A rare Ford Torino cropped up on sale in the USA the other day, looking great after a restoration and engine swap. Let us have a closer look at it.
The restorer repainted the body in high-gloss grey, tinted the windows, and installed a new hood with an air scoop for reasons mentioned below. Only the driver’s side mirror was kept, but a reversing camera was added to compensate. Power steering and ABS were implemented, adjustable shocks were installed, and stock wheels made room for a more modern-looking model – although we would rather see something more period-accurate in those arches.
The cabin also underwent a major overhaul, ending up with heated leather seats, a custom center console with an automatic gear lever, a keyless entry system, HVAC, and a multimedia system with a powerful speaker set.
Pop up the hood to reveal a Mustang six-cylinder twin-turbo boosted to 615 PS (607 hp / 452 kW) and 653 Nm (482 lb-ft) of torque. A modern six-speed automatic transmission drives the rear wheels.
As an interesting aside, Ford had originally intended to name its greatest muscle car the Torino, but eventually felt that ‘Mustang’ had a better sound to it. The unused Italian name found its place on a lower-class model several years later, which you now see before you. Isn’t it ironic that it ended up with a Mustang engine?
The auction ended with a top bid close to $45,000 USD, which was below reserve.