Rods & Classics: Gran Torino Outsells Chevy Chevelle
How the Gran Torino made Ford’s day by outselling the Chevrolet Chevelle
Story by Nigel Matthews
The Clint Eastwood-directed movie Gran Torino, in which he played retired auto worker Walt Kowalski, was named after the lead character’s pride and joy, his 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport.
The car used in the movie was fitted with the optional laser stripe and Magnum (how appropriate) 500 wheels.
Prior to watching this movie, I had not given this particular model much thought. The Ford Torino brings back memories of a red model with a white stripe, driven by Starsky and Hutch.
The 1972 intermediate size car, as it was known with its long hood, large egg-crate grille and coke-bottle styling with a swept-back roofline, was a great success with a total of 31,239 hardtops and 60,794 Sports Roof units produced. It was so successful that it was the first time Ford had outsold the Chevrolet Chevelle since its 1964 introduction.
Ford did something quite unusual with the 1972 model, reverting to a body-on-frame construction from the unibody construction.
One of the advantages of this construction method is an improved ride quality, which Ford obviously felt outweighed the disadvantages that resulted in increased production costs and a much heavier car.
To compensate for the additional weight, the modified Sport version was fitted with a 351ci Cleveland V8, with high-compression pistons, modified heads, a high-lift camshaft, roller rockers and electronic ignition.
Other engine options included 302, 400 and 429 V8s available with a three- or four-speed manual or three-speed automatic transmission.
Today, the Gran Torino Sport is a relatively rare car. One of the main reasons for the poor survival rate is a result of serious problems with chassis and body corrosion. In areas that experienced harsh winters, the use of road salt accelerated the corrosion problems within the first five years of its life.
Expect to pay in the $15,000 range for a nice survivor.
This photo of the 1972 Gran Torino featured in the 2008 Clint Eastwood starred and directed movie Gran Torino was sourced from www.imcdb.org
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