The Sweeney was the programme for bestowing Glam status on a car. Which is why the Granada (which used the same 3.0 litre engine as the Capri) and especially its fastback brother, the Consul GT, were Uber-Glam.
The Granada had it all: Vinyl roof (or factory-fitted peel-back sunroof), an eight-track cartridge stereo, black and chrome sports wheels, warm leatherette seats and a side view which, at 100 paces, could pass for an American motor.
Plus, most importantly, it was less than the price of a semi-detached suburban home.
The Granada was Ford’s profit powerhouse in the early ’70s and the firm was always looking for ways to drive it upmarket. Ford was also a master at dropping a ‘new top hat’ over an older car, and the 1977 Granada was a brilliant restyle of the 1970 Sweeney original.
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