Ford LTD II

Ford LTD II

Manufacturer	Ford Motor Company
Production	1977–1979
Assembly	Lorain, Ohio Atlanta, Georgia
Predecessor	Ford Torino Ford Elite
Class	Mid-size
Body style(s)	2-door coupe 4-door sedan 4-door wagon
Layout	FR layout
Engine(s)	302 CID Windsor V8 351 CID 351M V8 351 CID Windsor V8 400 CID Cleveland V8
Transmission(s)	3-speed C4 automatic 3-speed Ford FMX AutomaticC6 automatic
Wheelbase	114 inches (2,900 mm) (coupe) 118 inches (3,000 mm) (sedan)
Length	215.5 inches (5,470 mm) (coupe) 219.5 inches (5,580 mm) (sedan)
Related	Ford Ranchero Mercury Cougar

The Ford LTD II was a mid-size car built by the Ford Motor Company between 1977 and 1979 for the North American market. It was based on the Ford Torino, which it replaced, and used the same platform as the concurrent Ford Thunderbird, which was downsized and dramatically reduced in price for 1977 to occupy the market position of the 1974-76 Ford Elite, which was a Ford Torino derivative designed to compete with the popular Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

When Ford redesigned its mid-sized models for 1977, the Torino name was replaced by "LTD II" in an attempt to convince consumers that this was really a downsized full-size car, much like the new Chevrolet Impala and Caprice. While the 1970 Torino adopted styling with curved themes to distinguish it from the boxy full-sized Fords, the LTD II emulated the squared-off grille and body lines of the larger LTDs which were produced until the 1978 model year. A two-door coupe and four-door sedan were available in all three model years, and a four-door station wagon was offered for 1977 only. It was also the platform for the final Ford Rancheros, among the most prized of the Rancheros or any LTD II-based vehicle among collectors.

While 1977 sales were reasonably strong, they dropped dramatically for 1978 and 1979 in the face of newly downsized intermediate models from General Motors, as well as Chrysler's new Dodge Diplomat and Chrysler LeBaron, and Ford's own Fairmont, which took over the mid-size wagon slot for 1978. Ford downsized its own full-size Ford LTD for 1979, with dimensions very similar to the mid-size LTD II.

The LTD II was not directly replaced in the Ford lineup. In 1980, the Fox platform-based Granada effectively took its place as the upscale mid-size offering. In 1983, when Ford re-named its full-size cars Crown Victoria, the LTD nameplate was moved to another Fox platform vehicle. By 1986, the front-drive Taurus would become Ford's next long-running nameplate in the midsize market. In Australia, the LTD nameplate was also used on an entirely different Falcon-based luxury automobile model from 1973 to 2007.

Engine choices were all V8s; the 5.0 L 302 Windsor, the 5.8 L 351M, the 5.8 L 351 Windsor, or the 6.6 L 400 Cleveland. The 400 was not available in 1979. The 302 was not available in California.

Highly modified 1977-79 Ranchero

References

1978 Ford LTD II Factory Sales Brochure - http://amcar.fvn.no/brochures/ford/78ltd/bilder/12.jpg