1985 Ford Granada Mk2 2.8GL Automatic
(Featured on 15th February 2012)
Make: Ford
Model: Granada
Year: 1985
Mileage: 19,600
Registration: B207 0RF
Sellers original description:
A rare and exiting opportunity to acquire an immaculate 1985 MK2 Ford Granada 2.8 GL auto.
All of is original panels and nigh on all of its factory applied paint finish.
2 owners from new, the first a friend of the second and just 19,600 genuine miles.
Always garaged when not in use, correctly laid up every winter and only ever used in the summer months when the weather was fine.
Just 5,000 miles since 1992 and dry stored for much of that time.
The very best of the best and almost certainly the lowest mileage original condition example available anywhere.
Simply stunning!
After the success of the Zephyr and Zodiac ranges in the Sixties a new decade brought the need for an all new Large Luxury Ford Saloon.
The Granada was launched in March 1972, with the 2 litre V4 and V6 Essex engine models initially badged Ford Consul. Latterly though, in 1975, the name Consul was dropped and the whole range adopted the Granada name.
In September 1977, Ford announced its new Granada, the Mark 11 with cleaner, more elegant body style and featuring German built 2.3 and 2.8 engines.
By continuously upgrading Granada's competitive specification, subtly improving interior and exterior design details, the Granada went on to become the industry's benchmark for large car style, comfort and driver appeal. Its excellent overall package and value for money also helped it to maintain high retained values in the used car market against a backdrop of continuing oil crises and fuel price increases.
A face lift in late 1981 followed by further enhancements in 1982 kept even the lower specification models well in front of the competition. However it was the mid range, the 2.8 GL that really excelled. Streets ahead of anything in its class its standard specification was way ahead of its time.
Standard equipment included central locking, power steering, slide and tilt sunroof, electric mirrors, FM radio cassette with wood surround, 4 speakers and electric aerial, electric front seat, front and rear map lights, smoke tinted glass and so on.
It is nearly 3 decades now since production of the mark 2 Granada ceased and they are now becoming rare with unrestored, original bodied, well cared for, low mileage, rust free examples becoming increasingly hard to find. Consequently these are the cars that are now highly sought after and it is these examples that are most highly desired, especially the 2.8 engined version.
You would be hard pushed to find an original one at all, but one that has had just 2 owners from new, that has covered just 19,000 genuine miles, is in immaculate totally original condition and that has been loved, cherished and garaged since new - surely such a car can’t exist, can it?
Actually yes it can - and it does!
B207 ORF
On the 1st of January 1985 the first owner of B207 ORF, a newsagent and Ford enthusiast in his late Fifties, travelled the 7 miles from his home to Ford Main dealers and long established family firm Burns Garages Ltd of Congleton.
The purpose of his visit was to collect the car of his dreams a new Ford Granada 2.8 GL auto finished in, the new colour for the 85 model, Lacquer Red with grey velour trim. No factory options had been ordered and the only dealer extra was the application of protective underseal applied to the whole of the underside and for added protection a couple of inches up the front and rear valances and the sills. We have removed, and reinstated, a little of the underseal to check the condition of the paint work below – it was, of course, perfect.
Never intended to be a car for daily use, the owner had a works vehicle for that, but more for high days and holidays B207 ORF was always destined to lead a cherished life, it was the owner’s intention that it should see him through his retirement.
The new owner would not take his new pride and joy out in the rain or even if rain were forecast. The car was always garaged when not in use. As a newsagent the owner worked every day and in fact the opportunity to use the car rarely presented itself consequently B207 ORF saw very infrequent use.
According to the service book, present in the file, by the time the car was 8 months old it had covered just 1,544 miles and as the car approached its third birthday the mileage in the service book is stamped, for what should have been the 12,000 mile service, by the supplying dealer at just 4,201.
The owner continued to cherish the B207 ORF in the same way throughout his ownership. It would be cleaned and polished every fortnight even if it had not been used and even though the owner was a smoker himself there was an absolute ban on smoking in the car. Consequently all the ashtrays and lighters are unused and the headlining shows not discolouration caused by smoke.
In the late eighties the owner inherited an almost new top of the range Volvo from a deceased relative, but he was a Ford man. The Granada retained pride of place in the garage – the Volvo was banished to the outside. However by the early nineties the owner had retired and impending loss of a garage meant that he had to make the hard decision to dispose of his beloved Granada.
A friend of the first owner showed interest in buying the car for his daughter and her husband. The owner agreed to sell it to them on condition that they continued to care for the car in the same way that he had over the years – they wholeheartedly agreed to do so and on the 12th August 1992 B207 ORF was transferred into the daughter’s name.
The second owner recalls, 20 years later, the day that they got the car, she even remembers the exact mileage, 13,380, and the first owner telling her that he had never had any paintwork carried out on the car and making her promise faithfully to take the best care of it, pledging that he would visit every year to inspect the car to make sure that she did.
The second owner used B207 ORF even less frequently than the first; again it had not been bought as a car for daily use. It continued to be garaged and never intentionally used in the rain. In fact it was only ever used during the summer months when the weather was fine and was often laid up in correct dry storage for years on end. The 2001 MOT shows the mileage as 18,034
B207 ORF has been in the care of its last owner for 20 years. During that time it has been self serviced by the owners husband on a regular basis, never received any paint rectification and has covered only a further 5,000 miles bringing the total genuine mileage to 19,600 since new. The second owner’s husband has provided us with written testimony of all of the above.
The second owner dutifully upheld her promise to the first owner to fastidiously care for B207 ORF and today it is presented in outstanding original and factory correct condition. A show winner in the making - if ever we saw one.
Bodywork:
The body/paintwork is superb, retains a fantastic lustre and has never had had any work done to it since it was new. Even the coach lines are those fitted at the factory.
As we have said the first owner gave assurances to the second owner that he had never had any paint rectification carried out and the second owner has given written assurances that none has been carried out in the 20 years since she has owned it. However on very close inspection we think that there may have been a couple of tiny areas of localised rectification to the paintwork perhaps carried out by the supplying Dealer, as was often the case in the eighties, prior to delivery to the first owner. Even the trained eye would be extremely hard pushed to spot it though.
B207 ORF is remarkably rust free and of course has not had, does not need and should never require any welding
We have just had a tiny scrape no bigger than a thumb nail attended to on one of the rear arches as this was the only mark of any significance although a couple of miniscule dimple dents that are hardly bigger than a match head do remain.
There are one or two tiny stone chips and blemishes that have been touched up with a touch up brush over the years.
Door boot and bonnet shuts are outstanding and as good as any we have ever seen on a car of this age.
All the glass is original.
The bright work is fantastic with just the start of a little oxidisation to a couple of the side window trims.
Plastic and rubber external trim is almost perfect but one of the rear rubber over riders has just started to delaminate on the top and there is a faint scrape to one of the rear bumper end caps but these could both easily and inexpensively be repaired.
Overall the paint finish is that applied in the factory and is truly outstanding.
Interior:
The interior is exemplary it is immediately obvious that this is an exceptionally low mileage car that has been cherished and never subjected to the elements for long periods.
The seats and carpets are unmarked.
The dash is not cracked and has not had any holes cut in it.
The door cards have not had holes cut and have not misshapen.
A small area of the vinyl has come unstuck on the door arm rest and needs re sticking.
The headlining is excellent and not tobacco stained.
Everything works as it should with the exception of an intermittent fault to the o/s front electric window.
Correct and standard Ford FM radio with cassette player.
Everything tested works as it should.
Under the bonnet:
The engine bay is exceptionally clean with original stickers in place.
No signs of corrosion and presenting only like a low mileage car can.
Original grey Factory paint to engine and ancillaries.
In line fuel cat for unleaded fitted.
On the road:
Having specialised in providing exceptionally low mileage unrestored cars from the seventies and eighties we are fortunate to have driven many cars over the years that could be described as “driving as new”. However none fit that description more so than B207 ORF. It is an absolute delight to drive we cannot fault it.
Everything works just as it should; it is quiet, smooth, responsive and still has that as new tight feel.
We deify anyone not to just fall in love with this car.
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