The Ford LTD was a range of automobiles built by Ford for the 1965 to 1986 model years, pronounced “ell-TEE-dee”. It began as the highest trim of the full-size Ford range and moved the marque upmarket, offering features until then reserved for Mercury and Lincoln.
Ford LTD at a glance
| Maker | Ford Motor Company |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1965–1986 |
| First form | Galaxie 500 LTD, luxury trim |
| Bodies | two- and four-door hardtops, sedans, convertible, station wagon |
| Wagon | LTD Country Squire with woodgrain trim |
| Rival | Chevrolet Caprice |
| Divisional twin | Mercury Marquis, 1967–1986 |
| LTD II | intermediate model, 1977–1979 |
| 1979 | the full-size LTD was downsized |
| 1983 | LTD became a mid-size car, replacing the Granada |
| Full-size successor | LTD Crown Victoria, then Crown Victoria from 1992 |
| Replaced by | Ford Taurus for 1986 |
This page is based on English Wikipedia only.
History of the Ford LTD
A luxury trim with an unexplained name
For 1965 Ford redesigned its full-size range and added the 500 LTD to the top of the Galaxie 500 series, sharing top billing with the performance 500XL. It was meant as a luxury car offering the equipment of more expensive vehicles at a Ford price, with a plush cloth interior, woodgrain accents and contoured seats and door panels not found on other full-size Fords; the options list ran to power windows, a power driver’s seat, power brakes and steering, air conditioning and a full or half vinyl roof. It came as a two-door and a four-door hardtop. Nearly forty years after the car was dropped, the meaning of LTD has never been fully explained: “Luxury Trim Decor” and “Limited” have both been suggested, Ford Australia adapted it as “Lincoln Type Design”, but the original Car Life review thought it stood for nothing at all, and no Ford brochure ever spelled it out.
The largest Ford in North America
For its first three generations the LTD was the largest Ford sold in North America, offered over the years as two- and four-door hardtops, pillared sedans, a convertible and the five-door LTD Country Squire wagon with woodgrain trim. For much of its life it competed against the Chevrolet Caprice, with the Mercury Marquis as its divisional counterpart from 1967 to 1986. From 1977 to 1979 the full-size LTD was joined by the intermediate LTD II, which replaced the Torino and Gran Torino ranges.
Downsizing and two lives
For 1979 the LTD was downsized, and although it stayed a full-size car it became externally smaller than the LTD II. For 1983 the LTD became a mid-size car as it replaced the Granada, and the previous full-size car was renamed the LTD Crown Victoria, which became the Crown Victoria for 1992. The mid-size LTD was replaced by the front-wheel-drive Taurus for 1986, with both lines sold during that year. In South America, Ford built the 1966 Galaxie 500 under the LTD name into the 1980s.
Design and features
- Upmarket Ford: Mercury and Lincoln features at a Ford price.
- Country Squire wagon: the woodgrain estate version of the LTD.
- Unclear name: never officially explained by Ford.
- Many roles: full-size flagship, then mid-size car, before the Taurus.
Ford LTD versions
- Galaxie 500 LTD (1965–1968): the original luxury trim.
- LTD Country Squire: the station wagon with woodgrain sides.
- LTD II (1977–1979): the intermediate car below the full-size LTD.
- Downsized LTD (1979): the smaller full-size generation.
- Mid-size LTD (1983–1986): the Granada’s replacement.
- LTD Crown Victoria: the renamed full-size car, later the Crown Victoria.
The LTD grew out of the Galaxie range, replaced the Granada as a mid-size car and became the Crown Victoria. More Ford vehicles are in the Ford collection.
Sources
- Ford LTD (Americas), English Wikipedia: origin, name, generations, downsizing
