Manufacturer Ford Europe Successor Ford Scorpio | Class Executive car (E) | |
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Production Cologne: 1972–1994
Dagenham: 1972–1976 Predecessor Ford Zephyr & Zodiac
Ford 17M/20M/26M | ||
The European Ford Granada is a large executive car that was manufactured by Ford Europe from 1972 until 1994.
Contents
The first-generation model was produced from 1972 to 1976 at Ford’s German factory in Cologne and at its British factory in Dagenham. In 1976, production switched entirely to Germany. The original version was replaced in 1977 by a second-generation model which was produced until 1985. From 1985 to 1994, the Granada name was used, in the United Kingdom and Ireland only, for a third-generation model which was sold in other European markets as the Ford Scorpio.
Mark I (1972–1977)
The March 1972-released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul. This may have been because of a lawsuit by Granada Group a major British conglomerate of the time; however, their application for an injunction failed at appeal and they could not prevent Ford registering the name Granada as a trademark thus from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet, and police use. It was also converted into limousine and hearse versions by the British companies Coleman Milne and Woodall Nicholson. Traditional four-door limousines were offered (both long and short versions) alongside an unusual four-door "coupé limousine" (only 12 built), as well as hearses in either two- or four-door configurations.
Mechanically, the European Granada conformed to Ford convention, the initial range using the Ford Essex V4 unit in 2.0 L displacement, and the Essex V6 engine in 2.5 and 3.0 L capacities. German models employed a Ford Taunus V4 engine in 1.7 L displacement, or the 3.0L Essex V6, or, more commonly the Cologne V6 in 2.0, 2.3, or 2.6 L capacities. The V4 was later replaced by the Pinto unit. The car generally followed mechanical layout of its predecessors Ford Zephyr/Zodiac, using a coil-spring independent rear end, although front MacPherson struts were replaced by double wishbones, introduced 18 months earlier in smaller TC Cortina and Taunus. However, the Granada – like Ford 17M/20M/26M – featured drum brakes at rear, as opposed to the Zephyr/Zodiac rear disc brakes.
The car was available as a four-door saloon, a five-door estate (Turnier), and a two-door fastback coupé. The early (1972–73) coupé had slightly different sheet metal - a more pronounced coke bottle styling. In 1974, the coupé was revised, with straighter lines. A two-door saloon joined the range in May 1973, reducing the entry-level advertised German price of the car by 415 Marks, but the two-door saloon version was never produced nor officially sold in the UK. A revised coupé was sold only in Ghia trim in the UK, and elsewhere in all trims with all engines available. This was the reverse of the situation with the TC Cortina and Taunus, where the British model had the "coke-bottle" styling. In continental Europe, the 1976-1977 Granadas were also available with the fuel-injected Cologne V6, producing 150 PS (110 kW).
In South Africa, the Granada Perana V8, built by Basil Green Motors, was available through Ford dealers with the 302 cu in (4.9 L) Windsor V8 engine, developing 255 PS (188 kW; 252 hp) and 405 N·m (299 lb·ft) at 2600 rpm. Most Granadas in South Africa, however, were fitted with the 3.0 L six. The 2.5 L V6 was also offered, although this model was discontinued in 1975 as the six-cylinder Cortina increased in sales. The Granada was introduced to South Africa in late 1972 in 3000 GXL automatic trim, with other models (3000 XL, Coupé, 2500 L) to follow. The coupé was the last model planned, with a scheduled introduction for May 1973. The Granada replaced both the Australian-made Falcon (sold as a "Fairmont" locally) and the 20M of German origins.
Mark II (1977–1985)
The square and straight-lined Granada Mark II was released in August 1977 and was produced until April 1985 following a mild facelift and attention to drivetrain noise, vibration, and harshness in 1982. It was a development of the previous car, the main differences being the "Cologne" V6 engine in 2.0, 2.3, and 2.8 L forms replacing the older "Essex" unit (which had never been offered in the Cologne-built Granadas), and the introduction of features such as air conditioning and, for the top-priced 2.8-litre versions, fuel-injection. In mainland Europe, a 1.7 L V4 was originally available. By the time of its introduction, UK Granada production had been quietly abandoned "for some time"; UK market Granada IIs were imported from Germany. Internally within Ford, the "Cologne" 1.7, 2.0, 2.3, and 2.8 units were the last derivatives of the 'V-Taunus' range of engines.
The coupé was discontinued when the new model began production, although there was a two-door saloon version in certain European markets. A relatively low number of vehicles were also produced with an Indenor four-cylinder diesel engine in 1.9-, 2.1- and 2.5-litre capacities. Originally only available as four-door sedans (the later 2.5 also as an estate), most of these went to taxi operators, and few survive. The smallest 1.9 was quite underpowered and was soon replaced by the somewhat more powerful 2.1, which was presented as the "Granada GLD" in March 1979 at Geneva. By 1982, this was replaced by the more capable 2.5.
Fuel-injected 2.8 models were originally offered with an 'S' pack or GL trip. In 1979, both versions were replaced by the 2.8i GLS. Today early injection models are particularly rare. The 2.8i S model being immortalised by the vehicle used in the TV series 'The Sweeney'. Changes for 1980 were limited to new colours and new, more comfortable seats.
As the range matured with a facelift for 1981, another two models were introduced. In the UK, a sports-based Granada was introduced as the Granada 2.8 Injection which had white alloy wheels with Michelin TRX tyres, uprated suspension, a Recaro sport interior, front valance and bootlid spoilers, colour coded bumpers, front foglamps, and blackened trim. This model used the 2.8 "injected" engine from the UK Ghia model range. Towards the end of its production run, the introduction of the 2.0 and 2.3 LX saloon and estate UK marketing packs provided versions with a slightly higher specification than the "base" L models. Also towards the end of the production run, trim was used which had GL trim offered briefly on vehicles with 2.0 engines and Ghia trim available on 2.3 litre engine vehicles. These two variants are particularly rare. Late production versions also had Ghia trim offered on a diesel engine model with the introduction of the 2.5 D Ghia.
A special Ford of Britain-only marketing pack edition of the Ghia X model was later introduced as the "Ford Granada Ghia X Executive" which standardised luxury appointments such as the high-grade Connolly Leather interior that had previously been an optional fitment. Further refinements such an electric slide and tilt sunroof, electric boot release on saloons, electric seat adjustment, heated seats, trip computer, and air conditioning set the Granada Ghia X above most other cost-comparable executive cars available in the UK in the early '80s. The special "Taxi" edition was available only in black, which included a foot-operated "panic button" in the driver's footwell which would operate the alarm system. In addition to these two models, the range was complemented by estate models which reflected the same appointment levels as the entire saloon range, including the Ghia X, but not the Ghia X Executive model.
The full model range was: 1977-81 2.0 L, 2.1 D, 2.3 L, 2.3 GL, 2.5 D L, 2.8 GL, 2.8 Ghia, 2.8i S, 2.8i GL, 2.8i GLS, 2.8i Ghia.
1981-1985 2.0 L, 2.0 LX, 2.0 GL, 2.3 L, 2.3 LX, 2.3 GL, 2.3 Ghia, 2.5 D L, 2.5 D Ghia, 2.8 GL, 2.8 Ghia, 2.8 Ghia X, 2.8i Ghia, 2.8i Ghia X, 2.8i Ghia X Executive, 2.8 Injection.
Special models
Ford subcontracted assembly to Hyundai Motor Company in South Korea for sales in that market, where it continued to be sold from October 1978 to 1986 when it gave way to the Hyundai Grandeur instead of smaller European Fords like the Sierra and Escort. Production ended in December 1985, after 4,743 had been built. The car originally received a 2.0-liter V6 engine with a two-barrel Solex carburetor, but after 1980, the more economical 2-litre four-cylinder was also available. The Granada competed with the Saehan Rekord, as well as the Peugeot 604, imported by Kia Motors. Chung Mong-pil, the eldest son of Hyundai's founder Chung Ju-yung, died in a car accident in a Granada.
Additionally, hearses were offered by outside conversion companies, as well as a series of four-door limousines built by Coleman Milne. These included the slightly stretched "Minster" 15 cm, and the 68 cm longer "Dorchester" and better equipped "Grosvenor". As of autumn 1982, the Dorchester was also available in an estate version with elongated rear doors, called the "Windsor".
Mark III (1985–1994)
In April 1985, the third-generation car arrived, which was essentially a rebadged Ford Scorpio, the Granada name being used in both Ireland and the United Kingdom only, with the Scorpio badge (which covered the whole range in Continental Europe) being used instead as a trim designation for the top of the range models. The Mark III Granada was the first European volume production model to have antilock brakes fitted as standard across the range.
Engine options included the familiar SOHC Pinto engine, in either tax-barrier undercutting 1.8 L form, or a more powerful 2-litre version with fuel injection available. The Cologne V6 engines were carried over from the previous range in short-lived (and not much more powerful than the 2 L Pinto) 2.4 L, and 2.8 L (later 2.9 L) capacities. In 1991, a new range-topping vehicle was introduced, the Scorpio 24-valve. It featured a 2.9 L Cologne engine that had been extensively reworked by Cosworth Engineering and featured quad camshafts and 24 valves, enough for 200 bhp (150 kW). According to Ford, this gave a 0-60 mph time of 8.1 seconds and top speed of 140 mph (230 km/h).
This version of the Granada continued the "Ford family" styling concept from the previous versions; this time, the car superficially resembled a larger version of the Cortina's successor, the Ford Sierra. It had followed the precedent set by both the Sierra and the Escort Mk III in changing from the angular saloon styling of their predecessors to an advanced aerodynamic hatchback body style.
The Ford Granada Mk III was the last car to bear the iconic Granada badge in the UK and Ireland, being replaced in 1994 with the Pan-European Scorpio. The Scorpio shared its platform doors and roof with the Mk III Granada and these elements of the cars design were unremarkable. The styling of the nose and tail sections suffered from the application of the Ford Ovoid design school being used across the Ford range in the 1990s. On the Scorpio, this appeared as a large gaping mouth, ‘bug’-eyed headlights, and a bulbous boot. A 1998 redesign did nothing to save it from being axed the same year with total European sales only 95,587 units.