Starsky & Hutch was a popular TV show in the mid to late 1970s. Besides making stars out of Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, their on-air car also got a lot of fan mail. In most cases, they drove a 1976 Ford Gran Torino with red paint and huge stripes, which earned the car the nickname “Striped Tomato”. To capitalize on the success of the show, Ford built 1,000 copies of that car, and the seller says this is one of them. Needing some restoration, this 50-year-old conversation piece is in Chehalis, Washington, and is available here on craigslist for $17,000. An attaboy goes to Tony Primo for the tip!
Producers had several Gran Torinos made up to look the same, although they came from different model years (1974-76). Since the show was on until 1979, the ‘76s got the most play. Engines varied from 351 to 400 and even 460 cubic inches, all equipped with automatic transmissions. Since they carried their own identification numbers, it’s not hard to tell one of these 1,000 from a later tribute. Per the seller, only about 100 are known to exist, as the vehicle has its own registry.
The seller has done some research, and most of the photos provided are screenshots of details, not of the car itself. He says he has the only one in Washington and knows of another in Oregon (so that may have the Pacific Northwest covered). This car came with a 351 V8 when new, but the seller says a 460 is there now and the odometer reading is 50,000 miles. So maybe someone drove this car as hard as Starsky did in the show.
Its original red paint (and we presume stripes) are on the car, but it sat (outside?) in California for three decades and needs attention. It will run and drive but not stop. Some degree of restoration will be needed, and we’re told this one is # 203 off the line at Ford’s Chicago plant. The seller has no interest in a trade unless it’s a “badass” Mopar. Do you have room for this Striped Tomato in your vegetable garden?
I used to see one of these running around my home town. Did not know Ford made 1,000 of them. Just thought some one had some leftover white paint and tape.
I’ve always thought the stripe on those cars was about the ugliest ever put on a car. They don’t follow the car’s lines at all, they just look like an afterthought…which I guess is what they were.
It was like a creeping blight back then, even Ford of Europe got into the act with an identical stripe option for the Cortina(or Consul, I forget which).