Over the holidays, I asked my Dad what he remembered liking about the Ford Granada he bought new. Most notably, he called out the period advertisements touting the car as an alternative to a Mercedes. He didn’t remember much else, but he did end up buying used Mercedes for the next two decades! Find this 9,000 original mile 1980 Granada here on craigslist for $13,000.
Truth be told, all these years later, I find the lines of this Granada somewhat pleasing. I wouldn’t call it a stunner, nor do I think it ever had much of a shot at persuading Mercedes shoppers of the day to buy a Ford. But when kept in nice condition, these cars almost appear stately. I’ve always felt the biggest let down of the Granada’s design were the taillights, which just seem like cheap, parts-bin specials tacked on to the rear end.
When’s the last time you saw a Granada interior look this good? That butterscotch cockpit practically looks orange in color, but it’s more just a case of being highly preserved. The seller considers his Granada to be a “collector’s car” – do you agree? Certainly the condition and low mileage sets it apart from other examples, but I’m not sure this mass-produced luxury car can yet be considered collector-grade.
The bigger question to me is where is this car located? It’s posted on the Memphis craigslist, listed as being in Opa Locka, Florida, and sports Michigan plates. The background in the photos also indicates a four-season climate. Who knows – but what we can discern is that this is likely one of the nicest Granadas on the market and $13K doesn’t seem like a terrible price if you’re looking for the best one you can find. Did any of our readers choose a Granada over a Benz?
A very Grand motorcar.
$13,000???????
Just wondering where can anyone buy a car with 9,000 miles for $13,000 today ?
B. Egdorf, let me answer your question with a question: What’s your point?
Right, $13,000 and it comes with $5,000 in cash in the glove box.
Collectors car.
Really?
I think you have a better shot of seeing Paul Lynde chase girls.
It IS a nice car, but the seller is asking for too much.
Also, luxury car? Really?
It is a collectors car if it had the 302 like mine did, Ford only made 11 for 1979. My 1979 ESS had a (Aluminum 302 block, heads, intake, C6 trany) 9″ Detroit posilock 7:37 gears and 290 bhp, racing suspension all stock and loaded with all options of the day. Ford experimented on some of the ESS’s with parts for the new prodtype upcoming Mustang line in 1982. I miss mine I have the photo album but that’s it . Maybe you can see the photo of mine at a Ford car show white with color matching rims if it loads. I hit 150 mph in it many times.
My dad had a Grenada for yrs he loved it .That being said He is also a point A to point B type of guy who pretty much doesn’t care what he drives. I have to say the Grenada was a dependable car,he did drive the wheels off it. I also know a girl who had one that had a 3spd standard trans with a shift on the floor.That car was dark blue with blue interior, and it had bucket seats. This car is in awsome shape. But 13k is a lot of money for a “collector “car.Sorry but this car is No collector car.This is a nice car for 5K,tops.
If you think you are getting ANY 20+ year old car with only 9k miles on it for $5k you are living in a dream world whether it be a Granada or not.
13K for a Granada? I dont see anything wrong with that price. Your purchasing a dream not a car. I have a 1976 Granada with the 351W. I paid $4500 several years back and I would pay it again to maintain my happiness .
Had a 2dr one like this in high school 250cc six beige with blue interior
Was very dependable car passed it down to my brother when who kept it another couple years before the New England salt ate it away and made it unsafe.
I’d be in on this one at about 5-6K 13K is too high
I dont remember those little windows on the B pillar on these cars. Option?
They were an option on the ESS model
The ESS version of this bragged a 4.1 liter screamer with a whopping 90 bhp. Don’t miss the 80’s at all.
racingpro56,
The Craig’s list ad does say this is an ESS model. I stole the racing mirrors and 3 + 1 overdrive transmission from an ESS for my ’66 Galaxie 289. With a 3.00:1 back axle and overdrive, it’ll cruise at 80mph, 2700rpm, and 20mpg. Not all Granadas are worthless.
Never said they were worthless. Just a product of their time. Beautiful Galaxie BTW!
I almost bought the ESS version… 90hp…could barely keep the back wheels on the ground…
Cause it was up on the lift at the local Ford dealer? Lol
The formal front styling is what makes this car look luxurious. Nice but overpriced.
It’s nice, but you could probably buy an equally nice (but much more posh) Versailles for less than $13,000.
Collectible? Sure, about as much as a Fairmont, Toyota Starlet, VW Dasher, etc, etc.
The fine lines on a Ford product in my opinion is the 72-76 Torino/gran Torino. Sexy. Sexy. Sexy. The Granada is my second line lover. What slays me tho is that the seller of this car thinks he has gold. I’d rather pay 13.000 for a 72 ranchero that needs a paint job than buy this.
Awful, boxy, unrefined, noisy, clumsy, ill-proportioned attempt by Ford to con buyers into thinking there was room between the horrid Mustang 2 and the Pinto. Utter garbage.
Zaphod-
I’m sure you’ve conducted a very intensive and thorough survey of
Granada and Monarch owners to come up with that fine list of adjectives.
My parents bought a new Granada Ghia in ’75, with a 302. Not quite a Mercedes, but for Ford, pretty close. A very comfortable, smooth riding, yet compact car. Handled nice too, and even ended up being reliable. All that said, this one ain’t worth anywhere near 13K.
I have to just about agree with everyone, its a very nice clean car, would be a great driver. BUTT! Collector car, 13K I don’ think so.
My Dad had a 78 Granada silver with a maroon vinyl top and maroon interior, was a nice car with a 302 / auto. But I agree not a collector car and 13K is dreaming.
My Mom had the same car color and all , good car
This was a disposable car 36 years ago. The fact that it survived 36 years in this condition is amazing, but it is still an unremarkable, anemic, disposable car. But something inside me keeps saying “i want this”. Car guys are weird like that i guess.
Granada or Grenade? I’ll pull the pin and go with the grenade.
Yep, in the parts business we called it the “Hand Granada” My brother bought a used one that we made into a pick-up just haul firewood 1/8 mile and it made two trips and quit, HOWEVER this one does look very nice and a great suvivor,just priced a bit high. IMHO.
If you have been around for a few decades like some of us have, cars that we thought would never be worth anything and we’re not considered collectible, are now very much sought after. Many of us have the stories of the cars we could have bought for next to nothing, held onto for a few years, and retired on today. At my age, what will become collectible in the future, will not surprise me. One fact is common among cars produced: they only made so many. The less remain, the fewer available. This Granada is a prime example on what people few as collectible, or do not. It has certainly generated a lot of opinion. :-)
“One fact is common among cars produced: they only made so many.”
While that is true as far as it goes, the real takeaway is this: out of howevermany they made, only a few are left, in this case because no one wanted to keep ’em!
7Nice car maybe 8000 maybe the problem is most of us knows someone that had one maybe a grandparent ,It was either he Granada or the little novas back in the mid to late 70s still nice car for its time
Im still trying to get over the “Paul Lynde chasing girls” reference. That threw me a little bit…visions of “Hollywood Squares” beginning to resurface. Nice.
The Granada was one of those cars I thought looked better with four doors. Silver, red leather. A nice, comfy, decent car for the money when new.
Agree! Looks much better with 4 doors. But not more collectable.
Makes you wonder what people say when they see a Ford fusion in 40 years.
This time I believe the mileage, but I cannot help wondering why? Someone wasted a lot of money by buying this and not driving it. And since when is a Ford Granada a luxury car?
I had one that I bought out of a shopping center parking lot for $300 cash. It was a gutless turd that was acquired with the express purpose of being a work car. The thing’s name? Old Yellow for a couple of reasons. Obviously the color, and also the fact that it was a dog. My daughter was approaching 16 in the time frame in which I owned the car. She was terrified that I would follow through on my threat to give it to her for her first car. I didn’t, too much stuff fell off, yes, just fell off, so I used it as a trade in that I had cash for. Got my three hundred bucks back.
I wonder how these would’ve looked,
had they made a station wagon version?
We had one around here in Black,with
a Gold vinyl top,& Gold mag-type factory wheels,
that actually looked really nice.
This one would make a nice dd – but not
for $13,000.
A shooting brake Granada? Hmmm…
Sorry, but I have a hard time getting excited about this at $2K much less $13K. Started to go down the “could lower it, add some wheels, maybe a Mustang GT 5.0,,,,” then remembered how these things drove and handled and the dubious build quality Ford had back then. The old adage that there’s an a$$ for every seat just may be proven wrong on this one.
Florida car with Michigan plates……….Flipper !!
Probably the nicest one left. But even so, it’s maybe worth half the ask. And the similarly sized Cutlass is a much nicer drive.
Well, although my experience is extremely limited with M-B, this ain’t no M-B. However, the Granada was a nice car. It was kind of a “secretaries ” car, not a Pinto or Maverick, but not a full size either. I knew someone with a Granada Ghia, I think, and it was a very nice, comfortable car. Again, price is relative. What they ask and what they get are 2 different things. Naturally someone is going to price it high, it’s that nice of a car. One thing for sure, they didn’t pay $13g’s for it. Great find.
I’d consider this Lincoln Versailles, also located in Florida for less $$: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1978-Lincoln-Versailles-N-A-/112212380387?_trksid=p2141725.m3641.l6368
That is one sweet Lincoln.
It did not come with a 302 ci.V8. It came with the 255 ci. V8.
From 1975-77 the Granada was available with four different engines. 200 and 250 ci sixes, and 302 and 351 v8s. By 1978 the 200 and the 351 were gone, and the 255 joined the 250 and 302 on the list of choices in 1980.
More here: http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1980_Ford/1980_Ford_Granada_Brochure/1980%20Ford%20Granada-14-15.html
Thanks for clearing that up, I knew my Dad’s had a 302 because I had to do all the maintenance to it as he didn’t like working on cars and didn’t trust too many people to mess with his stuff.
The 255 v8 was a dog. GM also put out similar sized v8’s. None of those were worthy of being called a v8.
At 27 years old, it qualifies in many states as an antique vehicle, but this would never be considered a collector….
My grand parents bought one new in 1976, trading their 1974 Maverick. (They bought new cars on even number years and trucks on odd number years.) The 6 cylinder that came with a valve train noise from the factory. My grandfather complained about the noise and was told by dealer “There is nothing wrong.”. They received a recall letter stating if your car has less than 36,000 miles take it to your dealer for repairs. It had 36,700 miles on it the dealer refused to make repairs. (Last Ford he ever owned) He traded it for a 1976 Chevette then switched to Subarus.
I guess this was Ford’s second line “personal luxury car”. My mom was a nurse and had a 78. Maroon, with white landau top. 302. Auto, wire wheel covers ( they were stolen at the mall one day when it was in MY possession and somehow that was my fault). For a 16 y/o, it would go plenty fast in 82. I had the speedo needle pointing straight down (85 was the highest number on the square speedo, in the lower right corner). THe ashes were sucked out of the ashtray with the windows down (nice vortex?). It got a little floaty at that speed. We abused the heck out of it as teens and it held up well. Wouldn’t pay this much to relive those memories though…
I was a news cameraman back in the day, and we had Granada news cars at the station I worked at. We all hated them. They were clumsy, unreliable, and wholly unsuited (duh!) to their task. I recall one of our photogs running out on assignment, grabbing the door handle, and the ENTIRE DOOR came off the hinges…and this was when the car was less than 2 years old!
I suspect they’re rare because most of the parts either didn’t work, or fell off on a road somewhere.
Eons ago I had a colleague who drove a Granada inherited from his parents. He called it The Grenade. I haven’t been able to look at one of these and keep a straight face ever since.
9,000 that’s when it quit!!
My brother had a 75 all black no vinyl top . It sported a 200 6 cylinder 3 speed standard on the column and bucket seats . He put a Clifford 2 barrel adapter on it with a Clifford header . He blanked out the opera windows and that car was cool … oh yeah , dog dish hubcaps and dechromed .
I’ve had a few of these over the years, and the 351 cars were really stood out from the rest.
Grenade
Ugly, under powered cars……
Pull the pin
I am going to buy this car and drive up to the MCL in Boca Del Vista for a 4:30 dinner, and watch all those guys in white pants drool over it.
Looks a lot better then that 19K Dodge cabbage patch p/u but still too much….!
I had a buddy and my brother who had one of these. They had the largest or at least heaviest doors that I can recall, great until the start sagging about a year after you bought it…
Nice car but over priced. Not a particularly interesting car, but it sure got a lot of interest here’s! Mane the price did it.
I remember I almost bought a white Mercury Monarch with the ESS trim which was supposed to compete directly with the Mercedes. Mercury thought hubcaps with matching paint meant it was a Mercedes. Thankfully I bought a Cougar instead. Still junky but at least one rung higher on the cool ladder.
“Mercury thought hubcaps with matching paint meant it was a Mercedes.”
“Thankfully I bought a Cougar instead. Still junky but at least one rung higher on the cool ladder.”
Twice the sad truth, sadly I can only vote it up once!
Ford did make a Granada wagon. I owned one for about a year. It was drivable for about two month’s of that year, but never more than two weeks in a row. I bought it because the wagons were rare and looked better than any other version of Granada. I sold it because it was a piece of crap car that kept finding new ways to break down.
Zaphod-
I’m sure you’ve conducted a very intensive and thorough survey of
Granada and Monarch owners to come up with that fine list of adjectives.
RICKY-
Hope you took lots of pictures of the Granada wagon you owned for a year. they’d be darn near as valuable as the car!
This one is truly a nice example of a well kept Granada. This is my all original 1978 Granada with 21,000 miles on it. It’s every bit as nice as the one pictured with original paint, interior, engine and transmission and much more.
When I was in college a frat member purchased one of these. I went to take a look at it and he said, “Drive it around the block”. Not really my kind of car as I had a Trans Am at the time. Anyway, I decide to take it for a drive. It felt like a much heavier car. In fact, I almost crashed it on the first corner because I was used to the fast ratio steering of the T/A. I turned the wheel like I would have on the T/A and nothing much happened. I could swear that steering box was 6 turns lock to lock………
Slow steering has always been a complaint of mine on early Fords, and it really bothers me about my ’72 Gran Torino, I’ve heard a company in Canada will convert the ford box to quick steering, the later saginaw steering boxes have more replacement options.
I rented a Town Car about 1987. The only time I drove one. It steered like an ocean liner. Caddys had better steering.
I’m sure I’m wrong,and you Ford guys will correct me quickly, but I remember the Ads for these in comparison to the Cadillac Seville. I don’t remember the Mercedes comparison. Either one is a giant leap.
We called em Granola”s…. guess that was pretty obvious It’s not a bad looking car…and there aren’t too many cars that you can buy for $13k with only 9,000 miles on it
It was compared to the Mercedes
I drove a 1977. It had a 6 cylinder, 3 speed manual W/OD. No A/C, No power steering, only option was an A/M Radio. It was fire-engine red and two doors. Never had a problem with it, drove it through high school and in College.
The Granada and its’ corporate twins, the Mercury Monarch and the Lincoln Versailles, were the last of the cars marketed by the late Lee Iacocca.
Keith’s post is seven years old. Now his point is even more valid. Any old car is collectible depending on what a person likes. The prices of old cars period, is just nuts.