Newbie - curious about Zodiac IV and Granada I

[dwomby]

Has anybody ever come across any LHD examples in North America?

My dad always drove big fords in the 60s and 70s. He had :Zodiac II, Zodiac III, Zodiac IV (Bronze auto), Zodiac IV (Pale blue manual), Granada I GXL, Granada I Sport in the years before I left home.

I am always looking out for the Zodiac IV in the USA and Canada. I believe the Zodiac IV may have been imported to Canada at least. I also thought there may have been some used imports of LHD Granada Is by now even if they did not have the 3.0 V6. I especially like the coupe.

Has anybody ever encountered any of these?

David

[zephyrgary]

Hi there,
I have only ever seen one Mk4 Zody, which happened to be for sale, in the almost 30 years I have lived here. It was offered in our very own Enfo mag about 3-5 years ago, if I remember correctly. I don't think they were imported officially, although I am sure a few were brought in privately. Our dear departed friend Mike F had one or two. I don't even think the Mk3 was officially imported, although I knew of a left hooker back in LA in the 90's.
I've always fancied a Mk 3 Zodiac. A chap called Bill had a V8 powered ex-Aussie RHD version a few years back and there was a totla wreck offered here a few years back. It would have taken a far braver man than me to try to rescue it, as rusted as it was.
Gary

[dwomby]

Thanks for the info. They are the proverbial hen's teeth then! I found reference to one LHD Zodiac IV in Canada. I'm trying to track down the owner. Is there anywhere else I should be looking?

David

[zephyrgary]

You might want to google the British Saloon Car Club of Canada. They might be able to hhok you up. I looked at the members roster for Enfo in 2004 and apart from a Mk3 wagon that was sold a long time ago, the only mk3 and 4s were the ones that belonged to our friend Mike. Sadly, he is no longer with us and the cars have all been sold. Mostly to New Zealand.

[IFHP]

This would be the car that Gary is talking about. I took this picture in June 2003 when the car was for sale for CDN $2,000. It was in pretty nice shape. I have lost contact with the owner Ian Lalande, but he has a second Mk IV Zodiac as well that was in pieces. We ran a story on Ian's Zodiacs quite a few years ago. The runner is a 1968 model and was special ordered my the motoring journalist for the Toronto Globe & Mail (as I recall). Ian's second car is a 1966 model and appears to have started life as a evaluation car for Ford of Canada but was then sold to a private party who drove it back and forth from Ontario to California several times.
LHD Mk IV are pretty darn rare. These two cars might well have been the ONLY Mk IVs built to North American specifications.

[dwomby]

Darn - that's the one I found on the web somewhere, owned by Ian Lalande, Hastings, Ontario and he sold it back in '03? Maybe I'll have to settle for a German Granada I

David