Nice example. And high option. https://scranton.craigslist.org/ctd/d/lenoxville-1976-ford-gran-torino-elite/6909802425.html
These Elites were quite a classy departure for Ford with the Torino at the time. Mercury had the Cougar XR-7. I remember seeing the local Atlanta lots with plenty of these and they all seemed to be loaded. Many had a 460 under the hood. Kinda odd just on the heels of the '73 oil embargo and the high gas prices that resulted. I think Ford was getting torn up by GM in the class with the Chev Monte Carlo and Pont GP.
It’s funny you mention seeing so many of them in Atlanta. That was one of the plants where they were made. I think too it was a way for Ford to enter the personal luxury coupe segment, On the cheap, as the Thunderbird had become so bloated.
Yep, I've mentioned it before on here. Ford Hapeville was "Torino Town." I liked seeing the '71 models with the lazer stripes loaded up on the rail carriers. Car after rail car full of them! I'm sure many of them were CJ and SCJ equipped.
I remember thinking at the time the Torino Elite came out, that the head honchos over at the Mercury division must have been PISSED when they were informed by the corporate brass that Ford was going to sell a version of the Cougar XR-7 for themselves. Turns out they apparently didn't need Mercury at all.......or so they thought.
