The iconic green Gran Torino car may not have been the full focal point of the film “Gran Torino”, but that doesn't mean that the film didn’t boost its popularity. The car is now a classic bit of movie history, and we’re here to tell you all about it.
. One classic car that had its moment of fame in 2009 was the 1972 Ford Gran Torino that starred in Clint Eastwood's movie of the same name.
Let's take a look at what made this car so special and its interesting journey over the years.
'Gran Torino': Clint Eastwood's Tribute to a Classic Car
Okay, truth be told, the Gran Torino isn't as much of a focal point in Clint Eastwood's film as the movie's name might lead you to believe, but the car still finds itself in the spotlight more than once as the action progresses.
In GranTorino, Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran with somewhat racist tendencies who ends up befriending a neighboring Hmong family. The relationship between Kowalski and the family's teenage son, Thao, really gets underway when Thao attempts to
has provided a rundown on what a customer could expect from a 1972 Gran Torino Sport. First, it should be noted that Eastwood's car in the film had the highest-end trim of the three offered for the Gran Torino, a point of pride for the film's protagonist. Overall, the car was a true success on the market, with the various trims combined selling some 500,000 units.
The motor on the '72 Gran Torino Sport was what was known as Ford's "hot motor," which featured a 300 hp, 5.7-liter Cobra-Jet V8 with a four-barrel carburetor. The car could go from 0-60 mph in under seven seconds—very impressive for cars of its class.
As far as design, Kowalski's car in the film sported what Hotcars calls a "Coke bottle design" and came in a memorable dark-metallic green shade. In fact, the website calls the car "one of the most memorable movie cars of all time," thanks also to its Magnum 500 wheels with Goodrich radials, along with its gold laser stripes with a black vinyl top.
Following the successful release of the movie, Clint Eastwood actually bought the car for personal use and drove it for some time. From there, it ended up in the Warner Bros Studios Picture Car Museum in California, one of many
The car's story didn't end there, however. After the car's arrival at the museum, a former Gran Torino owner from Missouri named Dave Beckett was inspired by the movie's success to go see it. But there’s a twist—he actually used to own that very same Torino.
The museum gave Beckett some time to sit in the car and relive old memories, even making use of an old key that still worked.
Have a classic car to insure? Try Jerry
Whether you're a celebrity like Clint Eastwood or an everyday car owner like Dave Beckett, you have to insure your car. Thankfully, you don't need to be as rich as Clint Eastwood to have someone you can turn to to help you find the best car insurance policy for your car.
is a free app that compares car insurance rates across dozens of companies in just seconds, saving you potentially hours of hassle. Give Jerry a try today to see how much this free app can save you on car insurance.
4.7
