Why This Car Is Special

The 1985 Mercury Capri was not simply a rebadged Mustang with a different grille. While it shared Ford's Fox platform, the Capri carried its own distinct sheetmetal, its own character, and in this particular configuration, something the standard Mustang convertible of the same year could not offer: the ASC/McLaren treatment. ASC — American Sunroof Corporation — partnered with McLaren Performance Technologies in the mid-1980s to convert Fox-body Mustangs and Capris into premium open-air vehicles. The resulting cars were not dealer add-ons or afterthought conversions. They were engineered upgrades with dedicated interior packages, specific body modifications, and a level of attention to detail that set them apart from anything Ford was building at the retail level.

The 1985 Mercury Capri was in its final production year. Ford discontinued the Capri nameplate after 1986, making the 1985 model part of the last generation of a car that had been in the lineup since 1970 in its original form. The Fox-body version, which ran from 1979 through 1986, was always positioned slightly upmarket from the Mustang — softer lines, a more formal appearance, and a buyer who wanted performance with a bit more refinement. The ASC/McLaren convertible took that philosophy to its logical conclusion: a V8-powered open-top personal luxury car with European-sourced seating and genuine convertible engineering, not a T-top or a targa compromise.

The odometer on this car reads 16,387 miles. That figure alone tells a substantial story about how this car has been treated and what condition you can expect to find throughout.

Features List

• 5.0L EFI HO V8 engine
• Automatic transmission
• ASC/McLaren Edition — documented rare variant
• Power convertible top
• Navy blue convertible top
• Tonneau cover
• ASC/McLaren custom alloy wheels
• Recaro leather bucket seats with headrest-mounted speakers
• Wood grain dash and console
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Tachometer and full gauge cluster
• Vehicle warning display (lamp outage and low fuel monitoring panel)
• AM/FM cassette stereo
• Center console
• Rear storage compartments
• Louvered hood
• Power door locks
• Power windows
• Power steering
• Air conditioning
• Front disc brakes
• Flowmaster exhaust with polished tip
• Navy blue carpet
• Solid, clean undercarriage

Mechanical

Under the louvered hood sits Ford's 5.0 Liter EFI H.O. V8, the same engine that was reviving the Mustang's performance reputation throughout the mid-1980s. In 1985, this engine was rated at 210 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque in EFI form, delivered through electronic fuel injection rather than a carburetor — an important distinction that made the 5.0 HO more tractable in daily use and more responsive at partial throttle than the carbureted versions that preceded it. The air cleaner on this car still wears its original "5.0 Liter E.F.I. H.O." decal, and the engine bay presents as a genuine, unmodified example with its original layout intact.

Backing the V8 is a three-speed automatic transmission, which was the appropriate pairing for the ASC/McLaren package targeting the personal luxury buyer rather than the track-day enthusiast. Power goes to the rear axle via a driveshaft and solid rear axle, consistent with the Fox-body's known configuration. Front disc brakes handle primary stopping duty, with drums at the rear.

The exhaust has been upgraded with a Flowmaster muffler — clearly visible under the car during the lift inspection — exiting through a polished tip at the passenger-side rear. The undercarriage photographs tell the most important story: the floor pans are solid, the frame rails are straight, the subframe components are well-preserved, and there is no evidence of patch panels, rot, or accident repair. This is the kind of undercarriage that takes years of searching to find on a 40-year-old convertible. Power steering is present and assists what is otherwise the Fox platform's familiar and direct rack setup.

Interior

The ASC/McLaren interior package is the centerpiece of what makes this 1985 Mercury Capri worth serious attention. At the heart of it are a pair of genuine Recaro leather bucket seats in navy blue — not aftermarket replacements, but seats that ASC sourced and installed as part of the conversion. The Recaro badges are intact on both headrests, and the leather, while showing the natural softening and light creasing that comes with aged leather on a low-mileage car, retains its structure and original color. These seats were a significant selling point when the car was new; Recaro was already the gold standard for European-influenced performance seating in 1985, and their presence in the Capri was a genuine differentiator.

Each headrest contains a speaker, which routes sound from the AM/FM cassette stereo directly to the occupants even with the top down — a practical engineering solution that ASC understood would matter to open-air drivers. The dashboard is finished in genuine wood grain spanning the full width of the instrument panel, matched by wood grain on the center console. This gives the interior a warmth that contrasts effectively with the navy blue leather and carpet. The leather-wrapped steering wheel centers the driver's view of a full gauge cluster, including a large tachometer, speedometer, oil pressure, temperature, fuel, and amp gauges — all set into the wood grain fascia.

Below the main gauge cluster sits the vehicle warning display, a period-specific feature that monitors tail lights, brake lights, headlights, washer fluid, and low fuel via a lighted diagram of the car's outline. This was Ford's approach to a simplified systems monitoring panel, and it remains intact and readable on this example. The center console runs the length of the cabin between the Recaro seats, housing the automatic shifter and providing a natural division between driver and passenger. Rear storage compartments are built into the area behind the seats, trimmed in matching navy blue material. The navy blue carpet throughout the cabin is original and clean, consistent with the low mileage. Power windows and power door locks are operated from switches mounted in the door panels, which retain their original navy blue vinyl and lower carpet inserts in excellent condition.

Exterior

This 1985 Mercury Capri presents in white with a navy blue power convertible top — a two-tone combination that works particularly well on the Capri's formal, European-influenced body lines. The ASC/McLaren conversion included a properly engineered power convertible top mechanism rather than the manual setup used on some lower-tier conversions of the era. A matching navy blue tonneau cover is included to protect the folded top when the car is driven open. The top itself is navy blue, coordinating with the carpet and interior leather to create a consistent color theme throughout the car.

The ASC/McLaren custom alloy wheels are a lattice-style design that was specific to this package — not a standard Ford wheel option — finished in white to match the body. They are sized to fill the wheel openings appropriately for the era and are mounted with P205/65R15 tires. The louvered hood is a functional and visual feature that distinguishes the ASC/McLaren Capri from the standard production car. The hood's parallel louvers run laterally across the upper surface, giving the front of the car a purposeful appearance that complements the relatively low, wedge-shaped nose of the Fox body.

The body panels present well at low mileage. The white paint shows the depth and panel gaps of a car that has not been resprayed. The rear fascia, which is a clean horizontal design with a full-width character line, is intact with no cracking or damage. The exhaust tip exits at the lower right of the rear bumper and has been polished. From any angle, this is a car that has been stored and preserved rather than used as daily transportation.

Conclusion

The 1985 Mercury Capri ASC/McLaren Convertible with the 5.0 EFI HO V8 is the kind of vehicle that rarely surfaces in this condition. At 16,387 miles, with a solid undercarriage, original Recaro leather, intact wood grain trim, a functioning power top, and a documented ASC/McLaren package, this car occupies a very specific and increasingly narrow category: a survivor Fox-body convertible built by people who were trying to make something genuinely special. The Mercury Capri nameplate did not survive 1986. The ASC/McLaren edition was never a high-volume vehicle. Finding one of these in white over navy, with the 5.0 HO, at this mileage, in this structural condition, is not something that happens often.

To learn more about this 1985 Mercury Capri ASC/McLaren Convertible or to schedule a time to see it in person, call Skyway Classics at 941-254-6608. We are located in Sarasota, Florida, and we are happy to assist with transportation arrangements for out-of-state buyers.

Disclaimer

Information found on the website is presented as given to us by the owner of the car, whether on consignment or from the owner we bought it from. Some Photos, materials for videos, descriptions and other information are provided by the consignor/seller and is deemed reliable, but Skyway Classics does not warranty or guarantee this information. Skyway Classics is not responsible for information that may incorrect or a publishing error. The decision to purchase should be based solely on the buyers personal inspection of the vehicle or by a professional inspection service prior to offer or purchase being made.