Photos from the Cohort by Benoit.
Here’s an example of the CC effect in the virtual world; about ten days ago I posted a gallery with vintage images of station wagons from the ’70s. Then, over the next few days, a stack of 1970s wagons appeared at the Cohort. And with old wagons being just about as common as Dodo birds, I always find it hard to resist giving any surviving sample its few minutes of CC glory.
So let’s take a better look at this ’75-’78 LTD wagon, found parked in a very tight spot somewhere in La France.
Quite the parking job with this LTD. Considering the amount of effort placed on the task, I assume this old Ford resides in the typical crowded European city with parking issues. Not that I’m throwing rocks at European cities, as I think they’re great in just about every sense. It’s just too bad medieval city dwellers didn’t quite foresee the arrival of the automobile. Those old city grids are just not car-friendly.
Still, I lived in San Francisco for eight years, which wasn’t any better. But if one was willing to drive around in circles long enough, a spot was always to be found. All good, as long as one wasn’t short of time. Or in need of a bathroom.
People of Laramie, you have it so good! Specially parking-wise.
Parking matters aside, this is a rather extraordinary looking old LTD. Someone has certainly put effort into preserving this American relic. Not that I really know if this particular LTD is a recent addition or was sold in France back in the day. But regardless, be it a new arrival or an old city dweller, someone admires this old LTD.
And if you have cravings for a 1970s full-size American car, what better than a Ford LTD? In wagon form, nonetheless?
Think about it, it was the mid-70s when our wagon came to existence and the LTD moniker still had a good deal of cachet. Too much perhaps, as the LTD badge had started to spread all over Ford’s lineup. Once the top trim of Ford’s full-size world, by the mid-70s you had to pick which LTD to buy in order to stand out from the rest of the LTD crowd. Plain LTD, Brougham, or Landau? Am I missing any?
Oh yes, that whole LTD II matter from ’77 to ’79.
With Ford being the self-proclaimed Wagonmaster of the US market, the LTD phenomenon had to be part of it. The Di-Noc Country Squire had joined the LTD world back in 1968. With the LTD Country Squire doing rosy numbers, the plainer LTD Wagon appeared in 1975. Stateside, the standard LTD Wagon moved about 23K units that first year, with the LTD Country Squire doing about twice that number with 42K units.
Under the hood, LTD wagons carried a 400 CID V8 as their standard powerplant. However, if I go by Benoit’s comment at the Cohort, today’s find carries the optional 460 CID V8. A mill “ideal for towing” in the words of Ford’s brochures.
Of course, the ’73-’78 LTD has already appeared at CC and has a few devoted entries. The case has been made that these were Ford’s bloated period (true), but that it was also delivering what the public wanted (also true). After all, if people enjoyed gingerbread, was it wrong to keep serving the same recipe over and over again? Even if customers were being stuffed beyond their content?
As known, there’s nothing that kills the essence of luxury and exclusivity like becoming ordinary. Not that the LTD was a proper luxury vehicle from the beginning, but it did thrive on delivering a ‘luxury feel’ to the masses. A sales pitch that became harder to make once just about everyone had one in their driveways. A transition I lived in my early life; from the days my mother talked about the model with some veneration, to the mid-80s, when new LTDs seemed to be driven only by Puerto Rico government officials.
But that downfall was further ahead in the LTD’s history. Now, one could argue this wagon played some part in that, as it was one of the lesser LTDs. But even if it lacked the top Country Squire trim, it carried that mighty 460CID V-8. No top trim, but full power? Someone knew their priorities with this LTD, which was part of the magic in tailoring these to your needs.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1973 Ford LTD – It’s Not Easy Being Green
I bought one for my parents when they lost their car in a house fire. It was in great shape. And I rented them an apartment and paid two months rent for them. And then me and a dear friend of mine would take off a day of work and take them around town to get stuff done. And i would take a day off and take them to do business stuff.
If that is an original color, the Light Jade paint would narrow down the year to 1977-78. Ford’s greens of 1975-76 were not remotely like this shade, which makes a semi-ID easy. Also, this car sports wheel covers from a 1971-72 car.
I have warmed to these over the years, and this one is about as attractive to me as they come.
Not only is this a barge-like LTD in France, it has German license plates – from Emsland, 400 mi. away from where these pictures were taken. So someone had a (hopefully) fun drive in an awfully big vehicle.
The color makes this one extra-special, too. Great find!
Agree on the color here. Really stands out against the “bleak colors” in the background.
Wondering the condition of the “inside”?
Wheel covers look quite good.
I’ve owned/ possessed many Ford wagons and the ’77 was the best overall, bar none, except gas mileage (10 MPG city or highway 400-2bbl). I often said it would follow me to hell and bring me back. Come replacement time my employer no longer offered wagons. I would have bought it but the fleet manager had a friend’s name on it.
The more I learn about this generation, the more I like. However, this is just not an attractive car. Chrysler wagons were as large, but they looked mobile. Ford’s wagons were styled to resembled house trailers? Every line on it seems to imply that the wagon was meant to be parked and then lived in. Is that intentional? Did Ford get to a point where being quiet, luxurious and sturdy meant to make the LTD appear to be made of concrete blocks?
I suppose that this bloat, heft and weight fit how Ford saw this vehicle. Having lived through the god-awful 1970s, I suppose looking substantive and sound was an appealing design. The chance to escape into a pampered environment and leave your troubles behind is appealing.
Didn’t the Illinois Nazis in The Blues Brothers drive a Pinto and one of these?
I believe they did.
“I hate Illinois nazis!”
Excellent find, especially in France. I’d take one of these over a Citroën any day!
Although not a wagon, as you all know, a ’73 LTD was my first car. I loved it. And although the “luxury” was only perceived and not for real as many have said on these pages, it was still an awesome road trip car. These cars ate up the miles (and gas) effortlessly. And I only had a 351-2V (Windsor) in mine.
In reading the first brochure picture though, I question the term “Pillared Hardtop”. My LTD was a hardtop. For real. No B pillar. Granted the C pillar was immense, and without the opera window, it was a HUGE blind-spot. Are these ’75 thru ’78 cars ‘really’ hardtops? Or was this just marketing BS?
As to how they got parked there, while I passed my driver’s test, including parallel parking on the first try with the aforementioned LTD, there is NO WAY that driver got into that spot with that little CUV parked there. And I’ll bet they were mighty angry when they got back to their car and realized they couldn’t get out… although getting out is easier than getting into a parallel parking space.
Rented one of these in Florida for a few days. Tampa to Sanibel Island and back.
Driving locally to the bird sanctuaries and back to my parents condo you literally see the gas gauge go down while driving. The ultimate whishy-washy barge. My father’s 72 Fury III 4 door handled better.
After many years driving a Plymouth station wagon on our family road trips; my Father often complained that Mom’s choice replacement Ford wagon “handled like a greased pig on roller skates”.
Over the years he made several suspension and tire upgrades to help it; but never achieved the degree of “roadability” (Dad’s term for handling, stopping and acceleration) of the Plymouth and it’s 383 4-BBL Golden Commando engine.
Yes, our “73 Fury III”, sdn drove nicely as well. Was awful in winter though..
We had that car till late summer “1980”.
I found out long ago
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
It’s a long way down the Holiday Road
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
How my depth perception impaired Mother managed to parallel park her huge Ford station wagon, with one hand twirling the no effort power steering, while swatting and or screaming at (at least) one of her four ankle bitters with the other hand, never tapping bumpers of her wagon or other cars, on one try every time, is a family mystery and legend.
From like the cornfields of the Midwestern United States to an urban area of France… such an improbable juxtaposition of vehicle and surroundings. I love pictures like these. I’m guessing the car was parked before the one slid in in front of it, versus doing a twenty-point (or more) parallel parking job.
My dad bought a 1974 LTD country squire wagon brand new. It rode like a caddy.
My dad had a 1976 model. Built at the Oakville, Ontario Canada 🇨🇦 assembly plant. It was a light blue color, plain Jane but filled with options. Smooth riding and comfortable.
The only problem with that Station Wagon is that she’s not mine!I take her over any new SUV
We had one the first year it came out (1973). It was Mom’s daily driver, she’s only 4’8″ or so it seemed huge to drive, but back then it was just a standard sized car. I can’t imagine driving one of these in many places in France. It reminds me of a guy who worked with us on assignment from England, he ended up buying a Ramcharger and took it back with him. To me the Ramcharger always seemed wide (maybe because it is short) and couldn’t imagine him driving it on some of the narrow streets over there.
Ours was a Ranch Wagon, no hidden headlights or di-noc, a nice rich brown color, with family-first options like air conditioning, AM/FM stereo, power locks (but manual windows) and trailer towing package. It had the 400/2bbl. Bought right before the first fuel shortage, my Dad later traded in his small car just to get one with an automatic that my Mom could drive (so she could leave the Ranch Wagon parked)…so he got less fuel economy in the trade (traded his 1968 Renault R10 manual).