| The Ford Torino was produced by the Ford motor company from 1968/1976. Described as "Ford's newest bright idea" , the all new Torino was created to eventually replace the very popular Fairlane name with an all new brand of Ford beauty, power and style. Although Ford still used the Fairlane name up through 1971, the Torino name was used on most body styles and was designed with all new looks and appeal for a whole new generation of car buyers. Still a sports sedan, the first Torino was larger in size than the previous year Fairlane and incorporated a whole new roof line in the fastback as well as the new two door hardtop, also called a two door formal roof. The Torino was built from the start with plenty of power and comfort with standard equipment v-8 engines from the small block 302, to the big block 390 and 428 Cobra Jet introduced in 1969. The 1968 Torino was offered in several styles. Available in the two door fastback, two or four door hardtop, station wagon, and two door convertible. The Ranchero pickup also carried the Torino front end design for 1968. Ford used the Fairlane name on the economy version of the Torino. Although a lot of car, these Fairlanes were different than the Torino in molding design, standard options, and interior trim décor. The Torino GT was the upscale Torino in 1968 with standard body decal stripe, styled steel wheels, wide oval sports tires and standard equipment v-8 engine. These were available with optional four speed floor shift. We have yet to see an actual example, but 1968 Torino literature indicates that the Torino was available with the 427 cubic inch Cobra V-8 engine with four barrel carburetor and hydraulic lifters. The 1969 Ford Trino carried the same body lines and model designations as in the previous year. Soon to be a racing legend and high performance hall of famer, the all new Fairlane Cobra was introduced in 1969 in addition to the other models. The new Cobra was built for speed with one of the most fierce "showroom stock" performance engines ever built. Available in either the two door hardtop, or fastback roofline, the Fairlane Cobra was fitted with standard equipment 428 four barrel Cobra Jet big block power plant. The new performance Fairlane, boasted 335 horsepower at 440 pounds of torque at 3400 rpm. The carburetor was a healthy 735 cfm. Also standard on the Cobra was floor mounted four speed manual transmission, dual exhaust, beefed up suspension for minimum body roll and factory bucket seats. If this did not get you excited, you could order an optional ram-air option with functional air hood scoop or a "Traction-Lok" differential. The 1970 and 1971 Ford Torino featured a complete new body style change with all new looks and style. The new lower, wider, and longer Torino was gracefully designed with aerodynamic lines. 1970 saw the introduction of the 351 Cleveland engines in the Torino as well as the new 429 Thunder Jet, Cobra Jet, and Super Cobra Jet engine options. The 429 Cobra Jet was rated at a whopping 360 horsepower right out of the box, with an additional 5 horsepower added when ordered with the "ram air" shaker hood with functional air scoop. Also available on the Torino GT and Cobra was the Hurst four speed manual transmission, rear window louvers or sports slats, ribbon style tachometer, rim blow three spoke steering wheel, high back bucket seats, fifteen inch magnum 500 chrome wheels, And tracion-lok differential in the rear. A very notable and popular option on the Torino was the flip style hideaway headlight option. This vacuum operated headlights would open when driving and hideaway in closed position when the car was turned off. The new Torino GT featured a new design reflective body side decal called "laser stripes". These attractive new stripes faded in multiple colors while being light reflecting. These were standard equipment on Torino GT and Ranchero GT. As you can see, the 1970 and 1971 Torino offered the enthusiast a whole range of choices depending on the buyers interest. And for the family or business executive, the Torino Brougham offered luxurious accommodations with all the good looks of the sport models. The 1970 Torino was so well received that it was voted motor trend magazines car of the year. The introduction of the 1972 Torino was a whole new design for the Torino. This car had a futuristic design which immediately gained public interest due to it's masculine "fish mouth" grill design. A much bigger Torino built with greater safety and more metal than ever before. The 1972 model eliminated the convertible models and maintained the two door formal roof and fastback models, as well as the four door and station wagons. The 1972 introduced a new model name in the "Gran Torino" and "Gran Torino Sport" as Ford had now eliminated the "GT" model name in place of the new Gran Torino. Although these cars were still built in performance models, significant changes in emissions had changed the engines significantly for a major drop in available horsepower. The most powerful engine now offered was the 351 four barrel "Cobra Jet" engine with four bolt main and available with optional 4 speed Hurst transmission. The distinctive lines and new design earned the new Torino great reviews from the start. Although not the performance giants of their older brothers, these Torinos, when equipped right were a very powerful car on their own. Click here for Starsky and Hutch original series photos:   
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