Topic: Motoring Memories: Lincoln Versailles, 1977-1980

[Autos_Editor]

Designed to compete with the new small Cadillac Seville, the Lincoln Versailles was really a thinly disguised Ford Grenada/Mercury Monarch.  It featured a Lincoln-like tire hump on the trunk lid, a new grille/headlamp assembly, and the Continental's Parthenon style grille.

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[Erik]

Certainly Fords lamest attempt at copying Cadillac. Nothing special about the Versailles at all. Amazing what a roofline will do...

[Weexy]

Great name though.  'Versailles' ... aaahhh - sounds so sophisticated...
Just don't look at the car.

[tpl]

IIRC Ford called that car, Versailles/Granada/Monarch  "precision sized"   I though they were just Yank Tanks without even the saving grace of being big inside and having decently powerful engines.   Horrible things.

[carcrazy]

Since I did not live through those times, I find this articles very interesting. I can only shake my head reading 4000 lbs, 5.7L V8, 135 hp, 200+ in. long.... Boy... we have come a long way... (like in any other respect I guess).
What was the city fuel economy on one of these?

[PJAvenger]

My family had the dubious honour of owning a 1975 Granada on which this car was based.

It was the top line Ghia model with the wonderful vinyl roof, 351Windsor V8 and highly attractive chrome faux-spoke wheel covers.

I've never been in any other car that was so... wheezy.  I assumed the entire time that someone had disconnected 4 of the spark
plugs on one side of the engine and we were actually running an inline 4.

[Weexy]

My family had the dubious honour of owning a 1975 Granada on which this car was based.

It was the top line Ghia model with the wonderful vinyl roof, 351Windsor V8 and highly attractive chrome faux-spoke wheel covers.

I've never been in any other car that was so... wheezy.  I assumed the entire time that someone had disconnected 4 of the spark
plugs on one side of the engine and we were actually running an inline 4.

Wheezy.. that nicely describes the engines of many mid-late 70's - i remember my dad's 76 AMC Hornet wagon 'Sportabout' - it had IIRC a 258ci 6 cyl... if you put your foot down, it took a chug of gas, thought about it, made some (unhappy) noises, aaaannndd thats about it.  I think the more you put your foot in it, the slower it went...

[ovr50]

I remember this glitzy piece of crap upbadging a Granada very well, and will agree with every negative comment posted about it. It didn't even appeal to the glitter-monkeys as it was too small for them. A miserable attempt at something by Ford but typical of that time. 

[Vanster]

I often have chats with an old friend of mine who laments how cars are not as good as they used to be and "the electronics only last 15 years." I challenge anyone to come forward who has ever managed to make a craptastic '70s car like the Granada last 15 years when the city streets here are loaded with old Hondas and Toyotas chugging along.... The only ones even half way decent were later model Aspen/Volares and their spin offs, and this is a hugely relative term.

But I digress. The only truly decent cars that came out that awful decade were the GM A and B bodies.

[tpl]

I often have chats with an old friend of mine who laments how cars are not as good as they used to be and "the electronics only last 15 years." I challenge anyone to come forward who has ever managed to make a craptastic '70s car like the Granada last 15 years when the city streets here are loaded with old Hondas and Toyotas chugging along.... The only ones even half way decent were later model Aspen/Volares and their spin offs, and this is a hugely relative term.

But I digress. The only truly decent cars that came out that awful decade were the GM A and B bodies.

Ah yes. Volares and Aspens. The ones that flashed the amber rear flashers.. or only one of them usually...when you put the brakes on as the brake lights didn't work.  But in fairness some had the 225cu inch slant six which was a great engine.

[blur911]

Today the Versailles is much sought after by hot-rodders and racers, they yank the rear differential out for their good cars and scrap the rest.   

[Winterpeg]

Ah but there was one other "positive" note on the Versailles/Granada.......they were "tanks" by any definition and could take alot of punishment.
A friend of mine drove one many years ago for deliverying newspapers ......he was stopped at a newspaper box filling it when a couple of drunks rearended the "beast"....their vehicle (unnone make) just "bounced" off the Granada and no visible damage done (to either vehicles or occupants).      

[johngenx]

Today the Versailles is much sought after by hot-rodders and racers, they yank the rear differential out for their good cars and scrap the rest.   

Ford 9".  Can handle something like a bajillion ft/lbs.

[jamie1]

My dad had a 76 Granada. A black 2dr with gold stripping and gold trimed "styled" steel wheels. For its day,it was not a bad looking car in that trim. But man it was a horrible car. Very plan I.P. and dash. Ours had no A/C. Cracking the window on HUGE door created a very loud wind noise. The rear back light did not have an electric defogger. Instead it had a fan that blew cold air onto the glass. What a crappy job that did.

[AceFord]

The 351W was just abysmal in these POS, but as a boat motor, it is one of the best-unbelievably torquey and durable. And you'll also need one to build up that Cleavor that you're dying to stuff into the Fox body sitting beside the garage