Two at the Top (Ford Granada launch film) - 1971 

Absolutely love this film. What I wouldnt give to be able to travel back in time, pop into my local Ford dealers and buy a brand new one of these....too cool.

They were excellent cars back in the day.

I was on my apprenticship with a Ford Main Dealer when the Mk1 Granada and the Consul were launched

A friend of mine drove an early Mk I 2.3 V6 Coupe (no hip swing) and a ´75 Saloon, subsequently converted to 2.8 i. Great cars, with lots of space inside and a great engine in power and sound. I like these Ford, as well as the Opel Rekord II & Commodore B - the counterparts to Granada / Consul, which appeared almost at the same time. These were good, classic 70s cars. Best regards from south germany - stay healthy and take care of yourself !

Those door gaps at 7:27 are outrageous! The chrome trim gap between the top left side of the rear wing and the boot trim at 7:20 is also insane. I guess this is a pre production car used for the film.

I love this! December 1971 is my year of birth, and December 1971 was when they began producing the MK1 Granada, and released it in 1972. I have the greatest memories of my dads MK1 Granada's and Consul's as a kid, the most memorable being his last one, a black on black Granada. 4 weeks ago, after waiting for 35 years, I myself got my own MK1 black on black Granada at long last! happy days! : )

Two brand new Fords...BOTH displaying loose and hanging handbrake cables...Top quality !!

I remember getting lifts in the back of Granadas and they had incredibly soft, pillowy rides.

These cars were absolutely top of class when they launched - many of the motoring magazines were favourably comparing the 3 litre models with BMWs, Mercs and Jags which were considerably dearer. The Granada shown is obviously pre-production spec - note the twin exhausts, which production cars never had, the black grill, which didn't appear till the Series 2 of 1975, and some elements of interior trim.

Probably the best looking Ford for many years.

And not a single outside rear view mirror on either the Consul or the Granada - true pre-production cars. :)

Qué material! Digno de ver! Aplauso largo desde Argentina.

Glad you approve. And you're even more attentive to detail than me! I agree about the black grille, but the double exhaust had got past me. You're right though, they were quite something when launched. Shame so few survive.

I just love old Fords. If I was fortunate enough, I would have a huge warehouse full of classic cars which I would just spends hours glancing at. What I love about classic cars are the lines, simplicity and the smells. You certainly don't get those attributes from modern cars. The likes of Granadas, Escorts mk1 and mk2, Cortinas, Capris mk1 and mk2 where proper Fords and also cars of my childhood. Modern Fords don't excite me.

Look at that shut line at 7.30 looks like the back door is open 😂

All that luxury..and no bloody door mirrors 😂

Safety is paramount. Well apart from lack of headrests and safety belts :D

I personally think they should scrap the Mondeo name and replace it with the Granada because the current generation Mondeo is almost the same size as the old Granada plus the Granada name has prestige and may tempt some 3-Series owners to Ford...it's a sad day when more people buy more 3-series' then Mondeos despite the latter being less to buy and more equipped!

Love the bit about 'safety' at 3:50. Oh how times have changed!

The mother and father will be in their late 70s or early 80s, the "kids" will now be about 60 and grandma will be a fading memory.... Yet they all looked so young. - How cruel ageing is.

Such good days back then......I would give anything to go back!

My late aunt had a metallic purple 3.0 v6 mk1 vinyl roof 1974 m registered beautiful car. Then a 79 mk2 2.8gl v registered later.

Who has pressed the dislike button? Someone who drives a KIA i bet. The mk1 Consul/Granada range is a work of art.

In 1982 aged 19, I bought a 1973 GRANADA 2500 XL (HOW 148L) for £350. I kept it for 4 years. I added a Sharp radio cassette, Clarion graphic equaliser and cheap but huge shelf and door speakers from a local market. Quick and comfy compared to the stuff some of my mates had. Lots of stories but that’s enough for now ....

It's fabulous compared to the Grenada we were offered here in the states. I will never understand why Ford didn't sell this car in the U.S., especially during the Oil Embargo. Perhaps doing so would have also aided in the wave of Asian cars that were flooding the market at the time. 30 miles to the gallon would have sold them here faster than Big Macs during that period, and look at how gorgeous they were!

Wow, thanks for posting this. Really interesting, would love to tackle a GXL Grandad as my next project. Pete PNO 922K

They are clearly pre-production examples, hence some of the quality issues you point out Paul, and I have referred in a previous post the Granada not being to production spec (witness the twin exhausts, lack of chrome surrounds to dash air vents and clock, the black grill and the wrongly fitted GXL badge). I agree this would not happen now, but I wouldn't say that that makes it a very poorly made film. Anyway, they were great cars in their day, and it's nice to get a reminder of them.

Our company chauffeur told me that the Granada was the most reliable car he had driven and had never had a spanner touch it except for light maintenance.It was very comfortable and well built.I did'nt like the fake wood on the instrument surround but everything else was OK for me.

I love this Car

The best 70's British Saloon, Good enough for The for Jack Regan, good enough for me, a top Motor......thanks for sharing the video

They were a big step forward for Ford, vastly better than the old Zephyr (Heffer) and closer to the big Mercs and BMW's than you'd think. The quality was nothing special though, typical Dagenham thrown together jobs. The German built Mark II was much better in that regard.

Notice at 3:17 the red Consul only has one brake-light working. Lenses faded not long after, as well as flooded headlamps.

My Dad had a 72' Granada...red with the black vinyl roof. It's that car that's the reason I bleed blue

In my own opinion the mk1 granada 3.0 auto is the best and prettiest car i ve ever owned 6 of them to make sure i did

Hand brake turn on the gravel before breakfast? Gets my juices flowing..... now where is that chauffeur?

My dad had an identical Granada in 1972. I don’t remember my fastidious mother being obliged to reverse it out of the stables though. Although dad didn’t have a moustache, he had the ubiquitous side-burns which made him look like he was on the phone a la Regan.

A great video about two great cars. Anyone notice that the backing music incorporates the theme from Thames TV's 1968 kids' series 'The Queen Street Gang'?

It's a much nicer Granada than the one USA got in late 70's

Keep expecting the posh voice-over man to say "it has plenty of performance for even the most demanding members of the Flying Squad" and "cardboard box resistant front end"..

I like this model

7:29 " the quality " shows drivers side with the back door miles out of true oh, the 70s

I got to visit England in September. I loved it! I didn't see any vintage Ford cars, I'm sorry to say. No Granada or Consul.

Love the music. 'Soul Thing' by the very talented ,Keith Mansfield.

MY DREAMCAR... I WISHD ID HAD GRANADA. CONSUL AND ESCORT MK1

That Granada's starter motor bendix sounded shagged !

I absolutely adore Ford Granadas especially the mark 1 and 2 they were awesome cars in billions of ways I was not keen on the mark 3 and 4 Granadas

Could he get any closer to that hedge on the left hander? 😆

I want one!

"Safety is our top priority, not car is complete without any seat belts in the back for a quick exit in Emergency situations".

i own a k reg consul in blue, with those same hubcaps.

Far better looking than the porch bumper garbage we had in the states.........too bad rust was the enemy

Consul GT (that they used on the Sweeney) Sexiest British Ford EVER!!

Keith Mansfield on the soundtrack!

I recognise the distinctive music at the end. But does anybody know what it's called, or WHERE it was used? Was it used as a theme tune for somebody's radio show?

the granada mk 1 and 2 were brilliant cars felching loads now i live my mk 2 gear brilliant

My father purchased a GXL model in Nov 1972 and it was crap !! Water poured through the sunroof and the wiper blades got tangled up and got torn off the splines, and the rear lights lost their colour as they were only sprayed with coloured lacquer and he was stopped by the Police for having white rear lights.

6:30 Love it 🤣

I recall being called out for emergency broken seat frame welding for a mate's brother's Granada when it fractured just as a potential buyer was coming to view it. Maybe it was a Revenger?

It’s got no side mirrors in this promo

3:05 Man, those are some narrow roads !!

I love the Consul/Granada, pity most have been banger raced by the chav's.

No seatbelts back in those days

why no outside mirrors ?

They knew their place, "taking on the best in Europe" not claiming to be the best in Europe!

It's my life's ambition to own either a consul or granada. If anyone has one that's in need of restoration but doesn't want to see it end up in the wrong hands, just send it to me.

I WISHD ID HAD RED GRANADA SOME DAY

Why built a test track in belgium, when every road in belgium was a bad as the test trak?

If this is a "shortened version of the launch film for both cars," is the full version about anywhere ?

this whole downsizing thing is rather ironic since in the US, Ford was the last of the Big 3 to downsize it's large cars in response to rising fuel prices, while it seems in Europe it was one of the first to downsize

Not one but TWO new cars! Except they're the same. Great car though, always liked The Cortina and Granada from this era.

Does anyone know the soundtrack that is used at 1:30 -Lauge :)

I'm in, where can I buy one? Much better than those modern SUV fashion symbols we have these days... 7:01 ....

rather they've been raced than sat rotting away in some shed as a 'future restoration project'. lush cars, on the road or raced.

I WISHD ID HAD OLD GRANADA CONSUL RED AND GRANADA TURNIER GREEN

Valiant Hemi

What they don't tell you is that all that luggage sunk the small dinghy they actually had berthed there.

Beautiful looking car marred by appalling 70s build quality. Incredible that, even on the promo film, the shut lines on the doors and boot are atrocious!

The sweeney mobiles 🇬🇧👍🚘.

Ford needed to bring over some of the Brit engineers to America in the 1970s

a beautifull inglish lady in a beautifull ford consul . i like that.

Ford pulled off a huge coup by getting Harry Enfield to do the voice-over! Charmondley, Charmondley,...😵

Where was the horn button on the Mark1s?

where is the driver side mirror?

No outside rear view mirrors?

Is that Michael Redfern (The Dad in the OXO adverts) driving the Consul?

Was the Granada/Consul based on the Mark 3 Cortina?

1:08 The Consul sits higher then the Granada.

"Lovely" plastic wood inside, as usual! Well done, Ford! Spoiling an excellent ship, for a ha'porth of tar!

The utter clueless mentality of seatbelts back then. Not so safe when grandma smashes through dad's head during a head on crash.

Safety was not a big priority back then no Safety belts

vay be arabada ayna yok ne sağda nede solda!!!

All made famous by the Sweeny, RIP John Thaw and Dennis Waterman.

So much nicer than the American Granadas, stylewise.

07:45 Sounded like the car wasn't going to start there...

Dutch Queen Juliana has one those days

12:05 - 'tache, sideburns and shirt opened to the navel - definitely the "Sophisticated Seventies" 😀

А где боковые зеркала?

What was extra, moustache & sideburns or Mother-in-law in the back !

Could you buy a Ford Granada already in 1971 ?

What we're impressed with , today , in any future the world has shall be smiled at , tomorrow. We need , for a proper retrospective assessment of these vehicles , or anything , also to know what the contemporary opinion was, or is ; and the then contemporary opinion was very high. Our superior knowledge , gained mostly through others' owning of them , rather than the smirking snearers , couldn't have been known by their first reviewers , who were without a Consul or Granada's ten-or-fifteen year-old bumper to inspect for it's durability ; it's deterioration collaterally due , too , to neglect , as well as to it's material nature. When next an electric car's owner enters their 250-300 mile-range electric car today , they should imagine it's yellowing Owner's Manual being held together by its rusting staples , in the intrigued , ( hopefully less satirical ) , hands of tomorrow.