The Ford Torino was introduced as an upscale version of the mid-size Fairlane in 1968, and by 1971 had replaced the older nameplate altogether. In 1971, the GT was the top Torino sold except for the Cobra which was all muscle car. The GT could carry some horsepower clout, too, but most were ordered with either a 302 or 351 cubic-inch V8, which was the case with the seller’s edition. With many of the photos provided on the back of a trailer, this barn find runs and drives but has some cosmetic issues. Located in Parker, Colorado, this Ford is available here on eBay where the bidding stands at $10,200 and the reserve is still waiting to be met.
In 1963, Ford went to a semi-fastback roofline to make its race cars faster in NASCAR. As the roof became more streamlined, Ford began calling the body style the “SportsRoof”, which the Torino and Mustang took full advantage of going into the 1970s. For 1970-71, the Torino may have been the sleekest yet with the SportsRoof, benefitting from swoopy “Coke bottle” styling. The unibody cars had striking long hoods and short decks, accented by pointed noses with full-width grilles and quad headlights. The ’71 models would largely be carryovers until 1972 when Ford changed things up once again with bulkier looks.
More than 31,600 copies of the Ford Torino GT SportsRoof were built in 1971. This one retains its original 351 V8 and automatic transmission. Both are said to operate properly although we assume that it’s been down for a while since the seller calls it a “barn find.” It retains its factory metal shaker hood, too, which implies that a 4-barrel carburetor is present.
While it looks good sitting on a trailer with the tires all shined up, the body of this vehicle has problems. There is rust in the rear quarter panels and the inner fender skirts, at a minimum. The trunk floor is said to be good with no mention of the floorboards. If the car is 100% complete and not rusted worse than we see, it could be an interesting restoration. I don’t remember seeing many of these autos with the green paint this Ford wears.
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