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. Not less than the Mustang appeared sort of sporty.
1975 Granada: Forgotten Automotive Adverts
Daring Comparisons
By now, you’re conscious that for the 1976 mannequin yr, Ford advertising and marketing 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 manner mediocre Granada with the very best Cadillac out there on the time, and, what would turn into one of many most-important Volkswagens of all time.
Cadillac Seville and Volkswagen Rabbit
Sure, have 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 dimension 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 automobiles, and to a fantastic extent the styling labored. Shoppers accepted the downsized automotive as a legit Ford product, regardless 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 top of 1976, for Ford’s advertising and marketing power was firmly dedicated to launching the Granada.)
Granada Gross sales
Right here’s the deal, the Granada offered rather well. The boxy, chrome-laden Granada discovered greater than 400,000 patrons in 1975, this regardless of bringing no developments or new expertise to the market. Appears there are (had been?) automotive consumers who positioned sluggish change above all else on their priorities record.
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 principally the identical front-engine, rear-drive, pushrod-engine-powered automotive that Ford offered 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, fashionable overhead-cam engines, and shocking inside area. Certainly, whereas the cumbersome Granada clocked in at as much as 3400 kilos, stretched 198 inches, and offered an estimated 95 cubic toes of inside quantity, the trim little VW was simply 155 inches lengthy, weighed just below 2000 kilos, but offered homeowners with almost as a lot cabin area because the Ford (90 cubic toes).
Granada versus Rabbit
Additionally, the Granada’s lineup of unhappy, under-powered engines offered little in the best way of perforce. The bottom 200-inch six coughed up a scant 70 horsepower, whereas the out there 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 occasions of 10-11 seconds. As for gasoline financial system…effectively, Highway & Observe 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, nevertheless it additionally boasted some professional 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 very least a second faster within the 0-60 dash, it additionally returned significantly higher gasoline financial system.
However, extra importantly, the Seville boasted a complicated unbiased coil-spring rear suspension. The high-end chassis contributed to the Caddy’s famously easy journey and almost sporty dealing with. That Granada, nevertheless, made use of a dated leaf-spring rear-suspension setup, severely limiting the automotive’s dynamic potential.
Sure, thousands and thousands of American’s purchased Granadas, and little doubt the automobiles served these customers moderately effectively. However the Granada was un-special in a spectacular manner, and was merely not in the identical league because the Rabbit technologically, nor the Seville by way of energy or refinement. Wanting again at this advert, we’re nonetheless somewhat delay by all of the, effectively, baloney. Click on right here for extra classic-car promoting.
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1975 Granada Photos
Click on under for enlarged photos
