The Real Story Of The Ford Gran Torino

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The Real Story Of The Ford Gran Torino

The Ford Gran Torino is one of the most revered and well-loved cars from Ford's past, making its debut in 1972.

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Throughout the history of the company, Ford has produced many spectacular and brilliant cars. Some of those are vehicles still going today, such as the F-150 and the other pickup trucks the brand makes. This also includes the Mustang, the car that started a bit of a muscle car revolution and a machine set to enter a new generation. And of course who can forget the outgoing Ford GT, one of the greatest supercars of modern times and something we will all miss dearly.

Many of Ford's machines though are no longer with us. One of those is the Gran Torino. We've got thinking about the Gran Torino a lot recently after Bimble Designs created an exclusive rendering for HotCars of what a modern, EV Gran Torino revival might look like. But the original Gran Torino can trace its roots right back to 1968, when the very first model of the Ford Torino was then launched. The Gran Torino officially made its debut in the 1970s, before it disappeared for good with the Torino in 1976. The Gran Torino remains one of the most popular classic cars from Ford's past.

The Ford Gran Torino Makes Its Debut Appearance In 1972

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The Gran Torino itself made its debut in 1972, when the third generation of the Ford Torino also made its debut. The Torino itself had moved on a lot since its debut in 1968. This third generation would turn out to be the last generation of the iconic Ford model. There were three lines of Torino model in 1972. There was the Torino, the Gran Torino and then the Gran Torino Sport. This generation also saw Ford change the construction of the Torino range as a whole, the car now on a body-on-frame construction to help keep comfort levels up.

The most radical change compared to previous models of the Torino was the rather large eggcrate grille in an oval opening on Gran Torinos, which certainly gave the car a distinctive look. Chrome bezels would surround the headlights on each side of the large grille on the Gran Torino, separating them from the regular Torino in that sense. The mid-level Torino 500 had become the Gran Torino, while the Torino Brougham became an optional package for the Gran Torino and the Torino GT became the Gran Torino Sport. So there was a lot of shaking up of the range when the third-generation debuted, and the range went from 14 models to 9.

A Variety Of Engines Were Offered With The Gran Torino

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A variety of engines would become available for the new Gran Torino range. The base engine was the 4.1-liter 250 ci inline-six engine, which was in all models bar the Gran Torino Squire and the Gran Torino Sport. These used the 302-2V small-black V8 engine. There were other options too, such as the 351C-4V Cobra Jet engine and the 351-2V Windsor/Cleveland engine as well. At the time, the Torino range sat above the Mustang in the Ford lineup.

Ford would make the Gran Torino more unique within its lineup in 1973. It now had a more rectangular grille with the parking lamps horizontally placed within it, while the headlights still had their chrome surrounds. The Gran Torino Sport gained its own unique emblem, helping differentiate it from the rest of the Torino range. However, it was 1976 when the Gran Torino really shot to fame. Starsky and Hutch would hit American TVs for the first time that year, and the Gran Torino was the car of choice for the producers that the main characters would drive. The red and white car instantly became an icon.

The Gran Torino's Claim To Fame: Starsky And Hutch

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Ford was able to capitalize greatly on the fame from the TV show. The company decided to introduce a replica version of the Starsky and Hutch Gran Torino, offering 1,000 replicas of the car in Spring 1976. Essentially it was a special paint option with the deluxe bumper group and dual color-keyed sport mirrors as mandatory options. While not an identical replica of the Starsky and Hutch car, they were close enough and as you might imagine, these replicas are now incredibly rare.

A Popular Ford Model That Is Sadly No More

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The Torino itself also made a name for itself in NASCAR, sweeping the series in the late 1960s that caused Dodge to respond with the Charger 500. Throughout its lifetime, the Gran Torino remained a hugely popular part of the core Ford lineup, and its demise in 1976 was greatly felt. It's one of the most missed cars of the 1970s, and the rendering from Bimble Designs certainly got us all thinking about how a new Gran Torino might fit into the Ford range. We can though still enjoy classic examples of this car, and it's no wonder that they are highly popular with classic car fans everywhere.

Sources: Mecum Auctions, British GQ, Hemmings, Hagerty Insider