Was £9,936 Strong Money for This 1979 Ford Granada?

This Ford Granada auction result certainly got people talking.

A 1979 Ford Granada 2.0L with an unusually appealing family history went under the hammer at Anglia Car Auctions, where the bidding had already reached a substantial figure before anyone in the auction hall was invited to join in.

In fact, nobody did.

The internet bidder had already gone far enough.

So was £9,936 strong money for a relatively modest-specification Granada, or was its history and condition enough to justify the result?

Same father and son from new

The story behind this particular Mk2 Granada is probably its biggest attraction.

According to Anglia Car Auctions, it had been owned by the same father and son from new.

Its previous and current V5Cs recorded just two registered keepers, while the odometer showed only 24,252 miles.

Finished in Midnight Blue, the Granada was described by the vendor as a standard, unmodified example.

There were some lovely surviving period details too, including dealer number plates, rear screen sticker, tax disc holder and key fobs.

Those are small things, but on a car that’s survived for more than four decades they can add enormously to its character.

Not the Granada specification everyone chases

This wasn’t a Ghia or one of the larger-engined Granadas that might immediately attract the attention of collectors.

It’s a 2.0L.

Under the bonnet is a 1998cc engine coupled to a manual gearbox, while inside is a straightforward blue fabric interior that ACA itself described as base-spec.

And perhaps that’s exactly why the auction result is so interesting.

For years, the more luxurious and powerful versions of ordinary cars tended to be the ones enthusiasts wanted to save.

Today, an unusually well-preserved example of a more everyday specification can have an appeal all of its own.

The internet bidding had already started

We filmed the Granada going under the hammer at Anglia Car Auctions.

If you haven’t watched many live classic car auctions, what happened here is worth explaining.

When the auctioneer announces a substantial “maiden” internet bid, it doesn’t necessarily mean somebody has suddenly appeared online and offered that amount in one go.

Online bidding can have been taking place for days before the live auction begins.

Potential buyers leave bids against one another and, by the time the car actually arrives in front of the rostrum, that competition may already have established a significant starting figure.

That’s exactly why some auctions can appear to begin surprisingly high.

Watch what happened with the Granada:

The room stayed silent

Once the existing internet bidding had been acknowledged, the auctioneer offered the Granada to the room.

Nobody wanted to go another step.

The online bidder had effectively done enough before the live auction had even really got going.

Anglia Car Auctions records the eventual result as £9,936 including buyer’s premium.

The Granada had been offered with no reserve, so the highest bidder became its new owner.

Was £9,936 strong money?

That’s where opinions become interesting.

Nearly £10,000 for a 2.0-litre, relatively modest-specification Mk2 Granada might sound like strong money to some enthusiasts.

But specification isn’t the whole story.

This one had been with the same father and son from new, showed only 24,252 miles and retained numerous small period details that can disappear during decades of ownership.

Its Midnight Blue paintwork was also described by ACA as being in impressive overall condition.

Finding another Granada is easy enough.

Finding another one with exactly that combination of history, mileage and preservation might be rather more difficult.

Sometimes the ordinary versions become extraordinary

There’s something we particularly like about cars such as this.

When they were new, a 2.0L Granada was simply a large family Ford. Nobody necessarily looked at one and imagined enthusiasts would be discussing its originality and dealer stickers nearly half a century later.

But that’s what happens as ordinary cars disappear.

The survivors become interesting precisely because they represent the versions people actually remember seeing on British roads.

Whether £9,936 was strong money or entirely justified is up for debate.

The internet bidder clearly knew how far they were prepared to go.

And when the auctioneer looked around the room for somebody willing to challenge them, nobody did.

You can see the full description and photographs on the Anglia Car Auctions website:

https://angliacarauctions.co.uk/auctions/2763-20-Jun-2026/14714~3-1979-ford-granada-20l

Would you have put your hand up for one more bid?