1976 Ford Granada

The Ford Granada was sold from 1975 to 1982 and was originally intended to serve as a replacement for the Ford Maverick. Its design and development began in the mid-1960s and the world drastically changed by the time rubber hit the pavement. The most influential factors of the early 1970s were the increasing safety and emission regulations along with the fuel crisis. These brought about drastic changes to the automotive landscape as safety, size, luxury, and fuel economy became paramount. As the 1960s were coming to a close, Ford began paying more attention to the luxury compact segment, creating a prototype vehicle that later became the production Granada. It was intended to appeal to buyers who were downsizing from a larger intermediate or full-size car but still wanted the same levels of comfort and convenience features.

The Granada used unibody construction, a rear-wheel-drive setup, and a coil-spring front suspension with a leaf-sprung live rear axle. Its 109.9-inch wheelbase was derived from the four-door Ford Maverick with the forward part of the floorpan of the Maverick adopted into the unibody structure, along with elements of the suspension and steering gear. Disc brakes were in the front and drums at the rear, with four-wheel discs available as optional equipment. The standard engine was a 200 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder unit or an optional 250 CID inline-six. A 302 Windsor V8 - that was shared with the Maverick - was also available, along with a 351 Windsor V8 which was solely for the Granada. A three-speed manual transmission was standard and a three-speed automatic was optional. In 1976, a four-speed manual became optional (standard on the 351 V8).

The Ford Granada was introduced for the 1975 model year and positioned between the Maverick and the Torino. It offered few standard features over the Maverick but a larger option list allowing buyers a greater degree of customization. Body styles included a four-door sedan and two-door coupe, both heavily influenced by European styling including Mercedes-Benz. The two-door coupe had a separate roofline and trapezoidal door window with an opera window in the B/C-pillar. In 1978, the Granada received several changes to its design, mostly focusing on its front fascia with a revised grille, rectangular stacked headlamps, and revised taillamp lenses. The side-view mirrors were changed from rectangular to oval.

The Granada Ghia was the top trim level and came with a vinyl roof, upgraded interior, and a wood-trimmed dashboard. The Ford Granada ESS trim was offered from 1978 to 1988.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020