HomePick of the DayPick of the Day: 1969 Ford Torino GT, originality in its purest...

Pick of the Day: 1969 Ford Torino GT, originality in its purest form

Well-preserved example brings the Italian Detroit model into the present

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Just over 50 years ago in 1968, Ford took its lineup to a new level by launching an upscale model based on its popular Fairlane.  Named after the Italian city of Turin, which is sometimes referred to as the “Italian Detroit,” the Torino went on to become a widely recognized model name.

 Torino variants could be found in a range of body styles, including a 4-door, 2-door, station wagon and convertible.  It seemed that Ford built a Torino for every type of buyer, but even so, its lifespan was relatively short. 

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By the late 1970s, the Torino name itself was retired, although its chassis went on to be used in the LTD, Thunderbird, Ranchero and Mercury Cougar models.  Today, it’s not surprising that the most collectible Torinos were those that achieved muscle car status, like this sporty fastback.

The Pick of the Day is a 1969 Ford Torino GT in Wimbledon White with only 75,000 miles on it.  If there’s a theme to this Torino’s most compelling attribute, it’s originality.  In fact, the selling dealer in Elkhart, Indiana, advertising the Ford on ClassicCars.com mentions the word “original” 10 times in the listing, seemingly confident that this Torino exemplifies precisely the condition and configuration that a Torino purist would appreciate.

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The dealer indicates that the car is accompanied by a host of supplementary documentation, including the owner’s manual, owner card, build sheet, and a Marti Report.  Even the license plate frame from the selling dealership is still in place. 

Under the scooped hood lies a 390cid V8 that delivers reliable performance even after 51 years, the seller notes.  A five-minute driving video accompanies the ad listing, which showcases both the cosmetic and mechanical condition of the vehicle. 

 “Once you see and drive this Torino,” the seller states, “you will understand just how well this car was maintained and cared for.  Here is a truly great opportunity to own a very original and unmolested piece of Ford history.” 

The photo gallery illustrates how well-preserved this Torino is, right down to the red vinyl interior and factory AM radio.  The car’s rust-free body can be attributed to its having resided in North Carolina since new, the dealer adds. 

The asking price is $42,995 for this piece of “Italian Detroit” history.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

Tyson Hugie
Tyson Hugie
Tyson Hugie is a Phoenix-based automotive enthusiast who has been writing for The Journal since 2016. His favorite automotive niche is 1980s and 1990s Japanese cars, and he is a self-diagnosed “Acura addict” since he owns a collection of Honda and Acura cars from that era. Tyson can usually be found on weekends tinkering on restoration projects, attending car shows, or enjoying the open road. He publishes videos each week to his YouTube channel and is also a contributing author to Arizona Driver Magazine, KSLCars.com, NSX Driver Magazine, and other automotive publications. His pride and joy is a 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe with nearly 600,000 miles on the odometer, but he loves anything on four wheels and would someday like to own a 1950 Buick Special like his late grandfather’s.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Nice Torino. A true muscle car guy would prefer a 4 speed for this asking price. Also on Meacum auctions you could buy a 69 Torino in this condition for less than the asking price

    • Agreed; the seller puts too high a price tag on its originality. Never saw one go that high. As nice as it is, I always preferred the next model (listed by Ford as 1970 1/2) anyway. I AM a big fan of that FE motor though! I have it in a ’63 TBird and it has a ton of torque and was a great platform for a stroker kit and what I call a “breathing kit” (FPA headers, Holley Ultra Street Avenger Carb and and a Eddy Performance RPM manifold). Of course that would stick a fork in this car’s “extreme originality”.

  2. I had a royal blue 1967 Torino GT with a 289CID. It was one of the nicest cars I had. I did a dumb thing and totaled it. I was really mad at at myself.

  3. Be still my beating heart! I had to look twice since it looked to be the ’69 Torino GT I bought in ’74 for $1,000. It had the 390, and a 750 Holley. The only difference was that it had white seats and black carpet. It had single exhaust, but I had Midas put dual Cherry Bombs on it. That thing just went, and sounded even better. Wish I had it now.

  4. had a 68 coupe had all the goodies from am fm 8 trac head liner lights bucket seats i bought it cheap it was hit lightly in the ft gold and black hat i changed the color to 68 vet blue and redid the intiour to white i was in learning auto body and gave it to my girlfriend it was 1972 she later became my wife and drove it for a couple of years then traded it in on a 65 vet

  5. Beautiful car. Friend of mine had a gold 1968 Torino GT with 390 and 4 speed tranny. I always appreciated these fast back versions and still do.

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