Mark of Distinction (Ford Zephyr & Zodiac MkIV) - 1965

The Mk IV Zephyr/Zodiac range in 1965 was launched with this film, which aimed to capture the mood of mid-sixties glamour and sophistication. The film shows renowned silversmith Stuart Devlin at work in his London studio, and draws comparison between his work and "the best of contemporary car design" as can be seen in the new Zephyr/Zodiac range. It was the last Ford to bear this name: its replacement 7 years later was named Granada.

[@peteravella4579]

My 4 Zephyr was my second car after mk 1cortina. Every time I drove it I felt a million dollars with its long bonnet, bench seat , Auto column change.Owning these Fords in the 60s was exciting.

[@LostsTVandRadio]

Amazing how the starter motor sounds like a drum roll. I'd like that feature on my car.

[@dungareesareforfools]

Yeah, I was thinking how that was a really bad timing decision.

[@declanclark5316]

Get a V4 Zephyr, and that's pretty much the accompanying soundtrack.

[@malcolmwhite6588]

That’s big end noise until the lubricating oil get circulating😂

[@michaeltb1358]

I passed my driving test in a Mini. About a week later I was given the company Zephyr 6 Mk 4 estate (actually an Abbot conversion) for a job. Surprisingly easy to drive. The sharp corners made it easy to park. The only problem was the handling. Especially after a Mini, it went round corners like a boat. Ended up doing many miles in it.

[@johnfellows2867]

I was a mechanic at a Ford main dealers in the 60's / 70's, and whilst the Mk 4 wasn.t the greatest car around, the V6 engines were beautiful !! When set up correctly, I did more than once balance an old threepenny bit on top of the air filter. SMOOTH AS SILK !!

[@PaulLea]

I rtemember as a kid growing up in New Zealand watching ''Department S'' on the NZBC's WNTV1 & it's star Jason King drove a Mk1V.

[@scarlebloke]

My Dad worked at the Dagenham plant in the late 1960s. He told me it was easy to tell a good Ford from a bad one by seeing what the Ford workers drove. Cortinas were very, very popular and the Mark 4 Zephyr/Zodiac was avoided.

[@TheOzthewiz]

Oh, how I miss going for a Sunday drive while lighting up my favorite cigarette! After watching this film, I have such a craving for a "Lucky Strike"!

[@nigelcharlton-wright1747]

Great classic, unpolitically correct. Whilst the man does the driving, the little lady plays with the eyeball vent. do like these MkIV Zephyr/Zodiacs, I thought the V6 Zephyr had a fake single headlamp grill, whilst the V4 version had no grill, just a chrome strip.

[@TheOzthewiz]

And of course, can't go for a fun drive WITHOUT lighting up!

[@NoosaHeads]

My father bought a new Zodiac in 1967 (KUA 491E). I crashed it in 1968 or 1969 (sorry, dad) and wrote it off. In my defence, it handled like a pig and the brakes were dreadful. In _its_ defence, I did take it to 100mph on frequent occasions. The back seat was very useful for you-know-what and you could play tennis on the bonnet (hood). I seem to recall it costing about £1300 in 1967 - about the same price as a Rover 2000. I suspect the Rover was a far better car but somewhat smaller.

[@saxongreen78]

The Rover was, indeed, quite excellent. In Australia during the 1970s the big Triumph was where it's at - built by AMI to _Toyota_ quality standards and above, it was pretty special...they lasted forever.

[@jonny10buds]

What a great film, note the gargantuan panel gaps and frequent shots where doors and bonnets appear to be ajar, the massive force required for the lady to pull on the handbrake whilst descending into the quarry and shortly after the steering column adjustment lever just ready to slice your knee cap off if you had an accident.

[@RayProctorHerts]

I wouldn't mind one of those MK IV Zodiacs, a nice car!

[@stevedickson5853]

In a showroom near you

[@grumpyoldman3458]

My brother had the Executive model of the mk4. I loved it, the interior was leather and you could lie down across the back seat. It had the gunsight mascot on the bonnet, like a Lincoln, I don't remember it having a blue oval anywhere. Later my dad had a mk1 Granada with the V6 engine. Ford seemed to have ironed out a few problems by the time the Consul/Granada came along.

[@TheOzthewiz]

These Fords were British(EnFoMoCo), only the American Fords had the "blue oval".

[@michaeltoohey1385]

A "Granada" motor was installed in my family's 1971 Mark IV Zephyr at 38,000 miles (New Zealand assembled with 3 litre Zodiac motor). There was a problem with burnt out valves I think. The uprated motor lasted well with some hard driving and heavy towing, however, immediately after tuning the motor ran very quietly and smoothly but around 1,200 miles later a tappet would become audible and by 2,000 miles all would be rattling. It's a pity they didn't solve all problems, and those 4.5 by 13 inch wheels, Ford did itself no favours in those days...

[@antondellenback9778]

These old commercials are just the best, not like the new ones that just gives you a headache

[@GreenmanXIV]

My 1967 Zephyr 6, handled like a boat, but I had a few great shags in the back seat. In fact I've had smaller bedrooms than a MkIV.

[@thepub245]

My P6 primary school teacher had a Zodiac in 1977.

[@elizabethrowlands9419]

i have a 1968 zephyr v4 now in white (jan 2022 ) i nice big comfy tin box !

[@dinknillson6229]

my farther had the 4 pot (auto) then in '72 got one of the last zodies in tawny (gold). i'm in my sixties now, and looking for a v6 zephyr.always loved them. hope you're enjoying your gem.

[@elizabethrowlands9419]

excellent , but when the car started at the beginning ,the music sounded like the the engine was clapped !

[@mattcrooke8321]

The engine was a V6 rather than a straight 6 so it was a compact unit. However the spare wheel was also under the bonnet at the front.

[@rednx650]

Thanks for uploading. I had an old worn out Zephyr as my first car :-)

[@TheOzthewiz]

I had a BRAND NEW '58 Zephyr as my first car. Loved that "smooth as silk" in-line 6 cylinder engine!

[@MrCuddlyable3]

Seat belts? That year 1965 anchorage points became obligatory but actual belts weren't required until 1968.

[@genespell4340]

Ford in the United States use Granada on midsized cars from 1975 to 1982. Mercury, another brand of Ford used Zephyr from 1978 to 1983. They didn't have reclining seats, adjustable steering wheels and etc.

[@davidmcnally452]

I owned two ,I actually used to practically climb in the engine bay to work on the engine,I also liked the gunsight on the bonnet which seemed to raise up when you put your foot down,

[@englishjack5112]

I watched an 1963 advert for Morris 1100, that’s lowest trim for the BMC ADO16 and that’s got front seatbelts. Penny-pinching Ford didn’t think 1965 necessary to fit seatbelts to largest most luxurious model, yet BMC fit seatbelts to bog-standard small model.

[@FordHeritage]

@mrmrmrliamo The Ford Film & Video library is housed at and run by The National Motor Museum, at Beaulieu in Hampshire. If you visit us, you will find all sorts of wonderful vehicles on display, although sadly, not a MkIV Zodiac.

[@sightsounds9453]

I like the Diana Rigg lookalike!

[@TheOzthewiz]

YES! Very lovely.

[@wordsmith52]

@@TheOzthewiz yes: 3:28 onwards...

[@hjp1hjp22]

The Mk4 Zephyr/Zodiac is 15 feet long, four inches bigger than the Corsair, and 12 inches than the Mk2 Cortina. The replacement Consul/Granada was also 15 feet, but the Mk2 Granada is 15'6".

[@MrRicardo11]

Oh I remember these , my uncle had two of them, one after the other, both were Zodiac V6s, they were way ahead of their time, and one of the most comfortable cars ever produced, with huge armchair seats and sumptuous leather, and they could go as well, no slouch I mean. Great build quality, unusual design, just one major flaw, they ate gearboxes every three / 6 months, Ford replaced his first car, foc hence why he had two. Eventually he gave up and bought a Toyota Crown V6 instead. Too bad.

[@cambs0181]

The days when a cigarette lighter and an adjustable steering wheel took priority over seatbelts! Surprised they haven't got a mini bar in the glove box!

[@TheOzthewiz]

The cigarette lighter and adjustable wheel were necessities, seatbelts.....meh, not so much!

[@MrMichaelmpg]

Great film, the panels on those hounds were out of line from new, the cheesy grins and hair dos fit nicely.

[@esssexboy]

I even remember the traffic police using the V6 Zephyrs. 1 mean cop in a Zephur v6 pulled my late dad over in his Ford Anglia and gave him a Grilling for doing 35 in a 30 limit lol

[@SM-dt1pr]

1:02 is that the sound the engine makes?

[@av21031]

On paper the Mk IV had good potential and some features were ahead of its time but production quality issues and a lack of adequate R&D ensured that it was never going to be anywhere near as popular as the MK III which had been the most tested UK-produced car at that time. The III was also heavily-used (and liked) by police in the UK and many other countries, but when the IV was used in that role, maintenance proved to be a major issue with cars having a lot of down time. A few of them even caught fire and burnt out due to the wiring. Window regulators and other fittings would fail frequently and there were engine overheating issues. The other curiosity was that in spite of its roominess, the driving position was actually quite cramped for anyone over 6 ft due to the placement of the pedals/steering column fittings. Having said that, I wouldn't mind owning one as long as known issues had already been sorted by a previous owner. Roadworthy examples are pretty rare today.

[@craigey1289]

Thats right Barry. Dunlop maxaret anti lock and Ferguson 4wd . Huge development costs but then came the stonkinkly brilliant Range Rover and the Zephyr project was sunk. Real shame as there was some cutting edge technology here. Do you know if there are any survivors ?

[@simonworman7898]

The minicabbers dream machine except they did'nt get the trouble free high mileage use,that had come from the MK2 and Mk3 The Zephyr6 of each Mk was preferred bought at 50,000miles but the Mk4's did'nt make old bones,but that might have been due to the excellent Mk 3 Cortina coming on song 2nd hand with good cabin space and some more economical lumps under the bonnet! By 1980 the square affairs had mostly been euthanased ,only Regan and Carter got transported in the following Granada Serris, oh! and of course the fellow who dribbled after the character Ria in Butterflies.

[@stevenbanowich8089]

Cy grant the man driving the car is the voice of captain scarket 😂

[@declanclark5316]

Paul Maxwell's driving the car. Cy Grant was the voice of Lieutenant Green...

[@984francis]

Definitely, "Road closed, professional driver" needed to take it down that road!

[@glpilpi6209]

I drove my friends Zephyr Mark 4 once , I couldn't see the end of the bonnet . It had a huge interior , a bigger space inside than most large cars made today.

[@hunny1968able]

I don*t understand what the problem was with this model but I tell you I loved them. They were roomy and very solid and We had one it was immaculate and so beautiful. Zodiacs were the King cars of the Zephyr and I tell you if you are lucky you still might find a really good one parked up some where. Sad to see them go but who knows The Zephyr and Zodiac names may return once again for all to enjoy. The Taurus name should be dump as well as the Mondeo, Bring back the good old Zephyr and Zodiac name brands. What do you Guys think?

[@hunny1968able]

Thankyou Martin Nolan. Im so happy with your comments.

[@grumpyoldman3458]

I'd like to see them back, but on cars worthy of the name. Maybe an executive car above Mondeo in the Ford line up.

[@PEYIAKID]

Where was this filmed?

[@saggo1712]

The Mk1V was never sold in Australia so after the Mk111 we went to a V8 Holden. A neighbour did have a Mark IV Zodiac he had imported and it looked amazing at the time but I think they have aged very badly compared to the Mk111 and the Holden. It is sad that the name Zephyr has disappeared because it was such an important part of my childhood.

[@Londonfogey]

When I was a lad I used to call Zephyrs 'Big Cortinas.'

[@stewartw.9151]

Drove a few of these and found them a bit sluggish with only the Essex 3 ltr motor. As you looked out you felt you might be driving an aircraft carrier, so long and flat was the hood!

[@michaelmacluskie6089]

I had a Zephyr 04 which was aload of shite...you opened the bonnet and could,nt see the tiny little engine and the spare wheel was bigger than the engine...we ripped it out and fitted a modified conversion engine from an MGC straight 06 03Ltr and what a car it became.

[@michaeltoohey1385]

If I could time travel I'd install an Australian Falcon inline six in one, tremendous torque and smooth at high revs. I'm aware of a couple of such conversions in New Zealand.

[@dav01kar]

The breeze block, not my favourite had a mkII now that was class.

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

Also, on the Zephyr, they put that badge on a 4. The Zephyr V6 had a grill

[@kevinmanns7170]

No you're wrong, my Dad had a 1966 two tone blue over silver Zephyr V6 2.5 litre which didn't have the front Grille, but did have auxiliary lamps fitted as optional extras, which gave it a more sporty and upmarket look. A Fantastic car in both looks and performance.

[@1258-Eckhart]

@@kevinmanns7170 the revised models from about 1969 had full width grilles but still of much plainer design than the Zodiac/Executive, which retained the slim look grille as in the film.

[@theymusthatetesla3186]

....that's Paul Maxwell!

[@Musichead1968]

They still build these? You're joking! Been looking for parts for my old Zodiac for ages! If you know where I can buy spares from, let me know!!!!

[@stevedickson5853]

Prefer the shape of the mk3s , still a nice looking car especially the front end

[@orderofmagnitude-TPATP]

Quite American like the interiors on these....

[@pilskadden]

Wife picks up husband and immediately moves over so he can drive...

[@cgisarecrap]

Ford were doing 'smug' adverts back in the 60s.

[@martinloney6322]

For me Zephyrs stopped bring Zephyrs after the Mark III. After that dad bought a V8 Holden.

[@victor-oq7dl]

Had two zephyrs , mk 4 ,not the best car to drive around clifftops , also owned a mk 3 zephyr which handled much better , always thought my MK4 was a massive car , not so only as wide as an early model focus , go figure.

[@moyadapne]

That 3 litre V6 sure could rev....6,000 rpm in top all day, but take it easy on bends, or she'd do a VW trick on you. I found out the hard way.

[@stevealexR1]

I always thought the Essex V6 majored on torque and was more of a plodder than a revver; the Cologne V6 preferred revs?

[@tangerinedream7211]

Dad had a Zephyr 6, 1968, a sort of browny colour, helped to hide the rust three years later, the front wings went above the headlights, awful car, replaced an Austin 1800, but it went from bad to worse, a1972 Marina 1800 replaced the Zephyr.

[@declanclark5316]

Oh, gosh, what a terrible run of luck... What replaced the Marina, a Mk 3 Allegro?

[@phil955i]

Love the look of confusion on the woman's face at 1:27 at the plethora of dashboard gauges ...sexist, not much lol. Not Ford's finest hour on the styling front IMO with that over-long bonnet & stubby tail.

[@Lar308]

I was only about 6 or 7 when this particular variant came out and I was horrified at how ugly it looked compared to the previous Zodiac/Zephr.. I think they were never as popular as the previous models in the market or as durable / reliable.

[@sutherlandA1]

Not the best proportioned car made, bonnet is too long and boot too short. With short v6 and v4 engines why did they need the front so large, they put the spare tyre in the front to take up some space which messed up the weight distribution and affected the handling

[@paullacey2999]

They were a bit strange looking.Ford would never be so brave today....

[@andreas1963ap]

...it looks so disproportionately...the long engine hood and the short trunk...

[@tomservo56954]

The style popularized by the Mustang

[@blissy1]

@7:40 Plot twist engine overheats on the way home due to the poorly designed cooling system on all V6 engines on both models resulting in engine damage. I had a 67 Zephyr in the seventies here in NZ always over heating in the summer, awful car glad to see the back of it. Had a really bad name as did most British cars here back then

[@malcolmwhite6588]

Yep, I’m in New Zealand too and had a number of British cars - rover v8, triumphs, hillmans not one of them was reliable LOL rebuild engines, ground valves rewired electrical systems and after it was done you had to go and do it all again

[@malcolmwhite6588]

Life has changed cars have got more reliable : people, especially pretty girls have got less reliable !LOL

[@declanclark5316]

Aficionados of the Gerry Anderson shows may recognize Paul Maxwell as the Zodiac driver... Although in the Anderson shows he was mainly a voice artist,.and he doesn't utter a word in this... The car? Bloody rubbish, especially if you had the V4. Somebody once said they handled better if you had a big bag of cement in the boot, and that's true. Which obviously wouldn't do much for the performance it you had a V4. Look at that passenger door open as it goes round the bend... Preproduction models in 1965, presumably?

[@joonasvoutilainen1166]

🤔😅😎

[@tanglewood777]

when uk was great

[@Bluemax1945]

If they made that TV advert today, they would have a couple of Blacks driving the car.

[@heathstjohn6775]

Yes , a getaway car.

[@derek1969able]

bluemax1945. and they would have stolen it !!!

[@robotmad]

We had the V6 Zodiac, jeez that was an ugly car, inspired by the 60's concrete tower blocks of the time.