I just purchased a 1974 Ford Gran Torino Elite 2-door. In all the brochures, it is promoted as a Mid-Size car. Parked side by side with my 1999 Chevy Suburban, from bumper to bumper, they are the same length!!! I think Mid-Size has changed.....just a little.
I remember 1974 very well - gas "shortages " - engine horsepower and compression dropping like rocks but cars still getting bigger and heavier Nice car, Craig If you look at the distance from the A pillar to the front bumper, it looks like the same distance from the A pillar to the rear bumper
So I'm not the only one to own a brand X vehicle! You're right on the sizing, what was once mid size is now considered huge. Today's full size would be 74's compact! Nice Elite by the way. Those drive and ride nice.
My dad purchased a new one in 76. Did many road trips in that beast! I got it years later for a winter beater...That car was downright lethal in the snow!!! Made me a durn good winter driver!!!...LOL...
Only 25,000 actual miles. More pictures on my website. I brought it home on my car trailer. It was hanging off the back. Never had that happen before with a car I towed home.
Keep this in mind when buying generic car covers. My modern "mid-size" cover is really snug on the Comet. As much as I loathed these cars back in the day, I am warming up to them now. Must be a "middle-age" thing ... Looks like you got possibly the best example of one of these anywhere! Really like it in all white. It is nice as is,.... but in my mind it is screaming for Magnums and fat tires. I swear every car looks good with Magnums ... thinking hard about modern ones for our 07 Mustang ... I thought about some vintage ones for my Explorer. If they made small ones, I'd have them on my lawn mower ....
I had a Black 74 Elite. Still have the engine and trans. Came with a 351 4bbl Cleveland and C6 which was odd, guessing Ford was using up left over engines.
I used to pull 14x7 Magnums off this body style of Torinos pretty frequently back in the day. It was easiest way to get wide 14s. Sold a lot of those at swap meets. But for sure, I would go at least 15s now ... that is what is on my Comet. 14s look small on just about everything now. Not to mention the problem getting tires anymore. The other thing that was great about these Torinos and Thunderbirds, in this body style, was that the ones with the wheels that had styled rubber centers (or whatever that was) also had really long lug nuts ... about two inches long ... and I use those lug nuts now in my Magnums. They look really good with them instead of the shorter ones.
yeah nowadays their arnt any large cars. large cars today equal a gm intermetdiate my 72 skylark is same lenght as any "large" car today but also wider my 64 electra fullsize was like a limo compared to these cars now lol The maverick is longer then my kia rio though im pretty sure btw, good deal on the torino. I've been lusting for a 70/71 torino fastback with hide-a-way headlights and honeycomb tail light assembly.
