I’m not eager to belabor this level, however Ford promoting from the mid-Seventies was fairly closely laden with baloney. And by baloney, I imply fraud-level lies. Try this advert for the 1975 Mustang II. No less than the Mustang regarded sort of sporty.
1975 Granada: Forgotten Automotive Adverts
Daring Comparisons
By now, you’re conscious that for the 1976 mannequin yr, Ford advertising varieties started evaluating the compact Granada with Mercedes-Benz merchandise. However again in 1975, when the mannequin debuted, Ford of us in contrast the very boring, predictable, and in each approach mediocre Granada with the most effective Cadillac obtainable on the time, and, what would change into one of many most-important Volkswagens of all time.
Cadillac Seville and Volkswagen Rabbit
Sure, take a look at the advert: The Cadillac Seville, and the Volkswagen Rabbit.
And whereas, to Ford’s level (we guess), the Granada was about the identical measurement because the Cadillac, and about the identical value because the VW. However the comparability falls aside hilariously after that.
Downsized Ford
Ford did design the Granada to emulate the look of the maker’s bigger vehicles, and to a fantastic extent the styling labored. Shoppers accepted the downsized automotive as a legit Ford product, despite the fact that the Granada was significantly smaller than the maker’s LTD giant automotive, and the midsize Torino which it successfully changed within the lineup. (The Torino did reside on till the tip of 1976, for Ford’s advertising power was firmly dedicated to launching the Granada.)
Granada Gross sales
Right here’s the deal, the Granada bought rather well. The boxy, chrome-laden Granada discovered greater than 400,000 patrons in 1975, this regardless of bringing no developments or new know-how to the market. Appears there are (had been?) automotive consumers who positioned sluggish change above all else on their priorities listing.
That is what makes the comparability to the Rabbit so absurd. Whereas the image of the VW is supposed to make the automotive appear small and primary, the Rabbit was as an alternative a groundbreaking automotive for Volkswagen, and the American automotive market.
Trendy Volkswagen
Whereas the Granada was mainly the identical front-engine, rear-drive, pushrod-engine-powered automotive that Ford bought at each value stage, the Rabbit was very a lot all new.
Inside Quantity
Launched within the U.S. for 1975, the Rabbit boasted lightweight unibody development, front-wheel drive, trendy overhead-cam engines, and shocking inside area. Certainly, whereas the cumbersome Granada clocked in at as much as 3400 kilos, stretched 198 inches, and supplied an estimated 95 cubic toes of inside quantity, the trim little VW was simply 155 inches lengthy, weighed slightly below 2000 kilos, but supplied homeowners with practically as a lot cabin area because the Ford (90 cubic toes).
Granada versus Rabbit
Additionally, the Granada’s lineup of unhappy, under-powered engines supplied little in the way in which of perforce. The bottom 200-inch six coughed up a scant 70 horsepower, whereas the obtainable 302-inch V8 was good for simply 129.
Relying on the testing group, the 302-powered Granada lumbered to 60 mph from a cease in a sedate 12-13 seconds.
In the meantime, the Rabbit, powered by a 70-horsepower free-revving 1.5-liter overhead cam 4, was able to 0-60-mile instances of 10-11 seconds. As for gas financial system…effectively, Street & Monitor noticed 12.5 mpg of their testing of a 1975 302 Granada. In the meantime, Automotive and Driver bettered 20 mpg of their testing of the brand new VW.
Granada versus Seville
The advert’s comparability of the Granada to the Seville is, on its face, much less absurd, it’s nonetheless fairly doubtful. Sure, the Seville is pricey, but it surely additionally boasted some reliable technological options that had been unavailable on the Ford.
The Cadillac got here commonplace with an electronically fuel-injected V8 good for 180 horsepower. Regardless of weighing roughly half a ton greater than the Granada, the Cadillac was at the least a second faster within the 0-60 dash, it additionally returned significantly higher gas financial system.
However, extra importantly, the Seville boasted a classy unbiased coil-spring rear suspension. The high-end chassis contributed to the Caddy’s famously clean experience and practically sporty dealing with. That Granada, nevertheless, made use of a dated leaf-spring rear-suspension setup, severely limiting the automotive’s dynamic potential.
Sure, tens of millions of American’s purchased Granadas, and little doubt the vehicles served these customers fairly effectively. However the Granada was un-special in a spectacular approach, and was merely not in the identical league because the Rabbit technologically, nor the Seville when it comes to energy or refinement. Trying again at this advert, we’re nonetheless a bit of delay by all of the, effectively, baloney. Click on right here for extra classic-car promoting.
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1975 Granada Footage
Click on beneath for enlarged photographs
