Last update: July 10, 2024
Erich Zakowski (Zakspeed) was famous for his well prepared Ford Escorts in both European and German championships. In 1977 his Mampe Escorts challenged to keep up with the BMW 320’s and the turbo charged 2002 from Schnitzer, so for the 1978 season he developed a revolutionary car.
1978 DRM Championship Nürburgring, Zakspeed Capri 1.4 turbo. Ford tuner Zakspeed brought this space frame Capri to the tracks in the second half of the 1978 DRM season. Hans Heyer took 3 pole positions and won the last race of the season at the Nürburgring and would do so, no less than 6 times in the following year.
#52 Hans Heyer (D) – 1st
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.4 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 400 hp. Weight 810 kg. Goodyear tires. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed 001/78
- QUARTZO Q3026 (diecast)
1979 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.4 turbo. For the 1979 season, Heyer got company from Harald Ertl who was allowed to race #1 as he took the title in the previous year in his Schnitzer BMW turbo. His teammate Heyer had about half a year development experience with the car and beat Ertl nearly every time. Heyer won 6 times in division II, Ertl only 2.
#1 Harald Ertl (A) – 1st
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.4 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 420 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 810 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed #002/79
- QUARTZO Q3027 (diecast)
1980 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.7 turbo. 1979 Champion Ludwig (with Kremer Porsche) drove the Zakspeed Super Capri in division I with an enlarged engine. The 1.7 liter Turbo delivered around 570 hp. He won 6 races and finished 3rd in the championship. It could have been better, but the results of the first two races were deleted because the Capri had a too large (illegal) rear wing. Heyer, who drove in Division II became champion with only 2 wins but a more steady season.
#1 Klaus Ludwig (D) – 1st
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.7 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 570 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 850 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed #002/80
- MINICHAMPS MC430 808501 (diecast)
1980 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.4 turbo. Team Zakspeed ran cars in both divisions; Klaus Ludwig with the 1.7 liter version in division I and Klaus Niedzwiedz and Harald Ertl in division II with the 1.4 liter cars. These last two competed with each other, so Hans Heyer could take the title with Lancia.Klaus Niedzwiedz won the race at Zolder in Belgium.
#52 Klaus Niedzwiedz(D) – 1st
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.4 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 420 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 810 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed #001/80
- QUARTZO Q3029 (diecast)
1981 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.4 turbo. Last year, former champion Ludwig drove the Zakspeed Super Capri in division I against the competition of the Porsches. He won 6 races, but finished 3rd in the championship. He returned to division II in 1981 with this 1.4 liter version and won the championship with 10 victories!
#2 Klaus Ludwig (D) – 1st
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.7 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 620 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 810 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed #002/80
- QUARTZO Q3062 (diecast)
1981 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.4 turbo. In division II of the DRM Championship, Ludwig was joined by two teammates: Klaus Niedzwiedz in the D&W Capri won once at the Nürburgring and Jürgen Hamelmann who finished third once.
#3 Klaus Niedzwiedz (D) – 1st
#4 Jürgen Hamelmann (D) – 3rd
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.4 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 420 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 810 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. #001/80 & #002/79
- QUARTZO Q3063 (diecast)
- QUARTZO Q3028 (diecast)
1981 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.7 turbo. Manfred Winkelhock took over from Ludwig in division I in 1981 and won 6 times, just as Ludwig in the year before.
#55 Manfred Winkelhock (D) – 1st
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.7 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 620 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 850 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed #002/80
- QUARTZO Q3039 (diecast)
1981 Norisring, Mustang turbo. Zakspeed built a similar car with a Mustang body to be used by Roush Racing in the IMSA Series. The car only raced once in Europe, in the 1981 Norisring Trophy.
#63 John Paul jr. (USA) – 3rd
Zakspeed / Roush Ford Mustang- 1.7 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 620 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 850 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. unknown
- SPARK Raceland Specials RS1719 (resin)
1982 DRM Championship, Zakspeed Capri 1.7 turbo. In 1982 the German DRM Championship was open for GT’s and Group 6 and C sportscars. Former champion Ludwig started the season in the new Group C Ford C100. The car wasn’t good enough, so he turned to the good old Capri during the season. In the end he again chose for the improved C100 and the Capri ended its beautiful career.
#1 Klaus Ludwig (D) – 3rd
Zakspeed Ford Capri – 1.7 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, pprox. 620 hp. Weight 850 kg. Aluminum space frame, chassisnr. Zakspeed #002/80
Zakspeed Ford C100 – 3.9 liter Ford Cosworth DFL V8 90º injection, approx. 550 hp. Goodyear tires. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr Thompson #003
In 1983, Zakspeed would use the C1/4 which was an improved C100 chassis with the 4-cylinder turbo engine form the Capri.
Zakspeed Ford C1/4 – 1.7 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo, approx. 640 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 860 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr Thompson #003
- 1982 Ford Capri #1 | MINICHAMPS MC400 828501 (diecast)
- 1982 Ford C100 #1 | BIZARRE BZ397 (resin)
- 1983 Zakspeed #5 | SPARK Raceland Specials RS 1102 #488 / 500 pcs (resin)
Not a Ford, but a Zakspeed turbo powered Lotus
1979 Nürburgring Supersprint, Lotus Europa – Zakspeed. 1978 Champion Harald Ertl (with a Schnitzer BMW 320 turbo) drove the Zakspeed Capri in 1979. Besides that, he developed this Lotus Europa Group 5. The road legal Lotus had been available with a 4-cylinder Ford engine, so Ertl put the Zakspeed turbo engine in. Lack of time and funds made that the Lotus wasn’t very well developed and only raced in a few occasions. Mario Ketterer drove it in the season final at the Nürburgring Supersprint but retired.
#22 Mario Ketterer (D) – DNF
Ertl Lotus Europa – 1.4 liter Zakspeed straight-4 turbo – approx. 420 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 820 kg. Aluminum space frame, nr. unknown – based on TOJ sportscar chassis.
- SPARK SG024 (resin)
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