Some enthusiasts place the idea of owning a classic in the too-hard basket when they have a family. However, cars like this 1972 Ford LTD Brougham offer luxury, comfort, and enough room to seat six comfortably. This is a genuine survivor that was revived by the seller after years in storage. It presents nicely and is ready for action with a new owner behind the wheel. The seller has listed the LTD here on eBay in Brandon, Mississippi. They have set their BIN at $9,500 with the option to make an offer.
Ford introduced its Second Generation LTD range in 1969, with the Brougham Package joining the party in 1970. The first owner ordered this LTD Brougham in 1972, choosing stunning Ginger Glow Metallic paint to cloak its exterior. They teamed that shade with a Brown vinyl top and subtle Gold “dual accent” pinstripes. The overall effect is classy and would have allowed the car to turn heads in its glory days. The seller is the car’s third owner, purchasing the vehicle from someone who located it in an estate sale. The overall presentation is consistent with a survivor that has been treated respectfully. The paint has some minor defects but, with no significant dings or dents, there are no cosmetic issues requiring immediate attention. The seller mentions the presence of rust, although they don’t elaborate on its location. However, they emphasize that this isn’t a rust bucket, suggesting that any existing problems may be relatively minor. The trim and tinted glass look extremely nice, and the damage-prone deluxe hubcaps are excellent.
This LTD’s interior could stand as one of the car’s highlights. The first owner trimmed it in vinyl and cloth with a brocade pattern, and the only issues worth noting are slight carpet fading and wear on the outer edge of the driver’s seat. The new owner could prevent further deterioration by fitting a slipcover, although an admittedly brief online search uncovered a reproduction seatcover in the correct materials and color for under $500. If the buyer added $220 for a carpet set, the interior would present nicely. The dash is excellent, the pad is crack-free, and the faux woodgrain hasn’t faded or lifted. The seller rebuilt the air conditioning system so that it blows ice-cold. Other creature comforts include a power trunk release, and an AM radio and tape player.
The range-topping engine offered to 1972 LTD buyers was the 429ci V8. The first owner teamed this motor with a three-speed automatic transmission and power assistance for the steering and front disc brakes. Ford’s Dealer Bulletin quotes a power figure of 208hp, which sounds modest for such a big powerplant. However, it is worth noting that American manufacturers had transitioned from quoting power in gross to net terms by the time this LTD left the factory, so performance was better than the output might suggest. The seller states that this classic spent years in storage, but they have splashed plenty of cash to ensure it is in excellent health for its new owner. They replaced the fuel tank, carburetor, shocks, tires, belts, and hoses. The front end was completely rebuilt, as was the braking system. There is a list of smaller tasks that they completed, resulting in this classic running and driving well. Potential buyers can consider it a turnkey proposition.
This 1972 Ford LTD Brougham has a sense of presence that is missing in modern vehicles. The documentation the buyer will receive, including the original Window Sticker, Owner’s Manual, Warranty Information, Owner’s Card, and Shop Manual, add to its appeal. The BIN figure sits at the top end of the market although, with 345 listing views and twenty-four people adding it to their Watch List, it has generated very respectable interest. Will that equate to a sale? That is hard to say but, with plenty of time remaining before the listing ends, anything is possible. If a practical classic has been on your Wish List, could this LTD be a contender?
Always fun to see “regular” cars of their day, though in this case a very nice, well-equipped car of its day. Period-correct brown, but check out all that bright trim. Sounds like it is in good mechanical condition. A cheap cruiser.
Aside: selling dealer is still in business. Perhaps a local resident can tell us if the dealership is still utilizing the building from which this LTD was delivered in 1972 (my guess would be yes).
Gillie Hyde Ford operates out of a very modern facility, according to Google maps. It may be the same location that sold this car, but it’s not the same building.
Bob. IMO there was nothing *regular * about 72 LTDs . I once had a 72 LTD convertible black interior and top over yellow. Comfortable, roomy ( with front seat all the way back) my feet couldn’t reach the pedals. Last year for sculptured styling. And, while feeling like a living room on wheels, I burned plenty of rubber. A true survivor of the so called Malaise Era. But ð to MY Bro ham! ð
Bob ð Big car, with a big motor. ð
Ok. Show of hands…… You folks can’t tell me I’m the only one who thought of Burt Reynolds in White Lightning when you saw this brown LTD featured here.
I will say, this one is way too nice to turn into a “Tribute” Gator McKlusky Ford sedan. ( I think his was a Custom though, not an LTD). This one is very nice.
I only thought about it because a YouTube channel just released a breakdown on the car featured in the movie. It was interesting, mainly because it highlighted how many assumptions of the movie cars were wrong.
Steve R
I think I saw the same thing as you @ Steve. It was a 4 speed yet we see him throw it in park several times. Plus other things too.
Gator – oh yes.
First class casting with both Burt and that big, wonderful Ford
A most favorite memory.
Jerry Reed, too!
This LTD model is what we used to carpool to High School in. Room for 7 in tight plus monster trunk.
A top speed run once (130) as passenger but otherwise great, reliable daily driver.
Yes first thing I thought of when I saw the add
Totally different roof on these cars. 4-door Sedan vs. a 4-Door Hardtop or 4-Door Pillared Hardtop (these two used the same roof).
This car reminds me of one that we bought for 30 dollars back in 1983/84. 400 2 barrel engine that was backfiring out the exhaust so bad it blew the muffler apart. Got it home and was checking things out with the timing trying to figure out why it was acting like it was and I found the little solder spots on the condenser had broke and it was just flopping around. Pulled one out of another car and that beast ran fine. Replaced the muffler and dad drove that thing for a few years
Yeah, those condensers will behave like that. My ’72 Delta 88 would run find until it warmed up. Then it belched and would quit. Cool down and run again. After checking everything else a full tune up fixed the issue.
Tim ð ð ð ð
No mention of a title for car would be my only concern otherwise it’s very nice
My 1st FIL had an identical car, same exterior/interior. Used to go from Fresno to Tahoe several times a year, was one of the most comfortable riding cars I have ever been in. Tried to get it in the divorce; he said I could have the car if I kept his daughter…. sure miss that car!
Yes it’s the right car at the right price that has us all thinking of effortless cruising like days gone by . It brings a tear to my eye thinking how things have changed & will never be the same again as time marches on till the bitter end.
What memories! This was the exact car I took Driver Training in at Culver City High School in the summer of 1972! It was provided by Culver Motors, the local Ford dealer. What a cruiser! The instructor and three students would drive PCH to Malibu and back every day! What fun that was!!
gators car was a custom 500
Who would have guessed that a car like this would ever be collectible? I am so tired of Mustangs, Camaros and muscle cars. To many of us old timers who remember these vehicles itâs a pleasant reminder of our youth. I learned to drive in 1972!
I did buy a 1972 LTD Brougham just like it in 1974 but with a 400 cubic inch, loaded. The only thing wrong with it was I eventually traded it off and did not keep it. It floated down the highway like a dream. A comment one guy said was they are not hub caps but wheel covers, there is a difference.
It’s been sold
This would be the ideal cruiser — EXCEPT for that 429! You can NOT get that beast to run right on modern unleaded gas! — And I’ll be switched if I would go to the airport every time I need fuel! Lead additive doesn’t help. Octane boosters don’t help. This powerplant will ping like crazy on Sunoco Ultra 94! (unless you creep along with it and never accelerate). It wants to drink the highest LEADED octane fuel — and DRINK, it DOES! Try, about 15 miles per gallon on the Interstate! — and maybe 9 m.p.g. in town. Great car, if we still could get leaded supreme. But you can HAVE it now, sadly. Oh — and if the ’72 was like the ’69, that “tape” is an 8-track deck.
The compression ratio of that engine is 8:1. It will run fine on 87 octane gas.
To David G: was the 1969 LTD I struggled with a different 429? The only way to get it to stop pinging, was to retard the timing so far, that it ran very rough and had no pep at all, and would stall-out if you stopped suddenly. The other choice, was to set the timing correctly, and run 108 octane leaded aeroplane fuel. I poured in octane boosters, lead substitutes — everything. All of this trouble began, when they banned leaded gas: before that, the car ran fine on premium leaded fuel, with terrifying power. If you were on an Interstate, with no other traffic, and you weren’t careful, you could glance down at the speedometer and find yourself cruising smoothy at 105 m.p.h.! But as soon as they changed the gas, that car was DONE. I had to get rid of it. Tune-ups — rebuilds of the carburetor– nothing helped.
Leaded gas wasn’t banned until 1992, and new cars didn’t require unleaded fuel until 1975, although the EPA required cars to be able run on low-lead or no-lead fuel starting in the 1970 model year, so I’m not sure what issue you were experiencing in 1969 with your 429. Production tolerances being what they are, it’s possible that your car was a victim of what we engineers call “tolerance stack-ups”, where all of the component tolerances come together to create an engine that runs poorly despite all of the components being within their tolerance specifications, but they all at one end of the tolerance bands, resulting in poor performance. Modern computer analysis uses something called a “Monte Carlo” analysis to predict how many assemblies will experience this issue, and the designers will attempt to vary component tolerances to prevent this issue, but those tools were well beyond the capabilities of the mainframe computers of 1969.
Retrofitting electronic ignition and electronic fuel injection systems will help, as long as the engine internals are healthy, but in addition to being expensive, that solution requires an owner or mechanic with the specialized knowledge of electronic systems to install and tune them properly, but once tuned, they will stay in tune for years without attention.
Before spending that kind of dough, one thing to check is to look for vacuum leaks, as a vacuum leak will play hell with the vacuum advance on the distributor and the fuel mixture in the carburetor. Sneaky places for vacuum leaks include around the throttle plate shaft and carburetor gaskets, along with the rat’s nest of vacuum hoses and the intake manifold gasket between the manifold and the cylinder heads.
Yes. The 1969-1971 429 engines have 11:1 compression ratio.
I had a cousin who drove a ’69 Road Runner, with a 426 Hemi and dual quad carbs, and the only way he could get it to run right was on Sunoco “260” gasoline! That beast has 11:1 compression and got about 7 mpg, IIRC. It would pass everything but a gas station, LOL!
Next to the word “luxobarge” in the dictionary is a picture of this car, LOL! We derided cars like this in our youth as oversized, overweight over thirsty and underpowered, even before the first “fuel crisis” broke in 1973, when OPEC shut off the oil spigot in protest of our support for Israel in the 1973 “Yom Kippur” War. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to rethink these beasts. Still oversized, over thirsty and underpowered, yes, but as my bones begin to creak more with age, comfort starts to become more important, and some judicious mechanical upgrades can improve both performance and fuel efficiency, by countering the primitive exhaust emission controls of the era, along with the usual suspension and steering mods to make them handle a bit better. No one will confuse one of these with a sports car, but with the right upgrades, it will cruise in style and comfort, and filling the tank won’t require a second mortgage on the house to pay for the gasoline!
Robert, my sentiments are similar. I had little to no interest in “luxobarges” until recently. I think I have more interest in them now, as I have come to understand and appreciate what they were good at.
And, good technical-focused discussion of engine performance.
This one conjures up images of Karl Malden, as Detective Lt. Mike Stone and Michael Douglas as Inspector Steve Keller, in “The Streets of San Francisco”, a Quinn-Martin Production, LOL! Stone and Keller drove a Ford Custom 500 sedan painted this same color in many episodes. The Custom 500 was this car’s “Plain Jane” sister, with exposed headlamps, painted steel wheels and “dog dish” wheel covers, a.k.a. “poverty caps”, befitting its status as a police unmarked car, purchased with scarce taxpayer dollars. I can hear the opening theme playing in my head now as I type this!
The Streets of San Francisco was a favorite of mine. Until recently, reruns were still on TV. As was the Custom for many shows, cars were furnished for advertising purposes. FMC was credited for Streets and later DYNASTY. I always thought it interesting how often criminals drove Mercurys and Lincolns. In one episode Carol Marlowe (John Davidson) was chauffeured in a 1934 Brewster. Of course Jack Lord’s(Hawaii 5- 0)black Mercurys were always highlighted. Back in the day, I actually cruised the Streets of San Francisco in an 88 Town Car rental for a vacation. That was the beginning of my love affair with Lincoln. I’ve still got memories and love of San Francisco AND still Thinkin Lincoln.
It’s HUGE! It guzzles gas! It pollutes the air! It scares the birds! Other cars part like the Red Sea to get out of the way! What’s NOT to love? Far better than today’s Bloated SUVS, masquerading as Luxury vehicles at BLOATED prices. This is actually a Bon Marche. As usual, I’m on to VERSAILLES in my Town Car. ð ðĪĢ. But with age comes wisdom. I THINK ðĪ ðĪŠ
To RICK W: What year is your Town Car?
Hello Harrison ð. I’ve had 78 Grand Marquis and Town Coupe. 89 Town Car Signature Series. 2007 Grand Marquis and current 2007 Town Car Signature Limited. It just turned 75,000 miles. In ceramic coated CASHMERE, it gets constant attention with frequent offers to buy. NO SALE! Guess I’m NOT crazy ðĪŠ after all These gears â
To RICK W: What year is your Town Car?
Harrison, if you come back an 89 Crown Victoria was just posted on Barn Finds .105,000 mile ^SUNDAY DRIVER ^.check it out.
Ford, Chevy, Dodge, doesn’t matter, a lot of the these great ‘ol 4 door boats were used for demolition derby or as engine donors for the “cool” cars. Kinda cool to see them in that condition these days
Yes. The 1969-1971 429 engines have 11:1 compression ratio.
Hello, RICK W: THANKS!
Hello, RICK W: THANKS!
Hello, RICK W: THANKS!
Hello, RICK W: THANKS!
Hello, RICK W: THANKS!
Harrison! You’re Welcome! My tastes are simple, in cars, friends, and most everything. I LIKE to Have the BEST. We Barn Finders ( especially of a VINTAGE age ð) need to stick together. I DO hope you find the perfect car SOON!
I like the taillight treatment on the ’71’s a bit better, but this one looks better than the taillights on the very similar 1970 edition. In all three (3) years (70, 71 and ’72) the only exterior identifiers between the LTD and the lower trim levels (Custom, Custom 500 and Galaxy 500), were the hideaway headlights and the center lamp assembly between the taillights. XL’s and LTD’s got hideaway headlights, lesser versions got exposed headlights. Lesser trim levels got either a pot metal panel or a solid chrome bumper between the taillights, but the XL and LTD got an illuminated center section between the taillights and bumper guards, like this example.
It sold for $9500 on E-Bay.