Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia Sapphire Special Edition
This forgotten concept stands for a raft of vehicles conceived in a brief time at Ford's London studio, Ingeni.
Not unreasonably, Ford wanted a studio located somewhere other than the drab environs of Merkenich and Basildon. So J Mays, then chief of design for FoMoCo, selected in 2002 a lovely office in a ritzy bit of London where designers could work hard, inspired by the buzz of city life. There is some good sociological thinking behind this. It didn't last long, being closed in 2003, the year the Faction was shown. Continue reading "Design Review : 2003 Ford Faction"
Today, we present a photo of a stylist – in at least two senses of the word.
You may wonder why Ford's Köln-Merkenich stylistic output throughout the 1970's and early '80s was so assured? If you do, look no further. Continue reading "A Photo for Sunday – Uwe Bahnsen"
The BMC Mini and the Ford Cortina represented two contradictory strands of the British character.
Soon after its release, Ford, notoriously, took apart a Mini and realised what BMC hadn't worked out, that each car sold would lose the company money. It wasn't going to make the same mistake. Ford Germany inherited the abandoned front-drive 'Cardinal' project from the USA to become the Taunus 12M, but Ford Britain were having none of this fancy stuff and its 'Archbishop' (ho, ho) project was very, very conventional. But what the first (Consul) Cortina did offer was a lot of up-to-date looking car for the money. Less well recorded is that BMC, returning the favour, bought a new Cortina, took it apart and were appalled at the bodyshell's lack of torsional stiffness. But even had this fact been publicised, it's unlikely that it would have affected the Ford's success. Continue reading "Ford Cortina Mark IV at Forty. Time for a comeback?"
Fashion's a funny thing.
It's understandable that haircuts and trouser bottoms and patterns date, and what seemed really smart to you once, now sits embarrassingly at the back of a cupboard because you're too ashamed even to take it to the charity shop. But it's odder that something as basic as a colour can date. There aren't that many colours, or there are infinite colours depending on how you look at it, but either way how can something that seemed so agreeable to you once, suddenly (and it often is sudden) become so jarringly dated?
One explanation is association – maybe you fell in love with the purple colour of Eric Clapton's loon pants when he was in Cream (no, I didn't since you ask) so painted your bedroom walls that colour. Your parents have kept it like that ever since you left home 40 odd years ago and they wonder why you Continue reading "Theme : Colour – Beige New World"
With news that Ford's upmarket Vignale line is falling below expectations, are the wheels already coming off the Blue Oval's last chance saloon?
The key to viability in the European car market is finding ways to encourage customers to pay more. Easier said than done. According to a report last week in Automotive News, a JATO Dynamics analysis states the average UK customer pays £25, 400 for a mainstream brand D-segment car. By contrast, the average spend on a premium branded car of similar size was 36% higher. Continue reading "Up-selling Henry"
I'd like to present a car only Myles Gorfe, our contributing classics assistant sub-editor-at-large, would like.
The sills are badly perforated. Goodness knows what's under the car. This rot's not shown in my photos, taken in a pretty part of southern Denmark (not the area right around the car). The bumpers are faded. Note the driver's door toproll is safely secured with two screws that most likely weren't there when the car rolled of the line at Ford's Koeln plant in 1983. The rug comes with the car, justifying the 9100 kr asking (I think the rug costs 100kr). The 2.3 litre V6 would otherwise be a nice version (114 ps) but not this example. The colour is sad. I looked for a 2.3 in 2004 and failed to Continue reading "Something Rotten in Denmark: 1983 Ford Granada 2.3 L"
If you're going to have a mid-life crisis, at least get a decent set of wheels.
[We round out Driven to Write's Kanniversary with this piece first published in November 2014]
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man in his forties has a higher than average propensity to some form of mid-life introspection. As we know, the clichéd route to self-actualisation ranges from an inadvisable tattoo, to an inappropriate affair with a younger member of whichever gender he's attracted to. Some choose to experiment with various derivations of the above. The more conventional opt for a sportscar or convertible. After all, just because you're in the throes of a life event doesn't mean you have to be original about it. Continue reading "DTW Summer Reissue: Midlife Krisis KA"
Did Ford originally have bigger plans for Ka? Evidence suggests they might.
Following ur-Ka's launch in 1996, there was speculation that Ford had plans to expand Ka as a stand-alone sub-marque, perhaps along similar lines to General Motors in the US when they created the Saturn brand in 1990. Certainly, the manner in which Ka was introduced to the public suggested this was a Ford for people who wouldn't normally buy Fords. Continue reading "Supersize KA"
John Topley penned this rumination on the Ford Ka when it went out of production. I thought you might like to take a look.
About the only point where I am not in agreement with John is what he refers to as the Ka's discordant lines. What makes the shape work for me is that absolutely everything adds up to a strong unity. Amazingly, the alternative design was as wrong as the actual one is right. Continue reading "More Ka Thoughts"
To mark the 20th anniversary of Ur-Ka's debut, we don't write about it.
We've spilled a good deal of ink over the Ka on Driven to Write over the past couple of years – too much, some might say. But with the car's 20th anniversary now looming, one has to be seen to be doing something. So rather than retread old ground, the opinions of the foremost UK auto journalists of the time will have to suffice. Failing that of course, there's always the narcotic Laurie Anderson soundtracked launch commercial – which is notable for showing no footage of the Ka at all*. Continue reading "Getting (back) Into the KA"
A lot of excitement fizzed in the air in 2002 regarding Ford.
The Focus, Mondeo, Ka and Fiesta achieved good sales results and a lot of good will for Ford. The DCDQ ethos resulted in Ford gaining a new image. What were they going to do next? Around 2002 rumours circulated that there would be a new Capri, project S307: imagine, a Capri with the striking looks and exciting driving character of a Focus (that wasn't the Cougar, the last "new Capri", which Ford killed off in 2002 after four sad years?).
Continue reading "Looking Back to the Future : 2"
The first car I bought with my own money was a Mark One Ford Focus.
Having decided that a Focus was going to be the car for me, I spent months scouring local dealerships, newspaper classifieds and Autotrader for the right car. Eventually a dealer called me with a candidate. And there it was: a sky blue three door in 2.0 Zetec trim. Despite spending five years gracing the surface of this planet whilst being blasted with wind, rain, road salt and solar radiation, the Focus looked as if it had rolled out of the Saarlouis factory just last week. An inspection and test drive confirmed my impressions: it was a peach. Continue reading "Objects In The Rear View Mirror"
After discussing the dead centre of the car market, we take a visit there: the Ford Focus 1.6 CDTi Econetic. [First published May 11, 2014]
This is the third generation Focus that I have tried. The Mk1 is a landmark and indeed a benchmark for many. It casts a long shadow over its successors. The Mk2 added refinement at the expense of driver enjoyment. Compared to the Mk1, the successor felt like being in a fat suit. So, what is the Mk 3 like now I have finally gotten behind the wheel? The main impressions are described below. Continue reading "DTW Summer Reissue: 2014 Ford Focus 1.6 CDTi Econetic Review"
The middle of the first half of the 1980's is considered an interesting time by fans of big Fords. Here's why.
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The 1984 2.3 L offered all the main features of Ford's respected motorway mile-muncher in an economical package. The styling was at the cutting edge but didn't frighten people like spaceball weirdness from Renault, Peugeot's bizarro big saloons or Citroen's disastrously complicated hydraulic malarky.
At the same time, it had a dash that Volvo and Mercedes couldn't even dream of copying. BMW: they didn't even get a look in. The Granada undercut Vauxhall's drab Carlton and offered a modern V6 instead of the General's dated and rough straight-six. You won't Continue reading "Gorfe's Granadas: 1984 Ford Granada 2.3 L"
If the headline had been a bit shorter this would almost count as a micropost.
Not only did Ford make a 4×4 Sierra in XR trim, they also sold it in a calmer and cheaper GLS format. This is a 2.9 litre V6 four-wheel drive family car. I didn't find any for sale so those few Ford sold are now all rust or converted to XR fakes. Off the top of my head, the combination of six-cylinder power and four-wheel drive didn't appear on many other contemporary saloons apart from the Scorpio and the '86-'93 BMW 325iX. The Vectra had a 2.0 turbo. That's it then, for competitors, as far as I can see. Continue reading "They Don't Make Them Like That Any More and They Probably Don't Exist Either"
In a choice between equals, there's only one decision – or is there?
Ever since the giant landcrabs died out at the end of the Hydrolastic Age, Ford has been the UK's top selling marque. Brits have clutched successive generations of Fiestas and Escorts to their heaving collective bosoms, sometimes despite myriad qualitative horrors perpetuated by the company, especially during the 1990s.
Fast forward two decades and Ford's continued popularity is perhaps more deserved, Alan Mulally's global One Ford strategy culminating in what is (arguably) their best range in years. (Their European operation even managed to turn a profit last year for the first time since I was a schoolboy, if you believe their accountants.) Continue reading "Head to Head: Ford Fiesta ST versus Ford Fiesta Zetec S Red"
This little badge indicates the car originated in Ales, a town west of Avignon.
C. Morel Ford is still there too. The car has a Danish roadworthiness cert from 1999 so it has been driving about here for a good long time. There's also little new with the Vignale concept. This car has it all apart from leather upholstery. In this case it has brown nylon cloth. There's a centre armrest front and back and plenty of real wood trim. Continue reading "Micropost: Ford Taunus 2.3 Ghia"
Ford's recent ad-campaign urges us to let go of what we know about the Blue Oval. It seems to be working, but maybe not as intended.
Superficially at least, Ford's European fortunes appear resurgent, but leaving aside corporate spin and fatuous ad campaigns, there's little substitute for a bit of hard data. So with this (and those commercials) in mind, it might be worth looking at Ford's first quarter European sales figures to see what, if anything can be read from the metaphorical tea leaves. And sure enough, with two model lines holding top spot in their respective sectors, three in third place, and five individual lines posting notable percentage gains, there are reasons to be cheerful in Merkenich. Continue reading "Can't You Just Let It Go?"
As well as being the car from the Sweeney, the Consul is where Ford UK's gradual loss of independence began.
The nameplate came from an earlier line of British Fords, indicating a lower level of accoutrification. It also masked the German Ford input to the line of cars better known as Granadas. Gradually Ford UK built fewer models: the Granada was followed by the Cortina, Escort and Fiesta. Now the Mondeo is a US-EU effort. It kicked off here.
Continue reading "Micropost: 1972-1975 Ford Consul 3.0 GT"
Lately I have been wondering about the plight of the mainstream manufacturers, what with their customers being more and more enthusiastic about premium brands' bargain-basement vehicles.
For a change, it's lots of big and non-red numbers at Ford. Even in Europe they managed to turn a profit. South America showed less lovely results and Africa is a mess. These are the highlights as copied and pasted from their report: Continue reading "They Must Be Doing Something Right"
Over at Autocar they are still getting to grips with unlearning Ford: forget the Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo, Granada, Capri and … the Maverick? Cougar? Fusion?
Eoin treated this topic in February. If you want to re-read it – and I suggest you do – you'll find another angle than the one taken by Autocar. Matt Prior's article finishes with these words which I will quote here: Continue reading "Didn't We Cover This Quite Some Time Ago?"
The title is longer than the car. This orange metallic paint also found its way onto….
…a doubtlessly rare Mondeo Ghia which I have seen once only. Does anyone know the name of that shade?
Defying convention and chiselling away at costs can be a recipe for disaster, as one manufacturer who ought to have known better found out.
Cast your eyes over this 'platform'. If you're keen on guessing games, you would take in the V-engine perched over the front wheel centreline, front struts, complex looking independent rear suspension, and all round disc brakes, and conclude that it was probably '80s or '90s, most likely from the upper end of a European or Japanese manufacturer's range.
In which case you could scarcely be more wrong. The chassis belongs to a British Ford, introduced in 1966, and costing less than £1000 in its basic form. The Zephyr/Zodiac Mk.IV was the first mass-produced British Ford car to feature independent rear suspension. The trouble is, it wasn't much good. Continue reading "Theme : Suspension – When Independence Goes Wrong"
Even Ford's middle-spec Granadas came with a lot of appeal included as part of the reasonable purchase price, writes Myles Gorfe (chief assistant classics sub-editor).
Take this stunning Mk2 2.0 L model, for example (for sale here). There's nothing wrong with this and a lot that's totally 100% right. As standard you get the Granada's effortless mile-munching ability, sharp looks, acres of room front and back, a huge boot and among the best interior fabrics the industry had on offer. It looks like it could stop bullets but is a soft as Kate Moss's left cheek. Most buyers went for more upmarket trim than the original owner of this sky-blue stunner. However, some wanted to spend a bit less and did not go away unhappy with their purchase. While most manufacturers skimped on niceties like rear centre armrests and the quality of the cloth, Ford went the extra mile and a half to keep their loyal customers happy. And it shows. This is pure class. Continue reading "Gorfe's Granadas: 1985 Mk 2 Ford Granada 2.0 L"
The world has changed a lot in 20 years. Among those changes are those we have discussed here lately concerning BMW's astonishing expansion.
For this study I have compared the total range and prices of three brands of cars between 1995 and 2014, the last year for which I have the data in one magazine in my living room. (The graph says 2016 though). The prices are inflation adjusted to 2015 values. For example, a 3-series started at £15,000 in 1995 and this is worth £27,000 today. I have selected the base price of the main models and not included options. All of the cheapest cars in standard trim could be specced up and I have omitted this and focused on the lowest standard price.
The figures are remarkable. Continue reading "Understanding the Market"
There's a gap in Ford's range which the Ka Plus is going to fill. We hoped it wouldn't happen but it did.
The Ka Plus is promised to be more than a low-price five-door car, filling a gap in the constellation of price points connecting the Ka to the Fiesta. According to reports the Ka Plus is built on the Fiesta platform which makes the car really a Fiesta Minus, doesn't it? The design for the Ka Plus originated in 2013, aimed at conservative buyers in developing countries.
The Ford explanation is that the Fiesta is going to be replaced in 2017 and in so doing will Continue reading "2017 Ford Ka+"
Ford wants the European market to see them differently. Perhaps they could start by being different?
I once watched professional cyclist, Peter Sagan being interviewed during the Tour de France. Asked what would prevent him winning the green (points) jersey in that year's race, he rather naively replied; "unluck". In fairness to Sagan, (who's from Slovakia), he wasn't speaking in his own language and we all understood what he was getting at. Which brings me to Ford's new advertising slogan: Unlearn. By definition, in order to unlearn something, we must first undo the process of learning; to rid our minds of previously held orthodoxies and notions. Continue reading "What Does Ford Want Us To Unlearn?"
Cleared for takeoff: Driven to Write examines a special edition with lofty pretentions.
Typically, special editions of mass market cars are the domain of clothing or sports equipment brands. Usually, they consist of not much more than a particular colour/trim combination and a set of logo stickers. But there is one special edition from the 1990s that was so much more than that. Continue reading "Theme: Special – Ford Ka Lufthansa Edition"
Here's a Special Edition that was real class – middle class, that is.
The Fiesta Finesse holds a very specific place in my memories. It helped me to understand that I was middle class. It also taught me that minor details can matter inordinately in people's perception of things, and, in particular, cars. The car itself was introduced in 1983 as part of Ford's 'special edition model programme', according to a press announcement made at the time. Looking back, this programme featured models (also including the Cortina) that just happened to be at the end of their life and so were in need of a little marketing boost to support sales. Continue reading "Theme : Special – Ford Fiesta Finesse"
Run by assistant acting classics news editor-at-large, Myles Gorfe. Distance covered since December 5th 2015: zero. Costs : being revised upwards.
It's been a busy month for the Granada. Len Gudgeon at Gudgeon's Galaxies is still working on the starting problem reported in September. It looks like only an engine-out-full replacement job will sort this one out and so I have got onto eBay in search of a suitable replacement. Continue reading "Our Cars: 1975 Ford Granada 2.0 L"
Among those in the know, a Mk2 Ford Granada is recognized for its space, speed and quality, writes Myles Gorfe, our senior acting classics sub-editorial assistant.
For sale for a modest £3,950 here's a lovely 1985 Granny in white, with fog lamps, factory alloys and a factory windscreen. It just doesn't get any better than this ever, really. Some people might be looking into an old W-123 Merc or maybe a Volvo 740 but those cars are over-rated, lumbering and over-priced. They don't even look as smart as the Ford either. The Merc is dated and the Volvo too square-rigged and American. So, what do you get with an '85 Granny estate? You get to Continue reading "Gorfe's Granadas 1985 Ford Granada 2.8 GL estate"
What does this obscure headline mean?
It means that Ford posted a profit in Europe. The news emerged as part of a general wash of favourable financial results. "We promised a breakthrough year in 2015, and we delivered. In 2016, we will continue to build on our strengths and accelerate our pace of progress even further, while transforming Ford into both an auto and a mobility company and creating value for all of our stakeholders," said Mark Fields, Ford President and CEO.
Among the eleven bullet points, the bit about Europe was mid-way down and came with no further elucidation. I went to Continue reading "Ford Posts a Profit In Europe"
Among the very best of an already outstanding crop, this. An estate of the highest quality, writes Myles Gorfe who is now Driven To Write's assistant classic cars editor-at-large
If Merc, Volvo and Peugeot thought they had the estate market tied up, Ford was there to remind them that they were well wrong. Ford's outstandingly roomy cruiser also showed Saab that offering a big hatchback was not going to cut it, and not when it was only front wheel drive. If you wanted more room in a car, you had to have a Transit and that was a Ford too. Continue reading "Gorfe's Granadas: 1983 Ford Granada 2.8 GL estate"
The forthcoming junior Ford represents the model's biggest creative departure since the original version debuted twenty years ago. But is it really a Ka at all?
The original Ford Ka was a landmark small car. Intelligently designed, if poorly built; it sold strongly despite being saddled with an asthmatic nail of engine and a spectacularly rust-prone body. But in a sector up 10% over the first nine months of 2015, the current Ka held a less than mighty 13th position in the minicar sales table, with the Smart Forfour and Skoda Citigo nipping its heels. Continue reading "Sega to Saga: Ford's Kompromised Ka"
As the brakes come off a troubled mainstream European car market, Ford and General Motors jealously guard market share, but at what cost?
The post crunch era has been tough for America's European automotive outposts. Of the pair, Ford appears in better shape, having already taken painful steps to arrest serious overcapacity in their European operations by shutting loss-making plants. The closure of the Genk plant only partially explains why the US Fusion took so long to become the European Mondeo. Last year, we suggested Continue reading "Can the Mondeo Stage a Comeback?"
Ford have always had a knack for following the market closely and identifying the important trends. Here's the appositely-named Maverick.
This careful watching meant that after the compact SUV craze had been very well-established in the late 1990's Ford finally pounced and introduced the remarkable Maverick in 2001. While it was one of the latecomers the Maverick stole a march on the Mazda Tribute which was all but identical and it also offered some competition to Land Rover's Freelander which appeared in 1997. While the Freelander was riddled with iffy electronics and had build of dubious quality, the Maverick was cheaper, bigger and more efficient. It thus provided competition to one of Ford's own nameplates too, making for an interesting situation in terms of brand management. Continue reading "Driven To Write's Top 50 Countdown: Number 3"
Run by: Acting Classics news sub-editor Myles Gorfe. Total Mileage: 299,913. Miles since September 20. Costs: £502 labour, £879.99 spares including replacement rear seats, interior trim and backrest, headliner, water pump, spark plugs and centre-section panels.
It's been a busy month for the Grannie. Len Gudgeon at the Granada Garage has been unable to resolve the non-starting problem reported in September. Well, the car will start but only if it is in reverse. Whenever first gear is engaged it stalls. Continue reading "Our Cars: 1975 Ford Granada 2.0 L"
Or lines about pick-up trucks.
There has been some debate here about commercial vehicles. I for one know absolutely nothing about the subject so I thought I'd take a look at some of what's on sale. I decided to focus on pick-up trucks because it made for a good headline. The first port of call is Ford's Commercial vehicles department where Ford stock the Ranger pick-up. Among the more workaday versions there is a dramatically loaded version called the Wildtrak. Now, I would love to know why Ford's website is so obtuse. With my limited patience I found the easiest way to Continue reading "Pick-Up Lines"
The Granada name retired but its spirit lived on in Ford's stunning Scorpio, writes executive classics editor, Myles Gorfe.
Quite why the Blue Oval decided to put the Granada name out to pasture is a much discussed point in Ford circles. Whatever the reason, the car that replaced it was every bit as good as its predecessors. In 1994 Ford ended a long run for the Granada and renamed its top-line executive cruiser the Scorpio. Self-levelling suspension came in for the estates and the hatchback was canned – not a problem as the style didn't suit Granny's exclusive image. Continue reading "Gorfe's Granadas:1996 Scorpio 2.3 Ultima"
With a few changes this little car might have made a much better Ka than the drab little oyster they actually sold.
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It's the 2010 Ford Start which majored on efficiency and was shown at the Beijing Motor Show. Personally I dislike the C-pillar treatment, something of a theme of mine recently so I roughly changed it to show something less fragile and ill-considered. Continue reading "2010 Ford Start"
This is a milestone in Granada history. For the second series of the square-rigged Granny, Ford imported the cars from Germany, writes the chief-assistant-editor (classics), Myles Gorfe.
This is a 1979 Granada Ghia Sapphire with a 2.8 litre Cologne V6 and the smartest leather interior money could buy at this price range. Even today it looks smart and modern with its box-pleats and trad wood. Yet it was the top-of-the-line executive cruiser, able to Continue reading "Gorfe's Granadas: 1979 Granada Ghia Sapphire"
This one is perfect: a high-mounted central drawer-type tray on a car with only 50,00 km under its wheels. As usual it's in Silkeborg and not Aarhus.
The location of this ashtray is so instinctive. And this is where useless touch-screens are put instead. This is a terrible development when you see what originally occupied that space on the dashboard.
Continue reading "Ashtrays- 1979 Ford Capri"
There I was, a lowly commoner, behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB9, one of the finest cars in the world by anyone's measure. Before me, beyond the long, long bonnet, was a circuit laid out on an abandoned airfield. And no speed restrictions.
The occasion was a "supercar experience". Held both for and by people too impoverished for supercar ownership, a variety of "exotics" were available, ranging from a mark 1 Lotus Elise, through a slightly ratty 997 Porsche 911, to a visibly distressed Ferrari 355. The Aston Martin, immaculate and barely a couple of years old, was an easy choice.
A hundred grand's worth of England's finest conveyance was a nice place to sit. The seats and steering wheel where covered in soft leather. Only the analogue clock in the centre of the dashboard jarred, perhaps purely through association with the mark 2 Mondeo.
Time for my four laps. Anticipation building, I pressed the starter button to Continue reading "Aston Martin DB9 / Ford Fiesta Review: Family Ties"
It's a study in yellowy beige. Vinyl has been plastered over the roof. This is almost the top of the Taunus hierarchy. It finds echoes even today.
A casual Google search indicates these are very rare in this format. You can view a grainy one in action here. And if you want something comparable (but absolutely no vinyl) you need to pay €5600 and it's for sale here. Continue reading "A Photo For Sunday: 1976 Ford Taunus 2.3 Ghia"
Run by: Assistant Motoring Editor Myles Gorfe. Total Mileage: 299,918. Miles since August 16 2015: 0. Costs: £1600 labour, £1350 spares including a new roof, window trim, headliner, interior trim, fuel lines and various heater matrix units.
It's been a busy month for the Grannie. Len Gudgeon at the Granada Garage has been unable to resolve the non-starting problem reported last month and the month before. The engine has been dismantled twice.
The Granny has developed an appetite for heater matrix units. As of today I have bought twelve of them and none has worked or worked for long. Continue reading "Our Cars: 1975 Ford Granada 2.0 L"
Autoexpress and the Western Morning News have both reported the unveiling of the Ford Edge in its European guise.
The Ford Edge is a very large vehicle, large as if to make up for Ford's relatively low-key display at this year's IAA. It is, I suppose a kind of interregnum. Martin Smith has handed over to his replacement who is probably busy with working out how things operate in Merkenich rather than with breaking new ground for EuroFords. There has also been a bit of personnel change, with exterior designer Stephan Lamm recently departed. Conceivably rising star Murat Gueler may return to Merkenich, having done some work at Lincoln in the interim. Continue reading "A Quiet IAA for Ford"
Does Ford really think that this is acceptable? ( Caution : Viewer Discretion Required).
Throughout the month I have been accumulating images with a view to presenting a rogue's gallery of bad shutlines. Never one to run from the crude and obvious, I had intended giving the post the title of 'Shitelines'.
However, when I look at my collection, one stands out in my view so much that it deserves its own post. That a major manufacturer who employs some of the best trained designers could have produced something as ugly and inept as the rear light treatment of the current Focus doesn't just surprise me – it offends me. The left lamp treatment is bad enough, particularly where the rather wide shutline of the hatchback meets it. But the right hand lamp, with the half-arsed attempt to merge the shape of the fuel flap into the shape of the lens is ….. beyond any excuse.
The ubiquity of this car means that I have to see it every day, and time has not endeared it, quite the opposite. I can't really say any more.
Ford's 2015 Transit is a staggeringly competent piece of kit, but what's with the creases?
One of my most memorable journeys of recent memory was a trip from Leatherhead in Surrey to Newcastle in a fully laden rented Ford Transit. Memorable for the staggering competence of the vehicle and the relative ease in which the 300 mile journey was dispatched. I handed back that van with an almost audible sob. It was that impressive. Continue reading "Transitory Lines"
Run by: Executive Classic Cars Editor Myles Gorfe. Total Mileage: 299,918. Miles since June 29 2015: 0. Costs: £902 labour, £1200 spares including rear axle mounts, exhaust piping brackets, paint, filler, sandpaper, plastic bucket, heater matrix, oil filler cover, petrol tank neck (cracked).
It's been a busy month for the Grannie. Len Gudgeon at the Granada Garage has been unable to resolve the non-starting problem reported last month. The rust spot on the rear wheel arch and sills turned out to conceal an extensive area of rot underneath which Len Gudgeon dealt with.
He took about three and a half weeks to Continue reading "Our Cars: 1975 Ford Granada 2.0 L"
The Mk 2 Ford Granada had a lot going for it writes editor-at-large Myles Gorfe.
With a range of powerful engines, excellent roadholding and sharp-styling, it virtually sold itself. Ford didn't like to rest on their laurels though. So, to celebrate the Olympics of 1980, they made a limited run of Chasseur special edition estates.
Ford are making a bit of a meal of their luxurious Vignale-edition Mondeo, but this idea is not new for Ford who have actually presented smart, luxury versions of their mainstays for decades. The Granada Chasseur estate, to be precise. During the week, the Granada estate worked like any other large, prestigious and fast saloon. At the weekends, the huge load bay meant it could Continue reading "Gorfe´s Granadas: 1980 Granada Chasseur 2.8"
Ford Granada 2.8 Ghia Sapphire Special Edition
Source: https://driventowrite.com/category/marques/ford-europe/page/3/
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