Ford
Gran Torino "Starsky & Hutch" special edition (1976 factory edition)

Why it matters

Ford built this edition after viewers asked where they could buy the TV car, making it a factory-made tie-in to a television series. The cars are a factory edition rather than screen cars and are often confused with tribute cars.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

On 9 February 1976 Ford announced a limited run of 1,000 cars finished in 2B Bright Red with a white vector side stripe, dual racing mirrors and a deluxe bumper group. In total 1,308 were built, including three pilot cars, according to Code 3 Garage; Silodrome says as many as 1,300. The cars lacked the TV car's Magnum 500 wheels, wide rear tyres and air shocks, which many owners added later.

Silodrome says Ford painted the cars white, masked off the stripe and sprayed the rest red, and that some sources say 50 or fewer survive.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Barn find: a rare 1976 Ford Gran Torino "Starsky & Hutch Special Edition" Level C Silodrome

   • 50 or fewer original factory-built Starsky & Hutch Special Edition versions

   Accessed 2026-11-13
2. 2
   Starsky & Hutch Ford Gran Torino Level D Code 3 Garage

   • 351-cu.in., 152 horsepower Windsor V-8 was standard

   Accessed 2026-11-13