1972 Ford Torino

Ford built the intermediate Torino from 1968 to 1976 and was initially an upscale version of the Fairlane. By 1970, the Fairlane became a subseries of the Torino, and the following year the Fairlane name was dropped altogether, and all Ford intermediates were the Torino.

The 1972 Ford Torino was the start of the third generation and was refocused toward luxury and de-emphasized performance. It received a redesign that emphasized the 'long hood short deck' appearance and coke bottle styling. In the front of the Gran Torino was a large eggcrate grille in an oval opening and chrome bezels surrounding the headlamps on each side of the grille. The base Torinos had a full-width argent eggcrate grille that surrounded the headlights, and a unique hood and front bumper. The styling was sporty with flared fenders around the wheel opening, a raked windshield, thin roof and A-pillars, and a rear quarter panel with a strong character line that extended to the rear bumper. The full-width rear bumper housed inset rectangular tail lights with pointed ends. The prior vent windows were replaced with 'DirectAire' ventilation on all Torinos, and new safety features included side door guard rails and new flush mount door handles.

The prior unit-construction was replaced by body-on-frame construction with a perimeter design chassis resulting in a quieter and more isolated driving experience. Additional advancements included an energy-absorbing 'S' shaped front end, five cross members, fourteen rubber body mounts, and torque boxes to isolate road shock. The rear suspension was a four-link setup with Ford called 'Stabul,' with a computer-selected coil spring mounted on a solid axle. The front used a short/long control arm design, with a computer-selected coil spring mounted on the strut stabilized lower control arm. Two additional suspension options were available, a competition and heavy-duty setup. The competition setup was available in two-door models and came with the most heavy-duty springs and shocks, a larger front sway bar, rear sway bar, and heavy-duty rear upper control arms and bushings. The heavy-duty suspension had a larger front sway bar, and heavy-duty springs and shocks.

The Ford Torino further distinguished itself by being the only American intermediate (along with the Mercury Montego) to be fitted with front disc brakes as standard equipment. The Gran Torino Squire station wagons had standard power brakes, which were optional for all other models. Cars equipped with the 429 CID engine also came standard with power brakes. 14-inch wheels were standard on all Torinos except for police and taxi models which came with 15-inch wheels.

Three trim levels included the base Torino, Gran Torino, and the Gran Torino Sport. Body styles included a hardtop sedan, hardtop coupe, and station wagon on the base trim level. The Gran Torino (previously known as the Torino 500) could be purchased as a station wagon, squire station wagon, 2-door hardtop, 4-door pillared hardtop, fastback coupe, and sport hardtop coupe. The four-door 'pillared hardtops' was Ford's way of describing 4-door sedans with frameless door glass and a thin 'B' pillar. The four-door hardtops and convertible were no longer offered. The Torino Brougham was now an option package for the Gran Torino, the Torino GT became 'Gran Torino Sport,' and the Cobra model was discontinued. The total output reached 496,645 units which were a significant increase over the prior year's 261,349 units.

The 2- and 4-door body styles used separate wheelbases, with the 2-door versions resting on a 114-inch wheelbase platform while the 4-doors measured 118 inches. Many body panels were shared between the 2- and 4-door styles.

The base engine was an overhead valve six-cylinder unit displacing 250 cubic inches and breathing through a Motorcraft one-barrel carburetor to produce just under 100 horsepower. Optional engines included a 302, 351, 400, and 429 CID V8 in several configurations. The 302 CID had 140 horsepower, the 351 CID produced between 153 to 266 hp, and the 429 CID had 212 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. A four-speed manual and Cruise-O-Matic automatic were optional (the automatic was standard for the 351-2V, 400-2V, and 429-4V.

The interior had a new instrument panel that used ABS plastic for much of its construction and was comprised of five equally sized round pods housing a speedometer, temperature gauge, fuel gauge, and warning lights. The pod closest to the driver's side door was for the 'DirectAire' ventilation system. All V8 models could be purchased with the optional 'Instrumentation Group' which added two large round pods centered on the steering wheel, containing the speed with trip odometer and a tachometer. A third equal-sized pod on the left contained the DirectAire vent. The instrument cluster had a fuel gauge, temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, clock, and ammeter.

Another new change for 1972 was the seats - the standard front bench seat being a high back with an integrated headrest for the outboard seating positions. The 2-door models continued to use the high-back bucket seats. This was the final year that Ford offered 'comfort weave' vinyl inserts on the bucket seats. The prior year's 4-way seat was replaced by an optional 6-way bench seat.

The 1972 Ford Torino was the best-selling intermediate that year and was the first time Ford had ever outsold the Chevrolet Chevelle since its 1964 introduction. Consumer Guide selected the Torino as a 'Best Buy' for 1972.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020