1977 Ford Granada - Hashtag Malaise

Depending on the car wonk you talk to, "Malaise Era" cars are those domestic automobiles mass-produced between either the change in engine design to enable them to run efficiently and without damage on no-lead fuels starting in 1971, the switch to SAE horsepower and torque ratings rather than gross ratings starting in 1972, the advent of federally mandated, "five-mile per hour safety bumpers" starting in 1973, or the introduction of catalytic converters in 1975. The end of the era is fuzzier to define but most somewhat enlightened automotive cognoscenti concur the end of the era began with the 1982 introduction of high performance V-8 engines in the Ford Mustang GT, Chevrolet Camaro Z28 and Pontiac Firebird Trans Am; the first proprietary, high-performance V-8 engines offered in approximately a decade. The term is erroneously  derived from President Jimmy Carter's infamous "Crisis of Confidence" speech from July 15, 1979. President Carter never said "malaise" in the speech, but nonetheless, the speech has become known as "The Malaise Speech". 

Another day and another interesting Facebook Marketplace find. This time a car some construe, and I concur, to be the "Malaise-iest of Malaise Era cars", a U.S.-spec, Ford Granada. This one a 1977 and even in coupe guise, to me at least, has all the charm of a dishwasher, refrigerator, a Ford Pinto or a Mustang II. This popped up the other day with a $2,500 asking price down in Sydney, Ohio, a far northwest burb of Columbus. 

Ford introduced what us car wonks refer to as the "U.S. Granada" for model year 1975; there was a European Granada produced by Ford's European subsidiary that was an entirely different and from contemporary accounts a far superior automobile. Originally intended to replace the 1969-circa Maverick, product planners at Ford correctly deduced that American's taste in cars was moving towards smaller or less large makes and models. Thus, they moved Granada "upmarket" and made it more luxury compact than economy car replacement. Ford sold the Maverick alongside the Granada through 1977. 

Ford launched these in the fall of 1974 with a heavy-duty marketing blitz that included a healthy dose of television advertising. Ten-year-old me sized them up at the Ford dealership in walking distance from where I grew up on Long Island and while I can't say I liked their styling, there's really not a lot of "style" to them, I appreciated their size. I thought I could actually drive them. Despite being car-centric, back then I found the notion of driving the leviathans of the day terrifying. More reasonably sized offerings like this assuaged my anxieties. Well, at least somewhat. 

There's no mistaking a two-door Granada for exactly what it is, a Granada four-door with two less doors. The design of Maverick two-door models, especially those made before the safety-bumper mandate, positively inspired in comparison. Maverick coupes rode on a smaller wheelbase than their four-door brethren, were quite smaller overall as well and with their somewhat racy fastback-ish styling, one could make the argument they were two distinctly different automobiles. Two- and four-door Granada's were dimension-ally identical and there was no fastback coupe either. But we can dream. There was no station wagon Granada either until the one year only wagon of 1982. 

While the Granada's exterior styling was nothing to write home about, Ford dressed up the interior with the requisite luxury touches of the day making the car at least appear "premium"; they surely spared no expense on "plastic" wood. At least the front seats won high praise. As they should seeing they were lifted directly from the Euro-spec Granada. Why they stopped there and didn't just import the whole car is a mystery us mere mortals will never get the answer to. The only thing the two Granada's had in common was their name. 

Ford suits probably reckoned that American buyers would chafe at the Euro-Granada's avant-garde styling. That and the Euro-version was built to a much higher price point. Squinting my eyes enough to see this car through my kid goggles, Ford may have been right. Can you imagine this in a Ford showroom in 1975 next to an LTD? Would have been nice, though, for the U.S.-grade Granada to have received some of this car's tastier technological baubles and bits like a V-6 and an independent rear suspension. 

Under-the-hood of our blue Grenadier is Ford's tried and true but deadly dull 250-cubic inch, 96-horsepower, inline six. Could be worse, could be the 200-cid, 72-horsepower six. Yeah, 72-horsepower. And that's SAE net. Ford's venerable 302-cubic inch V-8, which was no powerhouse making all of 129-hp, most likely would drive the asking price of this north by at least a grand.

For 1977, buyers could also opt for a 351-cubic inch V-8 packing all of 149 horses although it made a respectable, torque is king, 291 foot-pounds. The twist going into a 3.00:1 rear axle, which was pretty aggressive for a malaise-special. Although, hard to imagine many buyers shopping for a Granada would really care about what was under the hood. Or final drive ratio. Road and Track tested a 1975 Granada with the 302 and clocked it from zero-to-sixty in twelve seconds. That's on the "quick" side of malaise era cars. 11-miles per gallon too. Hashtag, malaise. 

Over boosted, slow, recirculating ball steering and a suspension setup that had DNA going back to the 1960 Ford Falcon, just like my #$%@ '74 Comet, certainly did the ride and handling of these cars no favors. Combine the primitive driving dynamics, uninspired styling along with the phlegmy engines of the day and it's hard to argue with anyone who considers these to be the epitome of the "Malaise Era". Again, I don't. 

Ford built a "Granada" through model year 1982 updating it significantly in 1981 switching it to the more modern Fox-body platform. The model-line was restyled for 1983 along with a name change, Granada became "Ford LTD" and wasn't to be confused with the full-size, "Panther-platform", Ford LTD Crown Victoria. That's clear as mud marketing as far as I'm concerned. Ford built the LTD through 1986 selling it side-by-side the model that would replace it, the game-changing Ford Taurus. 

These cars have their fans as I've gone back to Facebook Marketplace to find this and I can't. The ones that are there are chopped up and modified up the catalytic converter. You'd stand a better chance at finding an original and un-restored 1977 Chevy Nova than you would another all-original, six-cylinder Granada. Something tells me someone saw the value in this car as a platform to make it the screaming Malaise sleeper of their dreams. Or nightmares.