1976 Ford Gran Torino

The Ford Torino, produced for the North America market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the Italian city of Turin, (Torino in Italian). David Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson, the famed US cop duo of the 1970s better known as Starsky and Hutch, are probably best known for their use of a bright red Ford Gran Torino with a large white stripe on both sides. The Torino belonged to Starsky and was nicknamed the "Striped Tomato". The cars were custom painted (on top of the factory red paint colour) with the distinctive white stripe designed by George Grenier. The rear ends were lifted by air shocks and had "U.S." brand 5-slot mag wheels added with larger rear tires. New high-performance engine sounds were dubbed over scenes during the show because California law forbade mechanically modifying the engines of cars. When the pilot was successful, two new 1975 red Gran Torino’s were ordered for the first season. These cars were powered by 400 Cu V8s because extra power was going to be needed for additional stunt driving scenes. The aggressive stunt driving required of the show resulted in many accidents for the Torino’s.