It’s cheap for a good reason, as it is not exactly a collectible’s car, but this first-generation Ford Granada might still attract a passionate enthusiast who sighs every time they see a similar ride drive past them.
Made at two U.S. factories, in New Jersey and Michigan, the Ford Granada came out for the 1975 model year, slotting between the Maverick and Torino. Its development was influenced by the ’73 oil crisis, and it was initially supposed to be a replacement for the Maverick. However, the Blue Oval then repackaged it as a slightly more premium alternative.
It utilized a unibody construction, sharing many traits with the Maverick, Mercury Monarch, and Lincoln Versailles. The engine family comprised four options: a pair of straight-six units and as many V8s. Manual and automatic transmissions were also part of the offering. The first-gen Ford Granada stayed in production until the 1980 model year and was then succeeded by a second generation that lived until 1982.
The latter brought a station wagon body style, too, in addition to the two-door coupe and four-door sedan of its predecessor, and if the coupe sounds rather appealing, then you might be into the pictured example. It features a light blue finish, a blue vinyl interior with woodgrain accents, and has power steering and power brakes.
Photo: Garage Kept Motors
Under the hood lies the 250 ci motor, a straight-six that’s hooked up to an automatic transmission. The car has been decently preserved over the decades, and if you’re wondering why that blue finish looks so shiny, it’s because it is not original. It has a little over 90,000 miles (~145,000 km) under its belt, and that’s not bad at all for a daily driver that was born back in the ‘70s.
Its next owner won’t have to do much work to enjoy it on a constant basis, as almost everything looks good. What they will have to consider, however, is a proper bumper-to-bumper restoration. Nevertheless, this intricate process can wait a few years, and until then, all it needs is gasoline in the tank and regular maintenance.
At $12,900, which is the asking price on Garage Kept Motors, this 1977 Ford Granada makes America’s cheapest new car, the Nissan Versa, look overpriced. The latter has an MSRP of $16,290, and between us, you won’t be able to find that many classic rides that look as good as this one for a similar amount, hence why it likely won’t spend too much time on the used car market.
On the other hand, it’s not part of the exciting lot, either, but then again, if it was, it wouldn’t have been this affordable. Has it convinced you to spend the asking price on it and drive it home?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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