Tag Archives: Torino

Cars

Everything Starsky And Hutch Fans Should Know About The 1976 Ford Grand Torino

After failing to safe the Camaro, the Gran Torino was ordered by Spelling-Goldberg Productions from Ford’s Studio-TV automotive Loan Program and given its now-famous paint job to make it pop. Air shocks have been slapped on the again so the nostril was decrease, a chrome tip was positioned on the exhaust pipe, and “U.S.” five-slot aluminum alloy wheels with a lot greater tires on the rear have been put in.

Several automobiles have been created for the present (some sources declare a minimum of ten, however that is still unverified), and solely three are believed to nonetheless exist. Thankfully, we know where the original “Starsky & Hutch” car is today.

Those unique automobiles have been powered by totally different engines based mostly on the mannequin yr used on the time. Some had a 400-cubic-inch, whereas others had a 351 Windsor V8. Another rumor mentioned a number of even had a novel 460-cubic-inch V8 below the hood.

In 1976, Ford factory-built 1,305 Gran Torino Starsky & Hutch Special Editions, a few of which have been used on set. Those automobiles have been outfitted with a 409-ci high-performance crate V-8 engine mated to an computerized transmission. Despite that, you hear a sound that mimics what a normal stick shift would make within the present.

The SEs have been first painted in Ford’s Wimbledon White, with the stripe masked off. Then, it will get painted with Ford’s Bright Red paint. Additional options on the Special Edition included an upgraded radiator, Edelbrock gas injection, exhaust, cross-drilled disc brakes, aftermarket suspension, and cabin devices.

It’s well-known that Paul Michael Glaser hated the automotive and his function as Starsky and would have give up if the present hadn’t been canceled after the ’79 season.

News

Suzuki Italia Unveils Seriously Limited Edition Kevin Schwantz GSX-8S

From September 2 through 3, 2023, Autolook Week Torino took to the Piazza San Carlo in Turin, Italy with both car and motorcycle entertainment for the whole family. From an appearance by the Oracle Red Bull Formula One racing team to a World Rally Championship (WRC) parade, it was a particularly exciting time for motorsport fans to get up close and personal with some of their favorites. 

Suzuki may have pulled out of motorcycle racing (apart from its continued support of the FIM Endurance World Championship team in 2023), but that doesn’t mean that it can’t and won’t celebrate past successes. On Saturday, September 2, 2023, the house of Hamamatsu brought two of its historic motorcycle racing champions to Autolook Week Torino to ride their championship-winning bikes in front of the assembled crowds. 

Both Kevin Schwantz and Franco Uncini were on hand, with Schwantz riding his 1993 championship winning RGV500 and Uncini riding his 1982 championship winning RG500. Additionally, Suzuki Italia introduced an extremely limited-edition Kevin Schwantz Edition livery for three Suzuki-powered creations: the GSX-8S, Swift Sport Hybrid, and DF200AP outboard motor. 


Kevin Schwantz and Franco Uncini - 2023 Autolook Week Torino

8 Photos

Each of those three Suzuki vehicles—one in the motorcycle division, one in the automotive division, and one in the marine division—have a livery designed to echo the white and red #34 graphics found on Schwantz’s 1993 championship-winning machine. Additionally, the Schwantz-edition GSX-8S gets a single-seat tail cover fitted as standard to more closely replicate the monoposto nature of Schwantz’s race bike. 

All three Schwantz limited edition Suzuki models will be issued by Suzuki Italia in limited runs of just five units apiece. That’s five Schwantz GSX-8S bikes, five Schwantz Swift Sport Hybrids, and five Schwantz DF200AP outboard motors.  

All five of each Schwantz limited edition Suzuki item will be signed by the man himself and will also come with a certificate of authenticity. They can only be booked using Suzuki Italia’s special web links and are not offered in dealerships. 

The price of the Schwantz limited edition Suzuki GSX-8S is €11,490 (with value added tax, or VAT, included). If converted on September 5, 2023, that works out to about $12,318. All three Schwantz limited edition Suzuki models went on sale as of September 4, 2023. A deposit of €500 (about $536) is required up front, and all purchases must be completed within 30 days of placement of the deposit. If purchases are not completed within that timeframe, the deposit can be returned.  

According to Suzuki Italia, sales for the Schwantz limited editions will remain open until they have sold out, or until September 30, 2023—whichever comes first. Deliveries should then take place within about 45 days after receipt of the order by Suzuki Italia.

Motorsport

Watch 1972 Ford Gran Torino Get First Wash In 20 Years

The owner of this 1972 Ford Gran Torino put it in an open garage bay 20 years ago, and it sat there ever since. Now, the folks at WD Detailing drag the forgotten personal luxury coupe out of the resting place to give the vehicle a much-needed wash. 

While it was partially covered, this Gran Torino still looks rough. There’s dust and grime on the body. The interior is filthy. According to the owner, a raccoon got into the engine bay at some point and tore things up.

WD Detailing focuses on cleaning the car, but the team also makes sure the engine still turns over. It does, but the Ford needs lots of work before the powerplant gets running again. 

Rather than starting by washing the body like usual, the detailers begin with the cabin this time because they plan on dyeing the carpets. The upholstery on the seats is also filthy. There’s a massive mouse nest under the rear seat.

As usual, just washing the body goes a long way toward making this Gran Torino look better. Instead of using wash mitts, the crew wipes the body with sandpaper to remove the oxidation from the paint. While unorthodox, the tactic works well here.

At the end of the cleaning process, the Gran Torino looks significantly better. There’s still some patina on the body with some chipped paint and less-than-shiny chrome. Inside, there are big holes on the driver and passenger side of the front bench. Plus, there would still need to be lots of mechanical work to make the car road-worthy.

Ford introduced the Torino name in 1968 as an upmarket subseries for the Fairlane. In 1970, the Blue Oval swapped the nomenclature by making Torino the primary model and Fairlane the submodel. For the 1972 model year, the Torino entirely took over, and the Blue Oval introduced the Gran Torino moniker.

Ford offered the ’72 Torino with an inline-six and a variety of V8s. This one has an eight-cylinder powerplant, but we can’t see enough to identify which one.

The show Starsky and Hutch made the Gran Torino a TV star. The characters drove 1975 and ’76 cars with a white stripe along the side. A ’72 Gran Torino was the eponymous machine in the 2008 film Gran Torino.