Ford Granada VIN Decoder: Generations, Engines and VIN Lookup Guide

Every Ford Granada carries an identification number, and reading it is the quickest way to confirm what a particular car really is before you trust a listing. The Granada was Ford of Europe’s executive car from 1972 to 1985, sold as a saloon, a coupe and an estate, and it became a fixture on European roads and television screens alike. The number confirms the model year, the engine the car left the line with and the plant that built it, and for cars from the early 1980s it follows the modern 17 character VIN. You can run a Granada number through the decoder at the top of this page, and the guide below explains how the number is built, walks through both generations, and points out what to check when you look one over.

How a Ford Granada VIN is put together

From the early 1980s the Granada uses the 17 character VIN, which splits into three blocks where the same position always carries the same kind of information. Earlier cars from the 1970s use a shorter Ford chassis number and have to be read with period references rather than a modern decoder. The first three characters are the World Manufacturer Identifier, and most Granadas begin with WF0, the code for Ford built passenger cars in Europe. Characters four through eight describe the car, including the body and, most usefully, the engine, which is where a four cylinder is set apart from the smooth Cologne V6. The ninth character is a check digit that validates the whole number. The last eight characters describe the individual car, with position ten the model year, position eleven the plant and the final six the sequential build number. The quick reference below covers the clues you will use most often when you read a Ford Granada VIN.

You will find the number behind the windscreen, on the plate in the door area and on the registration documents, and matching them is the first check worth doing.

Ford Granada VIN position by position

This is the European Granada, Ford’s large executive car. Cars from the 1981 model year on use the seventeen character VIN, while the earlier ones carry a shorter Ford number, so the first step is to check which side of 1981 your car sits on.

Ford Granada model year codes (position 10)

For the cars that carry the seventeen character VIN, the tenth character reads as follows.

Where to find the VIN on a Ford Granada

On the Granada the VIN is stamped on the body and shown on a plate in the engine bay, and on the later cars it also reads through the base of the windscreen. On a survivor of this age, check the number against the plate and the paperwork, since rust and time have thinned out the honest cars.

Reading a Granada VIN in practice

Take a car whose VIN opens with WF0 and shows H in position ten. That places it as a European built Ford from the 1987 model year. The descriptor section then shows the body and whether it is a four cylinder or a V6, and the closing six digits are the car’s own serial number.

A short history, generation by generation

The first Granada arrived in 1972 as Ford’s large car for Europe, offered with four cylinder and V6 engines and even a handsome coupe. The second generation of 1977 grew more formal and is the one most people remember, with the 2.8 litre Cologne V6 in the plush Ghia models and a diesel option for high mileage drivers. The Granada name continued into the Scorpio era, and the car was retired in its original form in 1985. The table below sums up both generations.

Ford Granada engines and specifications

Because the engine code is part of the number, a proper check confirms the engine the car was born with. The figures below cover the main engines, with power as a range because output changed across the years.

Ford Granada by model year

Buyers searching for a specific year want to know what they are getting, so the table below maps several model years to their VIN year code, generation and engine options. Cars from the 1970s predate the 17 character VIN and use a shorter chassis number.

Reliability and the things worth checking

The Granada is generally robust, but every survivor is old now, so condition matters far more than reputation. Always run the VIN through the relevant recall and history check, and look closely at the points below.

Buying a used Ford Granada

When you find one worth pursuing, read the number first and make sure the model year, engine and body line up with the advertisement. The V6 Ghia models are the ones to have, so confirm the engine and trim, and on every Granada spend your time checking for corrosion, which is the thing most likely to end an otherwise sound car. When you are ready, enter your Ford Granada number in the decoder above to confirm the year, engine and plant, then use the advice here to make sure the car is genuinely what it claims to be.