MEET THE OWNER – JOHN LANGFORD AND HIS FORD GRANADA 2.8I GHIA MK. 2

“It is family-owned from new and has only 26k on the clock. The first owner had it for 27 years, and the second was his godson, who kept it for 15 years”. We have previously featured John’s MG Magnette ‘Farina’ Mk. IV and Austin J40, but he has recently embarked on blue oval ownership with his 1982 Ford Granada Ghia 2.8i Mk.2. “I just wanted a more modern classic, and I’ve always liked them. I have only just finished recommissioning it as the Granada has been in dry storage for many years. It drives beautifully”.

The Granada Mk. 2 debuted in 1977 as a car with “Intelligent engineering”. By then, the Ghia logo on a Ford denoted a motorist who appreciated the good things in life, striding through the office car park like a minor Colossus. Anyone who drove a new Granada with tinted glass, alloy wheels, a radio cassette player with an electric antenna, central door locking, and electric front windows were clearly en route to the Jet Set.

The 2.8 Ghia could be ordered in carburettor or fuel-injected forms, with drivers of the latter dreaming of youth, vigour and over-taking Morris Marinas and Hillman Hunters on the M3. Ford gained vast amounts of publicity for the Granada flagship when George Cowley of CI5 swapped his Turmeric Yellow Rover 3500 SD1 for a Jupiter Red Ghia 2.8i. Later episodes of The Professionals featured a Midnight Blue example, which often outacted some cast members.

Ford facelifted the Granada range in 1981, the Ghia now boasting an electrically powered driver’s seat to strike envy into any Volvo 264-driving rivals. When the production of the Granada Mk.2 ended in 1985, it was greatly mourned by countless Ford devotees. Today, John finds his Ghia:

It takes a bit of getting used to at first as it is very different from the MGs—so much smoother and more responsive. It is early days yet, but for a 1980s car, it is very advanced for its age. My first outing was to just put some petrol in the car, and as soon as I got out of the car, I got my first approval, saying how lovely it was and how it was a ‘great-looking car in fantastic condition’.

Above all, John’s Granada illustrates why Ford’s use of the Ghia badge was so successful. It appealed to motorists who wished for a mass-produced car with coach-built overtones. The Ghia treatment was very tastefully executed, tempting drivers with BMW and Mercedes-Benz aspirations, and the top-of-the-range Granada added lustre to the cheaper members of the line-up.

In other words, in 1982, a new Ford Granada Ghia conveyed a sense of attainable opulence. And who could resist that Crushed Velour with Chatsworth fabric upholstery?

With Thanks To: John Langford