1976 Ford Gran Torino 460 'Modified' Coupe (LHD)

Description

The Ford Torino was produced for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. Named after the city of Turin (Torino, in Italian), considered "the Italian Detroit", it was initially an upscale variation of the intermediate sized Ford Fairlane, produced between 1962 and 1970. By 1970 the Torino had become the primary name for Ford's intermediate model and was essentially a twin to the Mercury Montego line. Most Torino’s were conventional four-door sedans or two-door hardtops, however Ford did produce some high-performance versions such as those fitted with 428ci and 429ci "Cobra-Jet" engines, which for a time became the base for its NASCAR racers. But by far the most recognized Torino worldwide was that which starred in the American TV series Starsky & Hutch. This was a 1975–1976 model, by then known as a Gran Torino, and was selected by the producers as a flashy specialty car for the main characters to drive. A bright red 1975 Gran Torino two-door was made less mundane by a large white vector stripe down each side, five spoke alloy wheels and air shock absorbers which gave it an aggressive rake. The Gran Torino became almost as big a star as actors David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, so Ford introduced a limited-edition of just over 1,000 odd units plus 3 pilot production cars). Production began in March 1976 and was essentially a special paint option with the deluxe bumper group and dual color-keyed sport mirrors as mandatory options. The TV car's slotted mag wheels were not offered, the cars instead came equipped with wheel covers as standard equipment. When producing these cars, Ford painted the entire car white then masked off the stripe and painted the rest of the car bright red (code 2B) as used on the 1972–75 models (and subsequently the TV cars). This color had by then been discontinued for all other Torino models. The vehicles were close to the TV show car, however there were minor differences in the stripe, and many owners installed slotted mag wheels and air shocks after purchase to give it a more authentic look. The Starsky & Hutch car was available with all Torino engines, and although seat colors were limited to black or white, they were available with all seating trims and options. Production for this final year of Torino production in 1976 was 193,096 units.