page_title: Ford Torino
section_title: 1974
hierarchical_section_title: Ford Torino / Third generation (1972–1976) / 1974
caption_attribution_description: 1974 Ford Torino from Starsky &amp; Hutch
context_page_description: The Ford Torino is an automobile that was produced by Ford for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. It was a competitor in the intermediate market segment. The car was named after the city of Turin, considered "the Italian Detroit". The Torino was initially an upscale variation of the intermediate sized Ford Fairlane, which Ford produced between 1962 and 1970. After 1968, the Fairlane name was retained for the base models with lower levels of trim than those models which wore the Torino name. During this time, the Torino was considered a subseries to the Fairlane. By 1970 Torino had become the primary name for Ford's intermediate, and the Fairlane was now a subseries of the Torino. In 1971 the Fairlane name was dropped altogether, and all Ford intermediates were called Torino. This name was one of several originally proposed for the Mustang while in development. The Torino was essentially a twin to the Mercury Montego line.
  Most Torinos were conventional cars, and generally the most popular models were the 4-door sedans and 2-door hardtops.
context_section_description: The 1974 model year saw more extensive revisions to the Torino line. Government safety regulations now required that the rear bumpers must also meet the 5 mph (8.0 km/h) standard, so all Torinos had the rear bumper and tail lamp panel redesigned. The new rear bumpers were much larger, square shaped, and sat lower on the body. No longer was there a valance panel located below the bumper as on the 1972–73 models. The tail lights were beveled rectangular wrap-around units which eliminated the need for rear side marker lights. The fuel filler was repositioned above the bumper, hidden behind an access door in the center of the taillight panel. The front fascia for Gran Torinos was revised for 1974. The new grille was of similar shape to the 1973, but was slightly larger and divided into 8 equal sized vertical rectangular sections. The grille had a fine mesh pattern with vertical parking lamps in the outer sections (embossed with the grille pattern on the surface of the lens) and the grille emblem was changed  The front bumper was revised to be slightly more pointed while the bumper guards moved more towards the center of the bumper compared to 1973 models. The license plate bracket was relocated to the driver's side of the bumper. Base Torino models carried on with the same front fascia as 1973; however, its front bumpers were revised similarly to the Gran Torinos except the license plate remained in the center. Gran Torino Broughams had a red reflector panel between the taillamps to give them a full width look. Broughams and Squires had a stand-up hood ornament inplace of the emblem on the grille.
  The Torino model line-up was the same as 1973, with two exceptions. The Gran Torino Sport was no longer available with the "SportsRoof" fastback roofline, and the new "Gran Torino Elite" debuted. Although 2-door Torinos were advertised as hardtops, the rear windows were revised to be fixed unlike the 1972–73 models. Ford announced to its dealers in January 1974 that new Gran Torino Elite, Ford's entry in the mid-sized luxury car market, would be available for sale as of the week of February 18, 1974.  The Elite was Ford's response to Chevrolet's popular low-priced luxury coupe the Monte Carlo. The Elite was described by Ford as "A totally new 2-door hardtop...with Thunderbird-inspired styling, solid engineering and personal luxury...plus mid-size economy."  The Elite wasn't totally new, as Ford described, but it did have a number of unique features. The Elite used the Mercury Montego and Mercury Cougar body shell with unique front end styling that resembled the Thunderbird. It had a large eggcrate mesh grille surrounded by single headlamps recessed in chrome bezels and vertical wrap-around parking lamps. On the rear there was large wrap-around taillamps with a reflective center panel giving it a full width taillight appearance. Large color-keyed vinyl moldings were placed higher on the body side, similar to the Thunderbird. Standard equipment for the Elite included a 351-2V V8 engine, automatic transmission, and radial tires. It also featured standard luxury items such as a vinyl roof with twin opera windows, split bench seat, "Westminster" cloth upholstery, woodgrain trim, and complete instrumentation.
  For 1974, Torino added several new luxury oriented options and features including a leather-wrapped steering wheel, split bench seat, an electric sunroof, rear fender skirts, speed control with steering wheel controls and opera windows for 2-doors. Opera windows were added as standard equipment on Brougham models. The exterior trim was revised, with moldings the rocker panels instead of the lower doors. Brougham and Sport models had an extra chrome molding that ran on the lower fender edge between the front wheelwell and bumper; this gave the appearance of bumper-to-bumper chrome. Squires had no lower body moldings. All 1974 Torinos used the seat belt-interlock system, as mandated by the U.S. government. This short-lived safety system would be removed after the 1974 model year. The competition suspension was no longer offered, and t
caption: 1974 Ford Gran Torino from Starsky & Hutch
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