Ford - The 1985 Ford Granada - A New Dimension in Luxury Motoring (1984) Video featuring Tony Bastable introducing the 1985 Ford Granada. Show Trim Levels and Equipment available.
It was quite a decent car. If it wasn't for the cheap nylon fabric upholstery I would have had one. Interiors didnt wear well, of course, but three years on a lease and it was gone anyway.
Me to! I wish it was made today and for the USA. Boy it starts in the upper $8K and tops at double the price for the Scorpio! Damn!!! Notice not a word about the engine, or even a peek at it? Or what you get in each one. Hmmm....@@asm1
I can’t believe I actually sat through the entire video, mainly because of nostalgia, I was 9 years old when this car came out. Tbh the features of the Scorpio were impressive for its time.
I had one as company car in the 80s, a manual 2l Ghia in dark metallic red with grey velour trim I specced it with cruise control. It was as good as this ad makes it sound. I miss that car.
This brings back so many good memories of the eighties, not just the cars, I know there were still problems in the eighties but how could things have gone so drastically wrong in today's world.
One of my all-time favourite cars. The fastest I have ever been on a British road was 119 miles per hour in a 1988 F reg Ford Granada 2.9i Ghia X. I was 9 years old at the time and wedged between the two front seats so I could see the speedo. Oh how times have changed. Thank god!
Никогда не забуду свои ощущения - ребенка лет 12, когда отец купил scorpio. После москвича 2140, это был такой прорыв, невероятно. Я просто наслаждался тем, что сидел в ней.
Paul Marshall I had a 2007 Volvo T5 and harsh acceleration when the engine was cold used to get the instantaneous fuel consumption down to 2mpg too! Loved that!
This was a VERY good car for its time and light-Years ahead .. My late dad had one as a company car... It was SO ahead of anything else for its time. Ford went above and beyond with this car... And no I am not a Ford fanboy ... This was a magnificent car
@@paulhunter123 ..For its time this was a great car... Have a look at other cars that were launched in the mid 1980's... It had performance in the V6 petrol version and economy in the diesel version... It was miles ahead of similar cars like the Rover 800 ... It was a good solid well made reliable car .. Even the base model 1.8GL had "Good spec"
@@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206 It wasn't that good really. It was just a big Sierra with ABS as standard. My dad had an '86 2.0i Granada GL in '89 and I own an '87 Granada Scorpio right now. They're not all that. They ARE fantastically comfortable and very spacious but the engines were old nails and the steering feel wasn't up to much either. I'd far rather have a Rover 3500 Vanden Plas EFi any day !
@@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206 My parents drove 20M´s and Granadas all the way up from the late 1960s until the early 1990s - so I really like those old, big Fords. However the V6-engines weren´t really that modern - and they basically were updated versions of engines that were in their "ground contstruction" developed in the 1960s. That goes for the 2,3 liter version as well as for the 2,8 liter version. As far as I know the 2,9 liter in the Scorpio was also just based on the "old" 2,8 liter version. Then of course there was the 2,9 liter Cosworth version - but that´s a whole new story :-)
My parents had the 2.8 Ghia mkII. When I was 17 in 1987 my folks insured me on the car not long after passing my test. I remember it only cost them an extra £20 to do it and they let me use it quite a lot, especially to go see my girlfriend at the time. The front passenger leg room was amazing. We used to go out for a drive and end up down some country lane. She'd get her keks off, legs up on the dash, me in the footwell going down. Fanatstic memories of the Ford Granada.
Haha!! Brilliant story, bud! Don't think my folks would have been too happy if I reappropriated their car for that purpose...especially since I wasn't driving at that point! :-D Right about the legroom though, I think its still the most spacious saloon I've ever been in.
Mate, there was a lot or reappropriation going on with that car when I used it. I used to tell them I was going babysitting for a couple I knew at the other end of town but actually picked up some mates from miles away and went night clubbing in Norwich. On the way home, we'd open the sunroof and one or two pissed up mates would stand up out of the opening while I drove as fast as I could back to town. I remember seeing 120mph on the clock, I'm sure. Frightens me now when I think about it. I was teetotal in those days so used to drive friends and family around quite a lot. Not always in my parents car, of course.
Mike 'dead eyed cretin' Then what car was, smart arse? But you were,you weren’t you??? But You’ll be the most advanced in your local nursing home, take title you can keep, LoL!
As a single man in the 80s I had 3 Mk2 Granada’s, 2.3L, 2.3GL and 2.8GL, as a married man with kids I had a Mk2 2.8i Ghia, then 3 Mk3 newer shape with the last being the 2.9i Ghia in Silver in the early 90s, easily some of the best and most reliable cars I’ve owned, when I retire in about 10 years time I think I’ll get another.....
I met him the year before he died ...he blamed smoking on ruining his quality of life, he was I think in his early 60s but could not walk far or breath properly very very sad
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani, not informed of the risks? The risks of smoking were well understood by the 60s and they were campaigning heavily against the habit by the 70s.
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani, my father was around the same as as Tony and died of the Same desease. When he started smoking he knew it was bad for him. It was certainly vastly more acceptable to smoke right up until the 90s, but pleading ignorance as my dad used to do, fell on deaf ears as my Mother would point out that she was trying to get him to give up from when they were teenagers onwards.
This was fantastic to watch. It bought back memories of my Ford Granada Scorpio 2.8 5 door followed by the saloon version 2.0 that I was so impressed with. I had cloth seats in my first one and full leather in my second. A a young man of 22 years old, I felt like I was king of the road. Now stage 56, I drive a big Mercedes - fully loaded of cause.
Not sure what I found most disturbing watching this... seeing the kids in the back of a car with no seatbelts fitted for them to wear or the music at the end. My dad bought a blue D-reg GL model and it proved to be an absolute dog. It broke down on us twice and we also arrived back at the car park we’d left it at once only to find out that it had rolled backwards into another car with the hacked-off owner of said vehicle waiting for us - and yes, the hand brake was firmly on... Lucky we had impact-absorbing bumpers.
Back in 1989 I had a 2.0i Ghia in silver like the one in the video. For the time it was a well spec'd car and was lovely to drive. never got the claimed fuel economy, but then I seldom stayed at 56mph ! - For me it was the gadgets that came with the car. The indicators for doors open, outside temperature etc... It was also quite roomy and had a very comfortable ride. This video brought back a lot of fond memories
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani I absolutely detest this Toyota and I'm counting the days down I can change it. The RX was my baby and I still long the day I sold that car. I should have just kept it and covered her up. Next car I would love an older car hence why I'm here. Would love something like an old Skoda Favorit or a Montego
No it really doesn’t. The Avensis is quite well specced in all trims with things like air con, alloys, 6 speed box all standard unlike the Granada. Not to mention the safety features
@@a0r0a7 this has to be where he got the character from. It's to uncanny. I have a slight interest in the old grands, unkle had one in the 80s, but not 20 mins worth. I was glued to watching him present it for 20 mins. Thid is proper old BBC presenting, so I'm not trying to dis the guy (he is probably long gone now), but my word, its like watching APs father.
@@StephenButlerOne not once did I think you were dissing him. To be fair he was a great reviewer of cars, proper detail and facts about the car. I would agree that Cougan may have based Partridge on this chap 😁 I use to enjoy these as a kid and have recently been watching them and enjoying them all over again 👍
@@a0r0a7 I didn't think you would think that tbh, I was just covering my bases. I can rememer old informative tg from the 80s, and miss it tbh. The newer post 2000 tg was decent till about 07,then they became self aware of their stupidity, and it's now a parody of itself. I liked 5th gear as that blended real car stuff in a modern way. TG and now GT is entertainment with a car back drop. Not a car show. I didn't mind the last season of tg, thr one after Chris evens, that wasnt as bad as everyone said. Arguably better than GT on amazon. But I don't recall this guy from my younger days. So seeing him for the first time (or what I remember as) it just screams Partridge. Ironically talking of top gear becoming a parody of itself, partridge is a parody of this guy. The man was comedy gold without him, or anyone, realising it. Something nice in that.
@@StephenButlerOne your spot on with everything you say. These reviews do get right down to the facts and are very informative. I certainly did not know the granada had electric rear reclining seats. Talking of TG check out Clarkson island, that gave me a laugh. Good talking 👍
Saw a 2.8i Ghia yesterday sitting in traffic behind a modern 5 series, it looked so small. They were quite large cars in their day. I remember a friends dad having one and us marvelling at the electric seats.
Cars have grown in size over the years. I saw a Triumph 2500S which was classed as a big car in its day but it was a lot smaller than the modern Fiesta parked next to it.
I remember me and my mate driving in a Granada Ghia top spec from Hertfordshire to Stone Henge then Wales and back again, beautiful car, and the roads were icy and snow it was awesome.
I've often been embarrassed about how much stowage space my '87 Granada Scorpio has. I make sure that I apologise to everyone that I give a lift to before they enter the vehicle.
Our dad bought the base model Granada 1.3L with manual wash wipe and aluminium cranking handle. We forced our mum to divorce our dad and marry the bloke next door who had the flagship scorpio version. We still see our old dad over the fence trying to polish his heap of junk as we hurl eggs at it but he never laughs. Absolutely zero sense of humour. No wonder mum divorced him.
I love these cars, they were still fairly common when I got my licence in 2002, but I couldn't have insured one. A funeral home near me had a 6-door saloon model I wanted. Mini limo!
As a family we owned one of the later Scorpio models in a four door saloon. Apart from the dreadful economy - 2.0 automatic - the car itself was simply gorgeous to both drive and be a passenger in.
HuSia Cat well it was the coupe version of the saloon a ghia fastback was the sporty name given , funny the fastback style has made a big comeback again all the marquee brands are doing the now again !
HuSia Cat I’m far from an expert on these I just remember them vaguely as a kid and they are a classic of their time the Granada’s that came after not so , check this out .. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Granada_(Europe)
That car would come to America and be sold as the Merkur Scorpio from 1985-1988 and its styling would be seen in the first and second generation Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable 1986-1991 and 1992-1995 here in America.
@Foto4Max I can only imagine all those electronics going wrong at some point...not only in this particular car, but many other cars and brands suffered from this the more electronics they put in the car the more unreliable it becomes.
When I was 18, I had a 2.0ltr Ghia which I swapped for a ropey Capri 2.8. Then a couple of years later I had a 94 2.0ltr Granada Scorpio. I'd love to own a Granada Scorpio now. Such brilliant cars!
And thats why I buy older cars, I've never been to a garage to fix a car or motorcycle in 46 years on the roads, I've just given my son a 2018 shopping cart which was nippy but uncomfortable and bought an 2003 lexus straight six for comfort and the fact I can do everything myself on it without specialist tools or computers.
I had a 2.0i Ghia saloon as a taxi back in the 90s, I couldn't count the amount of people that complimented that rear leg room and the comfort. Made a 12hr shift an actual pleasure, awesome motor for the job.
I had a "A"plate granny 2.8i ghia X.....it was in perfect condition until it was stolen in Essex (1995) and used for banger racing by some inbred council house living scum bag....it only had 19,000 miles on it.....
Funnily enough in the Astra vs. Escort promotional video, the Astra's power windows were a hazard to children's fingers, as Mr. Bastable so eloquently demonstrated with the crushed apple, but now on the Granada they are "details of extra comfort and luxury" :D
Dad had a 1986 burgundy GL it felt like a limousine compared to his previous Austin Ambassador. Hard to believe but he didn’t want the ghia because people would “talk”.
My family also replaced an Austin Ambassador for one of these. It was the 2.8 Ghia. It felt incredibly powerful at the time....felt like we could overtake anyone! I also remember the juddering of the early ABS system. And I loved the rear headrests for some reason!
Exactly the same model , his colour magenta, as my dads, still the most comfortable rear seats of any car I've been in , even now. Awesome electric ABS brakes as well.
That shows his Socialist mindset through and through. The Ghia perceived as being too ostentatious for a working class man. I'm surprised he didn't plump for a base Austin Maestro, a true Socialist Charabang!
Great period advert. The directors had Granadas in my first company after I graduated. Fabulously comfortable. Mind you, most of them were 1.8GLs which were always slow and ultimately terrifying to pull away from junctions after retiming for unleaded! Some context on that Scorpio price. At £15.5k was more than 2x my first salary after graduating with an electronics engineering degree.
I had a 1985 Granada Scorpio 2.8i, and it had everything except leather upholstery: aircon, electric front seats with pump-up lumbar support, electric rear seats, rear entertainment controls with 2 sets of headphones, trip computer, self levelling rear suspension with onboard compressor, interior lights all over the place. It was very comfortable, smooth, sounded nice, and was fairly quick for the time. I managed to blow the autobox up though, which cost me £600 to get fixed.
@pmailkeey To get maximum acceleration I would put it into 1st gear, hit the throttle, and when the revs got to about 5500, nudge the gear lever into 2nd without backing off the throttle. Then the same again into 3rd, etc. It used to go quite well, until one day it shifted from 1st into....nothing - just a box full of neutrals. Game over!
@pmailkeey Torque converter broke, I think. It may not have gone much faster, but it felt faster because it was revving higher in each gear. Funny how times change - my current BMW 330d would murder it without breaking a sweat.
You can see this was the point Ford well and truly departed from traditional old fashioned car design. IMO this is the birth of modern car design as we know it today.
I think the Sierra was the birth of modern car design myself. One of the first cars to have plastic moulded bumpers, and a slippery aero dynamic profile. And launched in 1982. It took a few years for the Sierra to catch on, especially when you consider the car it replaced, the square and boxy Cortina. Apart from the door pillars, I don't think there was a single right angle to be seen on that car.
So did I, in my 1983 Escort 1.6 Ghia. And REAL WOOD, in the door cappings, not plastic disguised as wood. It was actually a really nice car to drive too. And mine was built in Germany, so none of the rust issues that plagued the Dagenham Dustbins. Well not for 15 years at least. It lasted me right up until 1999, and was still going, with only 92k miles on it. I sold it for £300 with tax and mot.
Yes!!! Bring back the crushed velour fabric. So soft and comfortable. The new fabrics are hard and durable. And almost always black, which make the interiors seem so dark.
Brilliant car for this era. I was owner of continental '92 Scorpio-2.0DOCH-GLX for 7 years, when i bought it car was already 15 years old, but in very good condition. I drove more than 100000 km over those years and never regreted - very comfortable seats, very comfortable suspension, really good brakes, reliable engine with quite low consumption. Sadly corrosion killed the body, there are so many salt on our winter roads. Wish i could keep that car, i really loved it.
They made a 4WD version, which had surprisingly good cornering. Can't remember what engine they used but I think it was the 2.8 V6. It was - at least- quite spirited.
I had an 85 Scorpio in 94 , was a lovely car , everything electric and it all worked lol used to kick it down on a corner and it would go sideways but was still very controllable
I loved my Granada 2.8i ghia x executive I always felt like I was in the cockpit of a very luxurious plane never again will you find such a unique quality car still as they say all good things must come to an end
Volvo V70 is very nice, especially in SE Lux trim. Leather seats, soft touch dash and door cappings, and floating centre console. A very very nice car imo. I drive a V50 SE, which is almost as nice, and plenty toys to play with.
I read that only 1 out of 10 cars left the factory with correct wheel alignment. One car magazine tried to stay positive, quote "The Granada is indeed not a bad car at all.. it just that every other car is a lot better"...
My dad had four Grannies. Last was a 2.9i ghia x. It had a trip computer and graphic equalisers. Awesome. His first mk3 was a 2.8i GL. Base spec with the big engine. I'm sure he used the Pioneer stereo he bought separately which had been in both his previous mk2 2.3L and LX. It was quite normal back then to have crap stereos and upgrade them yourself.
Back in 1990 I had a (2.9L) gran scorp and loved it. Huge car, I had the saloon version, not powerful by today’s standards but extremely willing and it felt powerful. I got a BMW 535i after the granny which was in a different class.. but I always remember the Ford feeling more fun and eager to drive. A real shame ford destroyed the brand with the ugly Scorpio leaving them nowhere to go but discontinue the line.
"when the kids in the back want to lo listen to their heavy rock music but you dont share their tastes." Rock has always been tastefull, even more so today compared to the shit kids hear on the radio.
The Mk3 Granada was a much improved car with room for 5 adults, lovely engines, a big capacious boot, nice power steering, good comfort, and decent economy on the 2.6 and 2.9 EFi engines which could easily tow a boat or caravan without issue.
My dad had an earlier version, late 70's, GXL 3.0L, white body, black vinyl top. Like the one in 'Minder'. It wasn't streamlined at all. The front had two huge rectangular headlights that basically told the air to get out of the way! Lots of power!
When the country seemed to have joint aspirations. The joy of receiving a new Granada back then with the new car smell can never be replicated today. Very few cars today come with the feeling that new cars used to. Motoring has died.
my 2.4, 24mpg (coincidence?) and 28mpg if really feathered. I was stunned by that graphic, too. HST, my 1981 1.2 litre Peugeot 104 returned exactly the same.
![POLYCAT - ข้อความรูปยิ้ม [Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lBhIgPGCgbI/mqdefault.jpg)
It's 2019 and I just spent 20 minutes watching a Ford Granada infomercial from 1985
Yeah me too lol. Rather like the Scorpio........
Same here.
Me to.....the good old days of motors
It was quite a decent car. If it wasn't for the cheap nylon fabric upholstery I would have had one.
Interiors didnt wear well, of course, but three years on a lease and it was gone anyway.
Me to! I wish it was made today and for the USA. Boy it starts in the upper $8K and tops at double the price for the Scorpio! Damn!!! Notice not a word about the engine, or even a peek at it? Or what you get in each one. Hmmm....@@asm1
I can’t believe I actually sat through the entire video, mainly because of nostalgia, I was 9 years old when this car came out. Tbh the features of the Scorpio were impressive for its time.
Tony made everything sound classy, from cars to computers.
Yeah man, a polished presenter Indeed.
Granada Scorpio sounds great. I'm off to the Ford dealer first thing tomorrow to buy one.
Get the cellular radio telephone option.
Philip Sumner hahahahah
Zero ninety:... bloody hell! Are YOU in for a shock... and disappointment!
get the De-Lorean ready .. your on your way :)
I had one as company car in the 80s, a manual 2l Ghia in dark metallic red with grey velour trim I specced it with cruise control. It was as good as this ad makes it sound. I miss that car.
This brings back so many good memories of the eighties, not just the cars, I know there were still problems in the eighties but how could things have gone so drastically wrong in today's world.
anglosaxons!
Good old Tony bless him,
such a professional
Taken too soon at 62
Such clear and precise annunciation
He explains the features of the car the same as Q does for 007
Great observation, Mr, uh.......?
"Now pay attention 007 I shall only go over these special features once"
The drip rails are concealed. Underneath lies not just one, but two tomahawk missiles. That’s four missiles in total 007. Just so you know.
"I never joke about my work, 007"
I bet 007 would have had no end of fun with that cantilevered glovebox 😂
One of my all-time favourite cars. The fastest I have ever been on a British road was 119 miles per hour in a 1988 F reg Ford Granada 2.9i Ghia X. I was 9 years old at the time and wedged between the two front seats so I could see the speedo. Oh how times have changed. Thank god!
Cool!
Mine was limited to 115mph
The 80s was the best decade ever and Tony Bastable was a God among men.
Tony Bastable a broadcasting legend!!
Никогда не забуду свои ощущения - ребенка лет 12, когда отец купил scorpio. После москвича 2140, это был такой прорыв, невероятно. Я просто наслаждался тем, что сидел в ней.
I had a 2.9 Ghia X about 30 years ago, and if you floored it, you could get the fuel consumption computer to show 2 miles to the gallon.
Paul Marshall I had a 2007 Volvo T5 and harsh acceleration when the engine was cold used to get the instantaneous fuel consumption down to 2mpg too! Loved that!
But a gallon was only 85p at the time.
@@fornicateu2 And average earnings of £4000 per annum
@@LivingLifeSlower Average earnings where I live is 16k now and its 1.23 a litre, thats a fiver a gallon most of which is govt tax, theft.
You fools, that was instantaneous fuel consumption
This was a VERY good car for its time and light-Years ahead .. My late dad had one as a company car... It was SO ahead of anything else for its time.
Ford went above and beyond with this car... And no I am not a Ford fanboy ...
This was a magnificent car
what was good about it it looks so dull
@@paulhunter123 ..For its time this was a great car... Have a look at other cars that were launched in the mid 1980's... It had performance in the V6 petrol version and economy in the diesel version... It was miles ahead of similar cars like the Rover 800 ... It was a good solid well made reliable car .. Even the base model 1.8GL had "Good spec"
Americans say the same about the Taurus, which was basically the same car.
@@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206
It wasn't that good really.
It was just a big Sierra with ABS as standard.
My dad had an '86 2.0i Granada GL in '89 and I own an '87 Granada Scorpio right now. They're not all that.
They ARE fantastically comfortable and very spacious but the engines were old nails and the steering feel wasn't up to much either.
I'd far rather have a Rover 3500 Vanden Plas EFi any day !
@@briansaiditsoitmustbetrue4206 My parents drove 20M´s and Granadas all the way up from the late 1960s until the early 1990s - so I really like those old, big Fords. However the V6-engines weren´t really that modern - and they basically were updated versions of engines that were in their "ground contstruction" developed in the 1960s. That goes for the 2,3 liter version as well as for the 2,8 liter version. As far as I know the 2,9 liter in the Scorpio was also just based on the "old" 2,8 liter version. Then of course there was the 2,9 liter Cosworth version - but that´s a whole new story :-)
Tony Bastable just made me NEED a Scorpio. In 2019. Now THATS a presenter. I’ll have to Wikipedia him. Hell of a salesman!
He makes me want one in 2023..!!
Tony Bastable was a legend. loved watching him
Warning Will Robinson!
I had a 1987 2.0i GHIA Auto Hatch in beautiful Tasmin blue. Absolutely loved it, back in the day.
My parents had a white Granada Ghia, and the amount of room in the back of that car was insane! Lovely motor, I'd drive one now.
My parents had the 2.8 Ghia mkII. When I was 17 in 1987 my folks insured me on the car not long after passing my test. I remember it only cost them an extra £20 to do it and they let me use it quite a lot, especially to go see my girlfriend at the time.
The front passenger leg room was amazing. We used to go out for a drive and end up down some country lane. She'd get her keks off, legs up on the dash, me in the footwell going down. Fanatstic memories of the Ford Granada.
Haha!! Brilliant story, bud!
Don't think my folks would have been too happy if I reappropriated their car for that purpose...especially since I wasn't driving at that point! :-D
Right about the legroom though, I think its still the most spacious saloon I've ever been in.
Mate, there was a lot or reappropriation going on with that car when I used it.
I used to tell them I was going babysitting for a couple I knew at the other end of town but actually picked up some mates from miles away and went night clubbing in Norwich. On the way home, we'd open the sunroof and one or two pissed up mates would stand up out of the opening while I drove as fast as I could back to town. I remember seeing 120mph on the clock, I'm sure. Frightens me now when I think about it. I was teetotal in those days so used to drive friends and family around quite a lot. Not always in my parents car, of course.
My parents' Ghia was my dad's pride and joy, even if I'd had a license there's no way he would have let me drive it! :-D
Looks pretty cavernous even by today's standard
Right I'm off to my local Ford dealer tomorrow. This car is ahead of its time.
Mike 'dead eyed cretin' Then what car was, smart arse? But you were,you weren’t you??? But You’ll be the most advanced in your local nursing home, take title you can keep, LoL!
Ill take....two...the sales guy was perfect. U convinced me to buy it in 2019.
At the time this video came out my dad had a 1977 Morris Marina Deluxe. Trust me back then this was space shuttle technology to most of us.
As a single man in the 80s I had 3 Mk2 Granada’s, 2.3L, 2.3GL and 2.8GL, as a married man with kids I had a Mk2 2.8i Ghia, then 3 Mk3 newer shape with the last being the 2.9i Ghia in Silver in the early 90s, easily some of the best and most reliable cars I’ve owned, when I retire in about 10 years time I think I’ll get another.....
Was it good for picking up birds in?
Presenter is the late Tony Bastable, I also remember him presenting Thames tv's Magpie series for younger viewers, he died in 2007.
Yes i remember him as a kid...
Shame..Excellent presenter...
I met him the year before he died ...he blamed smoking on ruining his quality of life, he was I think in his early 60s but could not walk far or breath properly very very sad
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani, not informed of the risks? The risks of smoking were well understood by the 60s and they were campaigning heavily against the habit by the 70s.
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani, my father was around the same as as Tony and died of the Same desease. When he started smoking he knew it was bad for him. It was certainly vastly more acceptable to smoke right up until the 90s, but pleading ignorance as my dad used to do, fell on deaf ears as my Mother would point out that she was trying to get him to give up from when they were teenagers onwards.
This was fantastic to watch. It bought back memories of my Ford Granada Scorpio 2.8 5 door followed by the saloon version 2.0 that I was so impressed with. I had cloth seats in my first one and full leather in my second. A a young man of 22 years old, I felt like I was king of the road. Now stage 56, I drive a big Mercedes - fully loaded of cause.
Takes me back to being a kid in the early 90s, we had a Granada 2.9 ghia. I loved it.
Not sure what I found most disturbing watching this... seeing the kids in the back of a car with no seatbelts fitted for them to wear or the music at the end. My dad bought a blue D-reg GL model and it proved to be an absolute dog. It broke down on us twice and we also arrived back at the car park we’d left it at once only to find out that it had rolled backwards into another car with the hacked-off owner of said vehicle waiting for us - and yes, the hand brake was firmly on... Lucky we had impact-absorbing bumpers.
Tony is a Legend! you can catch much of his more candid 70's commentary on cars on the Thames TV Channel.
Always admired Tony for style of delivery.....
I had a Scorpio for about 8 years back in the day. Loved it, and I'd probably buy another...
I had one of these ...a true beauty of a car. It got me from Lincolnshire to my RAF bases in Scotland up and down the A1/A9 in comfort and style
That’s good because comfort and style were definitely not waiting for you at the RAF base
Back in 1989 I had a 2.0i Ghia in silver like the one in the video. For the time it was a well spec'd car and was lovely to drive. never got the claimed fuel economy, but then I seldom stayed at 56mph ! - For me it was the gadgets that came with the car. The indicators for doors open, outside temperature etc... It was also quite roomy and had a very comfortable ride. This video brought back a lot of fond memories
I love the 80s. even films like these are great.
wow i wish topgear now was like this, he really goes into detail and that's good!
Bring back Quentin Willson and the old crew. ;)
Lets have a proper car show on tv.
That Scorpio has more spec than my 2018 Avensis
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani MPG + space + safety and obviously cost 😑
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani 2.0 d4d
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani far cry from my RX-8. Change in job location forced sale due to Smiled per gallon not cutting it
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani I absolutely detest this Toyota and I'm counting the days down I can change it.
The RX was my baby and I still long the day I sold that car. I should have just kept it and covered her up.
Next car I would love an older car hence why I'm here.
Would love something like an old Skoda Favorit or a Montego
No it really doesn’t. The Avensis is quite well specced in all trims with things like air con, alloys, 6 speed box all standard unlike the Granada. Not to mention the safety features
Wow, it's like watching what Coogan watches for his partridge roles.
Aha 😂 so Alan Partridge. Crushed velour was delivered in true Partridge style, brilliant
@@a0r0a7 this has to be where he got the character from. It's to uncanny.
I have a slight interest in the old grands, unkle had one in the 80s, but not 20 mins worth. I was glued to watching him present it for 20 mins.
Thid is proper old BBC presenting, so I'm not trying to dis the guy (he is probably long gone now), but my word, its like watching APs father.
@@StephenButlerOne not once did I think you were dissing him. To be fair he was a great reviewer of cars, proper detail and facts about the car. I would agree that Cougan may have based Partridge on this chap 😁 I use to enjoy these as a kid and have recently been watching them and enjoying them all over again 👍
@@a0r0a7 I didn't think you would think that tbh, I was just covering my bases.
I can rememer old informative tg from the 80s, and miss it tbh. The newer post 2000 tg was decent till about 07,then they became self aware of their stupidity, and it's now a parody of itself. I liked 5th gear as that blended real car stuff in a modern way. TG and now GT is entertainment with a car back drop. Not a car show.
I didn't mind the last season of tg, thr one after Chris evens, that wasnt as bad as everyone said. Arguably better than GT on amazon.
But I don't recall this guy from my younger days. So seeing him for the first time (or what I remember as) it just screams Partridge.
Ironically talking of top gear becoming a parody of itself, partridge is a parody of this guy. The man was comedy gold without him, or anyone, realising it. Something nice in that.
@@StephenButlerOne your spot on with everything you say. These reviews do get right down to the facts and are very informative. I certainly did not know the granada had electric rear reclining seats. Talking of TG check out Clarkson island, that gave me a laugh. Good talking 👍
I had a 1987 2.8 V6 auto, ghia trim, never had another car come close since.
Christopher Hulse lol really?
@Steve Austin I don't drive any longer due to health reasons.
This thread made me laugh. I'm still laughing now
Ha ha ha ha ha
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Gold.
Saw a 2.8i Ghia yesterday sitting in traffic behind a modern 5 series, it looked so small. They were quite large cars in their day. I remember a friends dad having one and us marvelling at the electric seats.
The model prior to this one still looks massive though. That was a pretty imposing car.
but yet the mk2 estate is still huge
And I'll bet the Granada still had more rear legroom than the current 5 series. They were massive in the back!
Really ?
Cars have grown in size over the years. I saw a Triumph 2500S which was classed as a big car in its day but it was a lot smaller than the modern Fiesta parked next to it.
I remember me and my mate driving in a Granada Ghia top spec from Hertfordshire to Stone Henge then Wales and back again, beautiful car, and the roads were icy and snow it was awesome.
6:26 - "An embarrassment of stowage space" yes that's what he said. Brilliant!
I've often been embarrassed about how much stowage space my '87 Granada Scorpio has.
I make sure that I apologise to everyone that I give a lift to before they enter the vehicle.
This presenter Tony is a real professional. When he starts talking you can't press stop.
Our dad bought the base model Granada 1.3L with manual wash wipe and aluminium cranking handle. We forced our mum to divorce our dad and marry the bloke next door who had the flagship scorpio version. We still see our old dad over the fence trying to polish his heap of junk as we hurl eggs at it but he never laughs. Absolutely zero sense of humour. No wonder mum divorced him.
Funny ...... made me giggle
1.3 engine in a granada can it even move?
@@scotty87able it never had a 1 3 engine in it,and definatley no cranking handles.cortina had a 1 3.
@@ivanfernyhough3851 i know just part of the joke dont think ive ever actually seen a 1.3 cortina or a 1.3 sierra for that matter
The heated front screen thing was genius and yes, I always wondered how no-one else used it.
I drive a 2014 Merc E-class that doesn't have a heated windscreen - and I need it!
@@JT4CD Would be near top of my options list.
I had a 2.8 i Granada quite a few years ago it was one of the best cars I've ever owned
I love these cars, they were still fairly common when I got my licence in 2002, but I couldn't have insured one. A funeral home near me had a 6-door saloon model I wanted. Mini limo!
Still one of the comfiest cars I've been in
As a family we owned one of the later Scorpio models in a four door saloon. Apart from the dreadful economy - 2.0 automatic - the car itself was simply gorgeous to both drive and be a passenger in.
I loved the fast back 70s Granada with the vinyl roof !
Another Sweeney fan!
A bit before my time -)
HuSia Cat well it was the coupe version of the saloon a ghia fastback was the sporty name given , funny the fastback style has made a big comeback again all the marquee brands are doing the now again !
HuSia Cat I’m far from an expert on these I just remember them vaguely as a kid and they are a classic of their time the Granada’s that came after not so , check this out .. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Granada_(Europe)
That car would come to America and be sold as the Merkur Scorpio from 1985-1988 and its styling would be seen in the first and second generation Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable 1986-1991 and 1992-1995 here in America.
wrong. The car you received in the US was calles SIERRA in Europe
@@daniel-ino It was called the Scorpio here in the US and the Sierra overseas
Tony Bastable - a legend
Not a bad car even for today standarts. At least there're no unreliable options.
@Foto4Max I can only imagine all those electronics going wrong at some point...not only in this particular car, but many other cars and brands suffered from this the more electronics they put in the car the more unreliable it becomes.
When I was 18, I had a 2.0ltr Ghia which I swapped for a ropey Capri 2.8. Then a couple of years later I had a 94 2.0ltr Granada Scorpio.
I'd love to own a Granada Scorpio now. Such brilliant cars!
The GL model was nice, the Ghia was mouth watering but the last one in that colour superb ,and if it break it was all fixable on your drive
And thats why I buy older cars, I've never been to a garage to fix a car or motorcycle in 46 years on the roads, I've just given my son a 2018 shopping cart which was nippy but uncomfortable and bought an 2003 lexus straight six for comfort and the fact I can do everything myself on it without specialist tools or computers.
I had a 2.0i Ghia saloon as a taxi back in the 90s, I couldn't count the amount of people that complimented that rear leg room and the comfort. Made a 12hr shift an actual pleasure, awesome motor for the job.
Always preferred the previous Granadas. Much better looking.
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani What about the 'coke bottle' shaped original?
@Matthew Dawood Khaghani Check Ford Granada 1972-77.
I had a "A"plate granny 2.8i ghia X.....it was in perfect condition until it was stolen in Essex (1995) and used for banger racing by some inbred council house living scum bag....it only had 19,000 miles on it.....
@@speakfreeley4473 Love it.
@@speakfreeley4473 Jack Regan's favourite ride.
Funnily enough in the Astra vs. Escort promotional video, the Astra's power windows were a hazard to children's fingers, as Mr. Bastable so eloquently demonstrated with the crushed apple, but now on the Granada they are "details of extra comfort and luxury" :D
Dad had a 1986 burgundy GL it felt like a limousine compared to his previous Austin Ambassador. Hard to believe but he didn’t want the ghia because people would “talk”.
My family also replaced an Austin Ambassador for one of these. It was the 2.8 Ghia. It felt incredibly powerful at the time....felt like we could overtake anyone!
I also remember the juddering of the early ABS system.
And I loved the rear headrests for some reason!
Exactly the same model , his colour magenta, as my dads, still the most comfortable rear seats of any car I've been in , even now. Awesome electric ABS brakes as well.
That shows his Socialist mindset through and through. The Ghia perceived as being too ostentatious for a working class man. I'm surprised he didn't plump for a base Austin Maestro, a true Socialist Charabang!
Great period advert. The directors had Granadas in my first company after I graduated. Fabulously comfortable. Mind you, most of them were 1.8GLs which were always slow and ultimately terrifying to pull away from junctions after retiming for unleaded!
Some context on that Scorpio price. At £15.5k was more than 2x my first salary after graduating with an electronics engineering degree.
Pure gold, well done for finding this.
Wouldn't get away with a name like Tony Bastable in today's modern PC world
I would of been the kid sitting in the back listening to heavy rock music on the headphones 🤣👍
Ben remembers when the Granada was released, he fell in love with the Scorpio 4x4, what a car, thank you
Loved these cars, especially in their us only Merkur Scorpio variants. Thanks
Wow. Between my brother and I we had 21 Granada's. And i never new that strip was called a Belt :)
Love the shiny hard plastics of the interior
Michael Silbert Your avatar is amazing
I had a 1985 Granada Scorpio 2.8i, and it had everything except leather upholstery: aircon, electric front seats with pump-up lumbar support, electric rear seats, rear entertainment controls with 2 sets of headphones, trip computer, self levelling rear suspension with onboard compressor, interior lights all over the place. It was very comfortable, smooth, sounded nice, and was fairly quick for the time. I managed to blow the autobox up though, which cost me £600 to get fixed.
@pmailkeey To get maximum acceleration I would put it into 1st gear, hit the throttle, and when the revs got to about 5500, nudge the gear lever into 2nd without backing off the throttle. Then the same again into 3rd, etc. It used to go quite well, until one day it shifted from 1st into....nothing - just a box full of neutrals. Game over!
@pmailkeey Torque converter broke, I think. It may not have gone much faster, but it felt faster because it was revving higher in each gear. Funny how times change - my current BMW 330d would murder it without breaking a sweat.
Tony bastable . Proper bloke .
Cracking surname. So close to a rude word.
You can see this was the point Ford well and truly departed from traditional old fashioned car design. IMO this is the birth of modern car design as we know it today.
RIP Uwe Bahnsen, and happily still with us, Patrick Le Quement.
I think the Sierra was the birth of modern car design myself. One of the first cars to have plastic moulded bumpers, and a slippery aero dynamic profile. And launched in 1982. It took a few years for the Sierra to catch on, especially when you consider the car it replaced, the square and boxy Cortina.
Apart from the door pillars, I don't think there was a single right angle to be seen on that car.
Crushed velour seat covers.... ahh the memories, I had crushed velour in my 1983 sierra 2.3 ghia
I wish car manufacturers would bring back crushed velour.
Everything is just dull black cloth now.
@@ianfrench1577 I wish Ford would bring back the Sierra. :)
So did I, in my 1983 Escort 1.6 Ghia. And REAL WOOD, in the door cappings, not plastic disguised as wood. It was actually a really nice car to drive too. And mine was built in Germany, so none of the rust issues that plagued the Dagenham Dustbins. Well not for 15 years at least. It lasted me right up until 1999, and was still going, with only 92k miles on it. I sold it for £300 with tax and mot.
Yes!!! Bring back the crushed velour fabric. So soft and comfortable. The new fabrics are hard and durable. And almost always black, which make the interiors seem so dark.
Brilliant car for this era. I was owner of continental '92 Scorpio-2.0DOCH-GLX for 7 years, when i bought it car was already 15 years old, but in very good condition. I drove more than 100000 km over those years and never regreted - very comfortable seats, very comfortable suspension, really good brakes, reliable engine with quite low consumption. Sadly corrosion killed the body, there are so many salt on our winter roads. Wish i could keep that car, i really loved it.
They made a 4WD version, which had surprisingly good cornering. Can't remember what engine they used but I think it was the 2.8 V6. It was - at least- quite spirited.
I heard there was a AWD version of the Tempo/Topaz... betting that this was the basis for those cars.
I had an 85 Scorpio in 94 , was a lovely car , everything electric and it all worked lol used to kick it down on a corner and it would go sideways but was still very controllable
“The doors are interesting in themselves”
Tony Bastable looked as if he was off to a funeral straight after this promo
I loved my Granada 2.8i ghia x executive I always felt like I was in the cockpit of a very luxurious plane never again will you find such a unique quality car still as they say all good things must come to an end
mrbdb64 man I fucken love the '80s and these cars fantastic times and cars. Shit world now
Beautiful car!!
Volvo V70 is very nice, especially in SE Lux trim. Leather seats, soft touch dash and door cappings, and floating centre console. A very very nice car imo.
I drive a V50 SE, which is almost as nice, and plenty toys to play with.
I can still remember the smell of the interior and how to operate the auto reverse function on the radio cassette player.
Who wants to buy a granada now after watching this
I read that only 1 out of 10 cars left the factory with correct wheel alignment. One car magazine tried to stay positive, quote "The Granada is indeed not a bad car at all.. it just that every other car is a lot better"...
The new Ford Granada... it has 4 wheels and a bumper! and of course it's having a roof... beautiful engineering 😅
My dad had four Grannies. Last was a 2.9i ghia x. It had a trip computer and graphic equalisers. Awesome.
His first mk3 was a 2.8i GL. Base spec with the big engine. I'm sure he used the Pioneer stereo he bought separately which had been in both his previous mk2 2.3L and LX. It was quite normal back then to have crap stereos and upgrade them yourself.
Back in 1990 I had a (2.9L) gran scorp and loved it. Huge car, I had the saloon version, not powerful by today’s standards but extremely willing and it felt powerful. I got a BMW 535i after the granny which was in a different class.. but I always remember the Ford feeling more fun and eager to drive. A real shame ford destroyed the brand with the ugly Scorpio leaving them nowhere to go but discontinue the line.
Forgot about the Scorpio. Horrendous American styling. Someone deserved the sack from that one
my boss back in the day had a poverty spec GL 1.8 was dire! he had a 2.3 l in the old shape and was lovely to drive!
"when the kids in the back want to lo listen to their heavy rock music but you dont share their tastes."
Rock has always been tastefull, even more so today compared to the shit kids hear on the radio.
The Seirra series and Lazer first of "modern" constructed light weights..99% have rotted away now..but were fantastic to drive at the time
6:51 mindblowing sound system.
The Mk3 Granada was a much improved car with room for 5 adults, lovely engines, a big capacious boot, nice power steering, good comfort, and decent economy on the 2.6 and 2.9 EFi engines which could easily tow a boat or caravan without issue.
Those two words - Granada Scorpio - used to get me quite excited as a young man.
But in the rest of Europe it was Scorpio Ghia. Silly British alternative.
It was "hard" and "core" for me. Now it's "early" and "retirement". Next it'll be "hip" and "replacement" I suppose.
The lockable fuel filler cap segment is pure Alan Partridge! I wouldn’t be surprised if Coogan has studied this video.
I almost pissed myself laughing when he showed the GL radio
What a motor!
It was a good car at the time, but then Ford went and ruined it with the goggle eyed facelift Scorpio !.
Google eye is now a quirky collectable at least!
So, so true Buddy.
yes when you see them still i think.....what the hell were they thinking
So very true.
@@deadkemper Have not seen one for many years. Must have been styled by an accountant or similar. 😲
My dad had an earlier version, late 70's, GXL 3.0L, white body, black vinyl top. Like the one in 'Minder'. It wasn't streamlined at all. The front had two huge rectangular headlights that basically told the air to get out of the way! Lots of power!
The days when rear seat belts were an added option! 😂
pre 1991😊
I had a Scorpio years ago. Best Ford I’ve owned
It's 2019 & I really want to buy a Granada Scorpio!
I had 2 Granadas, one a Ghia, they were great cars at the time!
I have a 1989 Scorpio in flint Gray sat on my driveway, with Raven leather interior ☺
When the country seemed to have joint aspirations.
The joy of receiving a new Granada back then with the new car smell can never be replicated today.
Very few cars today come with the feeling that new cars used to. Motoring has died.
Wonder if any still exist today.
Yes. They pack beans into them today.
@@shifty2755 used as storage sheds?
Beautiful looking car. I've always loved the European Ford over the American Fords, particularly of the 70s and early 80s.
The Taurus of that era was basically the same car.
7:37 Doesn't the arrow on the road indicate that he's going the wrong way?
My uncle also had the Ford Scorpio, a 1991 on a H plate, black and black leather; absolute luxury for the time.
'Watch as I reduce the height of my seat. See how much head space I have now' for when he doesn't want to take his tophat off whilst he drives?
For me the Scorpio was the car of the 80's. Always wished I could have one, but missed that boat.
Kiinell they was like driving a boat , so you did not miss much
Love the crazy MPG Figures must be where Volkswagen got the idea to fiddle the figures
my 2.4, 24mpg (coincidence?) and 28mpg if really feathered. I was stunned by that graphic, too. HST, my 1981 1.2 litre Peugeot 104 returned exactly the same.