at lower revs versus the Toyota, although there’s little between them on paper: the Ford’s 113lb ft at 4000rpm just pips the Celica’s 109lb ft at 4200rpm.

That is just as well, though, since the Ford engine, working through a typically slick and enjoyable four-speed ’box, starts to sound agricultural when extended.

But keep it below 4000rpm, enjoy the view over the long, power-bulged bonnet and the Capri would make a superb long-distance companion.

The Vauxhall HP Firenza ‘Droopsnoot’ has a very distinct front end

Which was not what Vauxhall had in mind when it introduced the HP (High Performance) Firenza, known as the Droopsnoot.

The Firenza had first been conceived to take on the Capri, arriving in the UK in 1971 with a range of engines from 1159cc to (the following year) 1759, 1975 and 2279cc, all based on the Viva HC saloon’s platform.

However, in 1973 the larger-engined Firenzas were renamed Magnum Coupés, leaving the new HP Firenza as the sole bearer of the nameplate.

The Vauxhall HP Firenza’s distinctive nose is most obvious in profile

This was no one-off special edition, either, with Vauxhall seeing it as the cornerstone of its return to motorsport, supported by the DTV (Dealer Team Vauxhall) network and the likes of tuner Bill Blydenstein and legendary driver Gerry Marshall.

The new model was even launched to much fanfare at Thruxton Circuit, with a non-championship race for pro drivers all piloting stock HPFs.

Vauxhall had done a proper job in separating the Droopsnoot from the Magnum, too.

Luton’s 2.3-litre, overhead-cam slant-four was uprated with twin Stromberg 175CD-2SE carburettors, plus hand-finished combustion chambers, inlet tracts and valve throats to make 131bhp – 21bhp more than the Magnum’s equivalent unit.

This Vauxhall HP Firenza’s engine sports a high-lift camshaft and non-standard Weber carburettors

Delivered to the four-link, coil-sprung live axle through a ZF five-speed gearbox, it was also the first Griffin-badged car with a fifth ratio, and the first to achieve a sub-10-second 0-60mph time – of 9.4 secs – on the way to a top speed of 120mph.

The Firenza’s chassis was upgraded with stiffer springs and dampers, plus bigger brakes, while Vauxhall’s American design chief, Wayne Cherry, created the signature streamlined nosecone, which begat the Droopsnoot epithet.

Made from moulded, glassfibre-reinforced plastic, the distinctive appendage, incorporating a set of four Cibié headlights, was said to improve aerodynamics, but it also provided Britain’s ’70s car landscape with one of its most memorable styling cues.

The Vauxhall HP Firenza’s dramatic rear strip

Alas, Vauxhall’s ambitious plans to sell 1000 HP Firenzas per year were scuppered by the Yom Kippur War and the ensuing oil crisis; in the end, just 235 were produced, including 14 prototypes and 14 export models.

Clive Cannon’s 1975-registered car is thought to be one of only 50-60 that survive today.

Sold new to DTV driver John Haden and campaigned as a rally car in its early days, it has been owned by Clive for the past 15 years, during which time it has been subtly modified in keeping with what many would have done in period.

As such, the Strombergs have been replaced by Weber 45s, and the cylinder head is a works item with a high-lift camshaft.

The Vauxhall HP Firenza’s simple interior feels relatively low-rent compared with the Ford and Toyota’s cabins

Externally, it presents yet another contrasting design approach: its lower body betrays the HPF’s modest, Viva-derived origins, but the graceful sweep of its glasshouse in profile sets it apart from the urbane saloon.

The Avon Safety Wheels (here gold rather than the original grey) add another unique touch.

Inside, while the dashboard and binnacle appear the most modern from our trio, the material quality, appointments and build quality of the Vauxhall cabin are a step or three down from the Ford and Toyota, not helped by swathes of cheap black vinyl throughout.

You tend to let that pass on start-up, though.

The potent Vauxhall HP Firenza is easily the quickest on the road

Engage a dog-leg first in the ZF ’box and start to motor off, and you soon realise the HPF is a force to be reckoned with.

Its hardcore, brutish demeanour demands greater physical effort to drive quickly after the Capri and Celica, from the agricultural quality of the ZF’s shift to the weight of, and kickback through, the wheel.

That it’s by far the fastest and most capable car on our test route is no surprise.

It dispatches short straights accompanied by a glorious, Weber-induced snarl from the slant-four, brakes powerfully on the approach to bends, and corners adroitly, with minimal body movement and a nicely balanced transition from under- to oversteer on tighter corners.

This Ford Capri II’s paintjob apes the limited-edition JPS model

There’s no doubt that this car demands your absolute effort and attention but, having driven many miles in a standard model in the past, it’s safe to say that a regular HPF would be 20% less focused and intense than this one.

Nonetheless, the Firenza remains the wild card of our trio – and the most expensive, costing £2625 in October 1974, when both the Capri (2000GT at the time) and Celica were less than £2000.

Money aside, all three were, in one form or another, practical four-seater, two-door coupés from the same class, offering markedly different approaches to the same concept.

The Toyota Celica 1600 ST is more of a cruiser than an out-and-out sports car

Which to choose today?

For rarity and driver engagement the Vauxhall HP Firenza stands alone, even in standard guise.

I admire the Ford Capri for its no-nonsense technology, and the comfort and practicality of its cabin.

But the intelligently engineered and neatly styled Toyota Celica wins the day for being the best real-world classic car.

Images: Max Edleston

Thanks to: Capri Mk2 Register; Droop Snoot Group

Factfiles

Ford Capri II 2.0S

Sold/number built 1974-’78/568,357
Construction steel monocoque
Engine all-iron, sohc 1993cc ‘four’, single twin-choke Weber 32/36 carburettor
Max power 98bhp @ 5200rpm
Max torque 113lb ft @ 4000rpm
Transmission four-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by MacPherson struts, lower links rear live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs, telescopic dampers; anti-roll bar f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 14ft 3in (4343mm)
Width 5ft 7in (1701mm)
Height 4ft 3in (1295mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 5in (2565mm)
Weight 2304lb (1045kg)
0-60mph 10.8 secs
Top speed 106mph
Mpg 25.6
Price new £1963 (1974)
Price now £8-20,000*

Toyota Celica 1600 ST

Sold/number built 1970-’77/1.1 million (est, all Celica Mk1s)
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, sohc 1588cc ‘four’, twin 40mm Mikuni-Solex carburettors
Max power 100bhp @ 6000rpm
Max torque 109lb ft @ 4200rpm
Transmission five-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar rear live axle, four trailing links, Panhard rod, coil springs, telescopic dampers
Steering recirculating ball
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 13ft 4in (4064mm)
Width 5ft 3in (1600mm)
Height 4ft 4in (1320mm)
Wheelbase 7ft 11½in (2425mm)
Weight 2128lb (966kg)
0-60mph 11.5 secs
Top speed 105mph
Mpg 28
Price new £1806 (1974)
Price now £10-30,000*

Vauxhall HP Firenza

Sold/number built 1973-’75/235
Construction steel monocoque
Engine iron-block, alloy-head, sohc 2279cc ‘four’, twin Stromberg 175CD-2SE carburettors
Max power 131bhp @ 5500rpm
Max torque 145lb ft @ 3500rpm
Transmission five-speed manual, RWD
Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones rear live axle, trailing and semi-trailing links; coil springs, telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar f/r
Steering rack and pinion
Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
Length 13ft 6in (4114mm)
Width 5ft 4in (1625mm)
Height 4ft 7in (1397mm)
Wheelbase 8ft 1in (2463mm)
Weight 2237lb (1015kg)
0-60mph 9.4 secs
Top speed 120mph
Mpg 22
Price new £2625 (1974)
Price now £12-25,000*