Nicest One Left? 1973 Ford LTD Brougham
From 1965 to 1986, the LTD was Ford’s most luxurious senior automobile, having begun as an option on the Galaxie 500 and quickly promoted to a series of its own. The car got a major styling overhaul in 1973 to adhere to the bigger front bumpers required to meet growing Federal safety standards. This Brougham (a popular auto name in the 1970s) was the “top dog” that year and may only have 25,000 miles from a single owner. With everything original except the battery and tires, this Ford can be found in South Seattle, Washington, and seeking a new home here on craigslist. The asking price: $24,500. Another nifty tip from Pat L.!
Besides being big and comfortable, the ’73 LTD was also good at consuming gasoline, especially with that 429 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor. 10 to 12 mpg was commonplace and was the kind of car buyers started to shift away from when the OPEC oil embargo arrived later in the year. But this automobile didn’t get to drink that much fuel before going into a tightly sealed garage in 1982 where it stayed for more than 40 years.
The seller has recently changed the original tires and Motorcraft battery and they’re coming with the car if you want them (why?). We’re told that more photos and a video of the car on “its journey back to life” are available. Folks like us want to see how things looked “before”, not just “after”, so providing those links would have been a huge opportunity to generate more interest in the car. But what else did the LTD need to get going again? Was the fuel system gone through, surely a requirement if any gas was left in the tank back in the 1980s.
All that aside, this could be the cleanest and lowest mileage LTD still around from its era. The paint has a few scratches and nicks, but that’s to be expected for being original. The interior looks like it has hardly ever been sat in, and this Ford may have nearly every option offered back in the day. This was a little old lady’s car, which suggests it may have only been driven to the store and church during its first nine years. I’ll bet there’s a cool story here, but only if we know it.
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Comments
Its turned over. The numbers are not even.
Numbers are pretty even.
Numbers look pretty even to me as well. All other indicators seem to be consistent with actual milage. That being said, I love the color and the seats but 24k seems to be a little excessive for a detuned ’73 land yacht.
No way its turned over from the looks of that interior.
That’s silly, Joseph.
Many Fords/Mercury’s odometer numbers look like they don’t line up perfectly but I’d bet my last buck this odometer has not rolled over!
I owned a green1973 Mercury Marquis Brougham 2 door back in 1976. 429 4 barrel, and it consumed gas at a rapid rate. Car was a comfortable highway cruiser. Power everything. Giant trunk and plenty of room inside. Finally got tired of feeding it for little performance in return. Traded it in on a new 76 Camaro with a 350/4barrel. Not a lot of HP but definitely faster than the Merc.
Of course it’s all green.
I’m surprised Ford did not put the smaller primaries quadrajet on all their big v8s in all models, like they did on some torinos for better mpg & emissions..
If that camaro wasn’t faster, it would be an embarrassment. Half the weight. But I’m sure that Mercury rode a heck-of-alot better. Just saying.
Again, just a nice old car that is way overpriced. There is virtually no interest in these cars and this unit although nice is no high return investment. I am not sure why the big Chevies are more popular of the same era but there are more of those around,” in my area”. In a time where almost every” OLD” car is overpriced there are certainly better ones to dump 25k on. I think quite a few car heads will still tire rapidly of vehicles like this. I have a 71 LTD convertible and no one cares but a crusty beater 71 Chevy and guys go nuts. This is just a nice old car and not one that commands huge money. IMO this is twice its value but who knows. I could be wrong but with no power windows, cruise. tilt, trunk opener, 460, deluxe wheelcovers, power seat, and a wealth of other unusual accessories that would set it apart, there just isn’t a lot to be excited about.
Has the Twin Comfort Lounge seating,maybe the best seats in automotive history..best option to get in the malaise era :P Otherwise my favourite colour a great engine and the best interior seating,it’s the perfect LTD.
What a beauty, and it’s Barnaby Jones-approved (even though his character drove a brown one).
Well if it’s good enough for Barnaby Jones, aka Jed Clampett, it’s good enough for me!!!
Nice find again, Pat!
Pay, you and Scotty stole my thunder as I was going to make a similar comment about ‘Ol Barnaby. Barnaby had the appearance of a penny pincher and a conservative dresser, but, even so, he probably moved up and bought Cannon’s used Mark IIIs and Mark IVs, without the phone, because that would be too fancy and technical for Barnaby! Lol!😆🤭
Nice and clean BUT WAY overpriced, maybe worth 10K in today’s market
Totally agree….overpriced by about 15k. Don’t get me wrong….beautiful and original very low mileage land yacht. I’m thinking about 10k to maybe 15k from someone who just has to have this in their collection.
I owned practically the same car many years ago..mine was not a Brougham but it was a 2 door, 400 cubic inches in the same colors…only mine had a regular bench seat. Rode beautifully and as they said back then ” pass anything but a gas station”!!
Where are you going to find a car this size in this good of shape with a 429 4 barrel? Think about it any new car goes for 30 grand so the right person who sees themselves like wanting a big cruiser with a 429 that’s just waiting for go fast parts to make it live its best life driving with authority, putting smiles on everyone’s face! It would be worth it! Now if your trying to justify a stock LTD with lesser motor I get it , no fun
If you buy it for a daily driver you will quickly get rid of the main driver of the value, low mileage. And you’re left with a 50 year old car that gets 8 MPG.
Last year for the 429, rated at a neck snapping 201 horsepower. The 460 was only 202 that year, climbing to 220 for 74.
Yeah, very high priced, but a neat car that would be fun to drive with that engine. It’s probably the only one left. I hope it finds a good home.
Nicest one left, that pisses one of the readers off so bad 🤣
“Almost every option”? No windows, locks, seats or cruise.
Sorry Zach, wrong spot.
What a sweet cruiser. I remember when this was a pretty well equipped car. Big motor, nice chairs, vinyl top, bumper trim and a radio. Yes there were more options but not everyone cared.
Now I’ll put on my fire suit and say that the value is what the market will bring. Start high because you can always come down. You can’t go back up.
I owned one, back in the day. And yes, keeping it fed, was a true pain in the wallet. It is a nice car. A really nice car.
After owning one, I personally, wouldn’t want another. And surely not for 24k. I can see 15, up to 18, only because of the low mileage and it is a very pretty car. It would draw lots of attention. A lot of that from the local gas stations. Depending on how much cruising one did in it.
I’d luv to pull that nice engine for my mustang 👍
Not sure you want that engine. Will take quite a bit of work to bring it up from it’s rated 202HP.
My first car back in 1977 was a 1973 Galaxie 500 with the 351 Windsor.
My Dad bought a ’73 used and got a chewing out from yours truly for straying from GM. Being the stoic sort he was, I know that my comment got as much attention as the sun coming up. Terrible front bench seat and lots of body roll. Came in handy one night for a date though, hee, hee.
Our family car was a four door Custom 500, same year, same colors. Almost a dead ringer for the Galaxie500 IIRC I think ours had the 351 as well, but I wasn’t quite a gearhead enough at eight years old. G.I. Joe with kung fu grip kept my attention back in those days, LOL
“From 1965 to 1986, the LTD was Ford’s most luxurious senior automobile……”
Not from 1983 to 1986. They were downsized Fox bodies.
Meh. With a 460 and more options, it might be interesting.
Its nice but its $20k +/- overpriced for that kind of money have it professionally detailed and paint correction and send it to Barret Jackson some drunk bidder will pay that because of the alleged low mileage.
The add says to find one better if I recall BF profiled one not long ago that was just as clean
That is the original issue plate in 73 for the state of Washington. Seattle was I WOW
My aunt had a Bronze 73, Barnaby Jones had it in brown, I’ll take one in brown if it comes with a young Lee Meriwether in it,
Last year my mother’s cousin passed away and had one of these cars. I believe it was at 60,000 miles garage kept. It was the LTD Brougham white with the blue cloth interior. Its also had the opera windows like its cousin the Lincoln mark, and factory turbine hubcaps. I was so in love with this car as a kid. Last year when we went to visit, it was still in the garage. I wonder whatever happened to it. More miles, but I bet you it was cleaner!
i remember when these were flying around the streets everywhere.
Often driven by someone’s mom.
The numbers are NOT turned over..I got it straight from Barnaby himself…
Amazing to think a big-engined tank like this was sold in the same showroom as a Pinto.
And it might also be amazing to think that a 25K mile Pinto in the same condition as this one might just pull more money.
& the early Pintos with the very thin std bucket seats might actually have more leg room in the back seat than this full size ford – & many others!
Nice clean old LTD. My grandfather had a mint green Brougham with the 429. This looks like a genuine example but 24k will buy you a nice low mileage Lincoln which is a better and more collectable car.
Hey, I like browsing BF, puts me in a good mood. My 1983 girlfriend Patty had one absolutely identical to this one. Speak of the 202 hp. 429,I never knew a 429 had that low output. Shucks, in 68 pop’s new T-Bird had the 429-w- 375 hp. can’t recall exactly, but it would melt the tires.I swear that 429 ate a 62 413 Dodge by a mile. Those old Ford’s are bears ,they don’t get the credit they deserve.