POLISHED to a high shine and glistening in the sunlight, you could almost believe this Ford Capri GT Mark I rolled off the production line yesterday.
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Instead, it is a rare survivor, having been built in 1969 and purchased in a sorry state in 1992.
It was full of gum leaves, beset by rust and sitting idle on a bush block, before being bought and restored by Murray Mansfield and his sons Derek and Craig.
The car was returned to its former glory over a two-year period and took its place on Sunday among 26 other vehicles that cruised through Bendigo to mark the 40th anniversary of the Capri Car Club.
The cruise included a rare imported Mark III which was built in Germany.
A heavily modified Mark I, with a V8 engine and modified suspension, won the award for best car in show. The owners were Tony and Nancy Heath, of Camperdown. The award for best hardtop went to Max and Margy Christian of Kerang.
The Capri proved hugely popular after it was released in the 1960s and continued being made, in some form, until the early '90s.
"They're very different to modern cars," Mr Mansfield said. "Restoring them can become a labour of love. And you can spiral into rivalries. There was a huge rivalry between the Ford Capri and the Holden Torana."
A barbecue at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens on Monday capped off four days of activities to celebrate the club's formation in 1982.
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