One of the films made with Clint Eastwood is called Gran Torino, but have you seen any movie in which this actor played a racing driver, a car fanatic, or an auto mechanic? Why was it decided to name the movie after the 1972 Ford Gran Torino? Maybe because this car carries the spirit of the times when Clint Eastwood's hero was still young, the times when American automakers created muscle cars that were superior in power and acceleration to the best European type supercars and - is this really a bad time for Americans? But unfortunately for Walt Kowalski (the hero of Clint Eastwood) - this is all in the past. Having worked all his life at the Ford plant and assembled his Gran Torino there, Walt does not understand why his own son bought a Japanese car and not some kind of American car. He is extremely unpleased to hear how on the day of his wife’s funeral, his granddaughter begs him for a sofa, and of those who visited him that day, most of the guests are having fun, and not sad, would this be possible during his youth? And what could be better for Walt than to sit in his backyard and admire his Ford Gran Torino while remembering the old days.

During its history, Gran Torino has been modified more than once, but will discuss the model of 1972, this is the car that was filmed in the film. The car got its name in honor of the Italian city of Turin, which is the center of the automotive industry in Italy. In the USA, the Ford Gran Torino is as iconic as, or. In addition to the aforementioned film, you can see the 1972 Gran Torino in the movie Fast and the Furious 4. In addition, the Gran Torino also appeared in the film Need For Speed, but the previous model was filmed there.

You can visually recognize the 1972 model by the oval grille and chrome headlight surrounds, pay attention to the photo of the Ford Gran Torino 1972. Unlike the previous version, the 1972 car lost its window vents. In addition to the coupe body, which was actually called a fastback, the Gran Torino was also available in a hardtop body type - (a sedan without window frames and without a pillar between the side windows). The length of the compartment is 5264mm, width - 2014mm, height - 1317mm. The curb weight of the two-door Gran Torino is 1528kg. It is worth paying attention to the wheelbase of 2,896mm, because in the 90s European executive class sedans had such a wheelbase. You can get acquainted with the appearance of this car from the photo of the Ford Gran Torino 1972.

It is noteworthy that if the Ford coupe was equipped with two separate seats in the cabin, then a sofa was installed on the front row of the sedan - you can see this in the photo.

Specifications Ford Gran Torino 1972

Compared to the previous model, the 1972 car received a 51mm wider track and for the first time in the history of Torino, the rear suspension could be equipped with stabilizers. Drum brakes are installed on both axles of the Torino.

An in-line "six" with a volume of 4.1 liters was installed on less powerful Torino modifications. With a compression ratio of 8.0:1, such an engine provides 246N.M of thrust, which is comparable to. Like many other American Muscle Cars, Torino has a long main pair, in the Ford car it has a gear ratio of 3.0: 1. The volume of 4.1 liters is due to the cylinder diameter of 93.5 mm and the piston stroke of 99.3 mm.

As you know, Americans do not like small engines, and in those days, a 4-liter engine was just small. Therefore, the 351st V8 CJ-4V with a volume of 5.8 liters became more widespread. Such an engine develops a power of 248hp and a torque of 404N.M. These power characteristics allow you to accelerate to 100 km per hour in 6.8 seconds.

The most powerful V8 installed on the Torino has a volume of 7.0 liters. There were modifications of this engine with dynamic supercharging, which made it possible to develop 370 hp of power and travel 400 m in 14.5 s, with an output speed of 164 km.

Price Ford Gran Torino 1972

You can buy a 1972 Ford Gran Torino for $25,000. It should be understood that in the CIS there are very few such cars. In the US, the price of the Ford Gran Torino 1972 is much lower, but the car still needs to be delivered to us. The American tank holds 87 liters, but given the volume of the engines, it empties very quickly.

Are you still ready to buy a Ford Gran Torino? If yes, then you will get a majestic and exclusive car that will definitely not become cheaper, and will attract attention on the roads no less than the new Italian supercars.

Have you seen the movie Gran Torino? It's a great movie with Clint Eastwood, where the posh car that the movie was named after makes only cameo appearances. But, nevertheless, thanks to the Americans for this movie, because it was thanks to this movie movie that many of us learned about such an amazing car as Ford Gran Torino 1972.

By the way, this Ford car got its name in honor of the city, not in the States, but in Italy - Turin,— main center, Italian industry, and home of the brand FIAT.

In the States, the price of a live Ford Gran Torino 72nd is about $25,000. A really high-quality restored car can cost $70,000.

• About appearance:

The '72 Gran Torino was produced as a two-door fastback and a four-door hardtop.
Particularly impressive, of course, is a two-door, and it was this Torino that was shown in the film.

The '72 Gran Torino is easily recognizable by its oval grille and chrome headlight surrounds. There are no longer triangular "windows", as on the machines of previous years.

By the way, even the fastback has very significant dimensions: - length is 5264mm, width is 2014mm, the KB of a two-door is 2896mm, and the curb weight is 1528kg (by the way, not very much, as for such a large car.)

In the photo of the Ford Gran Torino 72, you can see that the four-door hardtop was equipped with a sofa in front.

• Specifications Ford Gran Torino 1972

The base engine for the Gran Torino was a 4.1 liter straight-six. This overhead valve unit has an SV of 8.0:1 and delivers 24N.M of tractive effort.

The least voluminous, the 351st V8, with a volume of 5.8 liters, has 248 hp of power, and a thrust of 404 N. M.

The most coveted engine among all Gran Torino fans is, of course, the 7.0L 429 V8. With a power of 370 hp, such an animal passes four hundred meters in 14.5 seconds, at a speed of 164 km, at the exit.

• Results:

The Ford Gran Torino is a classic, a very cool classic. With us, such machines can afford very, and very, not many. But those who still give money for them, I'm sure they will never regret it.

” personified the fate of this coupe, the unenviable finale of the path, which turned out to be not so glorious and long. But the Ford Torino also got its own luck, about which the car strives to tell at any opportunity. So Clint Eastwood could not resist, making the film Gran Torino in 2008 - a sad but instructive story ... Let's read?

background

Detroit in 1968 was the mecca of the automotive industry. The city center was the headquarters of General Motors, and in its suburbs were the head offices of the Ford Motor Company and Chrysler. The abundance of factories of large companies, such as Cadillac or Packard, provided jobs and social security for thousands of people. The Detroit Auto Show of those years was not just another demonstration of US technological achievements - it was of strategic importance for the country. The position of a top manager in one of the companies of the Big Three was the ultimate dream for any employee, because the said flagship of the automotive industry was the true embodiment of the American dream. In a word, the elite army of "white collars" had unlimited power over the city ...

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And yet, signs of decline were felt: in the 50s, the population of Detroit exceeded 1 million 800 thousand people, and in the late 60s the number of citizens barely reached 1.5 million. Many workers, having achieved success, transported families to respectable suburbs. The real estate of the "industrial capital" depreciated, the districts turned into a ghetto for the "colored". Banditry flourished on the streets. The discontent of the citizens grew, now and then pouring into spontaneous riots. And above it all was a trio of skyscraper towers GM, Ford and Chrysler, from the tops of which the vice presidents of the companies gazed absently at the city. Each of them could try to change the established course of things. But nobody did anything. In 35 years, America's largest industrial center will turn into a ghost town...

Birth of a legend

However, in 1968, US auto companies could still afford to enjoy life. For example, Ford Motor Company has updated its lineup, presenting to the public a "luxury" version of the full-size Fairlane named Torino. The future model received this name in honor of the Italian city of Turin, which was considered the "second Detroit".

All the attributes that formed its aggressive dynamic character were originally laid in the car. The Ford Torino was equipped with a more powerful 7.0 liter Cobra-Jet engine. The car had a stylish hardtop body and bright colors. Such cars were soon described as "muscle cars". They combined sporty driving characteristics with a catchy appearance that characterized the owner as a "bad guy".

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It's no secret that FMC has been at a premium to use the same platforms for many generations of different vehicles. The Torino was no exception: the Falcon-Mustang-Fairlane lineup shared the same wheelbase as the new Italian-named badass. However, the version of the body "Sports Roof" ("sports roof"), loved by Henry Ford Jr., coupled with the new engine showed impressive speed and aerodynamic results. And if you consider that a spring suspension with stabilizers and a semi-elliptical rear spring were installed in the new car, then it was quite possible to understand the boys who were ready to eat the earth for the keys to the Ford Torino ... In 1968, 172 thousand units of this model rolled off the assembly line.

In the early 70s, the Torino became the flagship of the mid-range Ford lineup, and now the Fairlane has become one of its modifications. All the advanced technologies of its time were embodied in the car, such as: the Detroit Locker and Traction Lock systems for engaging and locking the drive axle differential (in the "top" version); Ram Air, the most important option for racers, has been adjusted for the new hood design. The model also had eight engine options and a standard three-speed gearbox, which was replaced by the Cruise-O-Matic, or four-speed "automatic". In addition, the equipment list included an increased capacity battery, a new power steering, additional cooling and front disc brake booster.

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The best speed achieved by the Torino GT SportsRoof coupe was 97 km/h in 7.7 seconds. The car covered a distance of 400 m at a speed of 140 km / h in 15.8 seconds. Motor Trend magazine noted that: "This car's cornering is not a work of art, it's second nature GT." The 428 CJ engine, however, slightly improved the Torino GT's performance: a 400 m distance at a speed of 159.2 km / h was done in 14.2 seconds, as Car and Driver wrote the following: “For the cost of $ 306, Ford buyers have reason to rejoice »

The interior of Torino was not just updated, but received an original style. According to the unspoken laws among the automotive manufacturers of that time, a rich, even pretentious interior design was a must. Here, even the most nondescript "carriage" received vinyl seat upholstery and some branded trinkets. The point was not prestige (although not without it), but simple arithmetic: who will buy a car that looks bad? And in this matter, Ford was at its best (not like now). By the way, Torino is a rare case for the company when everything was in order in the car both with appearance and with content.

Even the body design of the new model was uncharacteristic of FMC cars: instead of the shape of the square "dreadnoughts", a concept was taken, which soon became known as the "cola bottle style". It was designed by designer Bill Schenk, inspired by the then current supersonic aircraft. Narrow "waist", bulging fuselages - all this is reflected in his work.

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The Ford Torino continues the tradition established by its predecessor, the Ford Mustang. Although his heritage was not as significant as that of this "tamed stallion", but the "turinian" was of strategic importance for FMC. According to Motor Trend magazine, Torino was the car of the year 1970. During the year, Ford produced 230 thousand of these cars, and the total amount with Falcon and Fairlane exceeded 407 thousand units.

The same classic

This was followed by a series of light restyling. The major changes were made to the Ford Torino in 1972. In addition to the fact that its body has become even more reminiscent of a "bottle of Cola", the car finally got its own chassis. It had a wheelbase increased by 51 mm and hermetically covered the body, as a result of which the Torino gained good sound insulation and became more comfortable. For this, the model was again highly appreciated by the press and received many positive reviews and awards. Among them was "Best Buy" ("Best Buy") from the publication "Consumer Guide". The Torino became a successful car overnight, with a total production run of 0.5 million.

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The previous fuse of the model was enough for 1973, when the fuel crisis broke out - like in all Ford cars, the engine in Torino was not economical, but it “ate” low-octane gasoline with appetite. This fact provided our “muscle car” with sales of the level of last year. But gradually the demand for the model began to fall. The reason for this was not Torino as such, but FMC products in general. After all, the company was engaged in endless restyling of the bodies of its models, instead of seriously working on the efficiency of engines. If in 1974 426 thousand units were manufactured, then the production of 1975 fell to 300 thousand. And a year later, the number of Torinos assembled by the plant did not exceed 200 thousand copies, after which it was decided to abandon the model.

star on the screen

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The classic tuning element, the "laser stripe", was an available option in the Gran Torino Sport, with a choice of four colors and now located along the entire length of the car. For drivers with a Rallye Equipment Group racing license, the coupes were equipped with an Instrumentation Group dashboard, independent suspension (highly praised in the press), four-inch G70 tires, four-speed gearboxes and 351CJ-4B or 429-4V engines

That seems to be the end of the story ... However, the Ford Torino had too strong a temper to leave the stage so easily. It bribed a lot of people in him, and his image flashed on the big screens more than once. For example, the film "Gran Torino" in 2008, which became an excellent demonstration of its "natural" qualities for a car. The director of the picture was the honored filmmaker Clint Eastwood. He also played the main role in the film, and this tense, monumental game literally grabs the viewer by the throat, not letting go until the final credits. Perhaps that's why Gran Torino's box office was eight times its original budget ($33 million vs. $270 million)!

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Posters for the film that won two National Board of Film Critics Awards (Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay) in 2008

So, a suburb of an industrial city. The main character, Walt Kowalski, buries his wife. This is a stingy, grouchy, insufferable and inflexible, like a nail, a pensioner who does not care about everything that happens in the world. He has a house, a patch of lawn in front of the porch, a dog named Daisy and an incomparable Gran Torino in the garage. His logic is as clear as the Michigan sky on a hot afternoon, and his arguments are as simple as a lamppost. A veteran of the domestic auto industry, Kowalski worked for 50 years at the Henry Ford factory, and therefore does not get along with his eldest son, who “acquired a license to steal and now sells Japanese cars.” For the main character, an "oak" patriot, the son's business is more than a generational conflict - this is comparable to treason.

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Clint Eastwood on the set of Gran Torino: “Sometimes you have to be arrogant, otherwise you can miss your chance, for example, to make a film and enjoy your work. Sometimes you hit too hard and miss, but that's not the point, it's more important that you hit hard."

“I remember putting a steering column in this Gran Torino in '72! Right on the assembly line,” Walt exclaims, shaking the air with his fists. Soon shots would rumble over his lawn, exactly for the same reason. A local gang of Koreans found out about the old man's treasure and decided to steal the car with the hands of a boy who lives next door to Kowalski. However, the protagonist is not so simple as to give in to the "appeased" youngsters - he sleeps in an embrace with a shotgun and not only fights back the robbers, but also takes the meek neighbors under his protection. Soon, Walt Kowalski, a Korean War hero and staunch racist, is drawn closer to his own family by the Hmong immigrants. As a rule, such a friendship cannot end in anything good ...

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Meet Walt Kowalski. His distant family. His neighbors. His Ford Gran Torino, rolled out to "breathe". And his self-loading rifle M1 Garand

What's left behind the scenes

The idea for the script came to Nick Schenk when he was young, when he was working in a car factory. There he met the Hmong diaspora and learned about the unfortunate fate of this people. Later, the author began to work closely with the team of Clint Eastwood and offered him the story that formed the basis of this film.

I read the script while filming another of my films, The Changelings. From what I read, I was delighted and immediately gave my consent. "Gran Torino" is the name of a 1972 Ford model, and, most importantly, this model is a symbol of the hero I play. Walt Kowalski is a widower, a Korean War veteran who worked for fifty years at Ford's Michigan factories, and a hardened racist. He watches with distaste as his quarter is filled with emigrants from Laos, but after some events, he is imbued with sympathy for a Laotian teenager who is associated with local gangsters and whom he will lead to the true path. Their relationship is full of exciting and dramatic moments. In short, this is the story of redemption. I was happy to act again, especially since I played a rather strange character, a man of my age. For people like me now, there are no interesting male roles. It seemed to me that I understood the hero and his delusions, for they were familiar to me. This type belongs to a generation that has dropped out of life, he feels like an outsider in modern society. Doubly pleased that the film is politically completely incorrect. Yes, we could not have acted differently: in such plots one must go to the end, otherwise all this does not make any sense.

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Local "gopota" completely insolent - they attack anyone who cannot fight back. But these youths are not impressive for a war veteran. “Let them know,” Kowalski says.– For every villain, old Walt has a loaded gun in his bosom."

It is curious that until 2008 Master Eastwood knew nothing about the Hmong. To immerse himself in the theme of the story, he had to do his own research. So he learned that many of these people are from Laos. During the Vietnam War, they fought on the side of the United States, and after the end of hostilities, the Vietnamese communists began to exterminate them. In order to save these people from death, the American government provided the opportunity for many of them to immigrate to the United States. The first group came to the States in 1975, and now their diasporas number about 300,000 Hmong. The largest of them are registered in the Californian city of Fresno, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in the state of Michigan, where, by the way, the film was shot. To be as close as possible to their lives, Clint Eastwood invited many representatives of the Hmong diaspora into his picture. The director swears that it was not easy.

This film deals with the theme of obsolescence. It generally touches on many topical issues. For example, how things are in the automotive sector of the American economy, where the end of an era is obvious. Walt is an obsolete person. He hopelessly lagged behind modern society and its rhythm. He does not know how to communicate with the people around him and how to react to what is happening around him. This gives rise to a feeling of powerlessness in him, which in turn transforms into cynicism. However, thanks to a young immigrant neighbor, he manages to discover in himself a sense of tolerance for others.

Clint Eastwood, director of Gran Torino

Instead of an epilogue

It was no coincidence that I began this material with a long introduction about the "industrial capital" of America. The film "Gran Torino" seems to end the story that began a century ago. Of course, there is no open text in it. What and how can be understood from the context: cracked asphalt on unswept pavements, boarded-up windows of houses, destroyed high-rise buildings, numerous gangster groups, insolent from police inaction. For this picture, Clint Eastwood did not need scenery - he shot real-life landscapes. Detroit, for example, has become so because of the inactivity of the automobile magnates, from their swagger, pride and boundless devotion to the green papers. And Gran Torino in this context is just a symbol, brilliant and sad. Probably for this reason, the car never left the garage for all the screen time.

Nothing special happened in St. Petersburg - we met, looked at a couple of themed cars, drove to the place, looked at the Ford and bought it in five minutes. They took it for a penny, but the truth was that the car turned out to be very rotten, but everything was complete, everything was in place, except for the little things. True, Lincoln stood there in the garage in 78, why didn’t he take it then - it was also a mystery and there was money .. I don’t know and still don’t know, as if something stopped ...

It was decided to leave the Ford in place, in the garage until spring, so as not to suffer through the snow. In my opinion, the car was transported to Moscow in the spring, if I'm not mistaken, it was a rare case when the car got on time and did not cause anyone any trouble due to prolonged storage.

So the 1972 Ford Gran Torino wagon became mine. I really liked the car, I saw his photos long before the acquisition and the expectations were not deceived in any way. I liked everything. Of course, with the acquisition came an understanding of the complexity of the restoration of this machine - it required a lot of work and very serious costs, precisely because it had rotted badly, to the point that the supporting frame also turned out to be very rotten, which, I must say, is not often found on America 70s. It became clear that this was a long project and I had to put up with it, postponing everything for later.

So Ford still stands, but despite this, it has become one of my most successful and dearest acquisitions, although it has a very relative weight in terms of collection value. Why it is so valuable to me, I will explain after the technical reference, I understand that it is tedious, but you need to know what to do.

The most curious thing about this Ford Torino station wagon is that, like its counterparts, the Buick Skylark and the Oldsmobile Cutlas wagon, it was equipped with engines from sports versions.

Buick Skylark 64-68 and 1972.


Oldsmobile Cutlas Cruiser 1972

Pontiac

And finally Gran Torino 1972

For example, in Torino there is a huge V8 with a volume of 6.6 liters. The same engine was installed on the two-door sports Torino. what was the practical meaning of this - I don’t know, but it’s terribly funny and cool. such a sporty wagon.

It has an automatic transmission and power steering and brakes. Brakes front disc, rear drum.

Salon of beautiful and high quality leatherette. That's probably all of the nyashek on this Torino.

A little more should be said about the motivations for mass acquisition in my St. Petersburg saga. This is just a little more about that very mysterious and omnipotent St. Petersburg collector and the second part of the title of this story - a bit of Retro Union.

This disgrace began for me for a long time and for a long time. Back in the early 90s, a friend gave me the legendary '76 Chevrolet Camaro that started it all.

At the Sportivnaya metro station, where I had to visit every day for work, there was an awesome stall with magazines, in which the cult magazine HOT ROD, a thematic magazine on cult Americans, was purchased monthly.

These magazines were leafed through me to holes, as well as the daily review of the newspaper From hand to hand, well, and so on.
It was my way of knowing the world, I was quite young then.
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There were very few cars at that time. to buy, for example, a Ford Mustang in the early 90s was beyond the task, it was difficult not only to buy it, but even to even see it. Such were the times. Of course, there were cars, but there were orders of magnitude fewer than now, and all this was not massive. then there was neither Autoexotics in Tushino, nor much else

The very beginning of the 2000s is associated with "warming" in this area due to the fact that the direction began to gain mass character and both new, newly brought cars began to appear, and old ones began to emerge.

The Internet entered every home, websites of enthusiasts and clubs of lovers of automotive America began to be created.

Also, some opportunities began to appear for me, and coupled with available information about cars, old dreams began to come true.

Really cult sports American models began to be found, even if sometimes in a frankly killed state, even if it was even on the car itself in the everyday sense of the car, but only a project for its future construction on wheels, but still it was that very cherished iron, that very Dodge Challenger 70s or Pontiac Le Mans from your favorite magazine and from a bunch of revised and worn out American action movies.

Dreams came true in this way and it was incredibly difficult to stop.

And why stop when you are not alone and you need an eye and an eye and skill, so as not to be late and not miss an interesting copy, otherwise others will immediately drag you away. There were really not many others, but what!

There were legends about the Retro Union club in St. Petersburg, and first of all about its creator and caretaker - a mysterious collector, holder of more than a hundred at that time really interesting and iconic classic cars and authoritative rarities.

Almost all the cars in the club were with Soviet history, which is interesting in itself.

Cars were searched everywhere and were located in various parts of the country, they were brought, restored and supplemented by the main team, the history of the formation of which, as it was then written on the website of the Retro Union club, at that time was about a dozen years. This site was regularly viewed by me as an edification story of a fairy tale that the impossible is possible, since this is the place to be. Of course, it didn’t even occur to me to compete with such a monster in any way, and it couldn’t come - it would be just ridiculous and ridiculous.

The mysterious Sergei Borisovich was the undisputed leader, winner, tsar, creator, holder, caretaker of the miracle he created, and thus formed almost the entire space and everything in it that was somehow connected with the auto industry in the country, and even more so in St. Petersburg.

In St. Petersburg, he was practically the master of the topic, and for sure, everything that happened was somehow connected with "Retro Union".

The man did a great and significant thing - cars were saved, restored and did not hide in dark and damp garages, which happened in the best case for a car, but monthly and almost weekly on weekends, expositions of cars, by themes, brands and eras were put on display people, on pure enthusiasm from good intentions.

At that time, this was a bit of a curiosity, since the owners then treated the cars very jealously, on the verge of tyranny and rarely showed them anywhere. Seeing an interesting old car at that time was mostly a matter of chance.

And then there are organized events and not one or two cars, but dozens, and even changing thematic expositions.

It was great - a fact!! I will not hide that from some point, Sergei Borisovich. became a legend for me without exaggeration.

Of course, he was not a role model for me, this simply could not be due to the impossibility of comparing his figure, especially with me.

As I said above, it was just not even funny, but the feeling that besides me there are still the same obsessed, moreover, who achieved results and deserved respect - yes, it was like that.

This feeling of ideological NOT loneliness, perhaps, was completely and completely filled and formed looking at Borisovich and Retro Union.

Yes, it gave me strength and, most importantly, it did not give me a reason to think seriously and critically about my aspirations, actions and their scale in the field of malicious auto-acquisition. I had no time to think, and why - with such a specific conceptual and ideological "roof" as Sergei Borisovich and his "Retro-Union", I had to look for and find cars and opportunities to acquire them.

This literally occupied all my time and attention, everything else was directly or indirectly subordinated to this desire. I really wanted to get to know this person. I will not hide it, but unfortunately I still do not know him personally.

Even despite his absentee invitation to visit "Retro - Union" in May 2008.

The invitation was voiced or passed to me by our, at that time already old mutual friend. just the same monster and guru, a connoisseur of St. Petersburg and Soviet auto antiquity, as well as a participant in almost all adventures, one way or another connected with the acquisition by someone of something old, especially American.

The main thing is that it was this St. Petersburg guru who betrothed and helped me acquire exactly the same Ford Gran Torino wagon 1972, on the very trip behind which, as described in detail and described above, my friend and I almost flew off into unknown worlds (with God's help, not flew away) and as it turned out later, Sergey Borisovich was also very familiar with this Ford in his younger years.

Ironically, his fascination with old cars involuntarily began and was connected and probably, in a certain sense, turned out to be tied to this particular car - a 1972 Ford Gran Torino wagon, a car with a long St. Petersburg history, located in St. Petersburg since the 70s.

It so happened historically that this particular Ford belonged to one of the chiefs of one of the military units of the Leningrad Region, in which Sergei Borisovich served in his time in his youth.

Of course, such a beautiful and rare car could not pass by, past the attention of young guys, of course they looked at it, and of course this car is associated with memories of young youth and vivid unforgettable impressions that such a beautiful and unusual car could not but evoke, especially at that time in the eyes of young guys, and even more so, who watched her almost daily.

According to the stories of my St. Petersburg friend and from the words of Borisovich himself, they had to polish this car to a shine, well, and so on. What are the vivid impressions of youth from outlandish and beautiful cars, I am well aware of my own memories.

I also had such cars, which I came to look at almost every week, talked with the owner for hours, which I dreamed about, as something impossible and unrealizable, well, and so on. I think all boys and teenagers had it. Therefore, for Sergei Borisovich, this Ford was certainly of great importance, our mutual St. Petersburg acquaintance spoke to me directly about this.

It so happened that this Ford turned out to be acquired by me, acquired simply as an old curious American car, one of many.

At that time, I was not aware that she was of any importance to Borisovich. Whether my friend knew about this or whether this acquisition of this car by me was a simple misunderstanding - I don’t know, I think that this was not a deliberate action against anyone, but I don’t know for sure.

To be continued...

Thanks to Godo for kindly providing interesting photos from his archive)

Work with this car began with the task of buying a classic American Ford Gran Torino, importing it into the Russian Federation, going through customs clearance procedures and registering the car.

The task set by the trustee was formulated as follows: a car, on a confident move, serviceable, ready for operation THIS season, similar to the car filmed in the movie "Gran Torino" (drama filmed by Clint Eastwood in 2008): green color, model range of certain years of manufacture, preferably in an interesting configuration (V8 engine, automatic transmission).

If there were a sufficient number of cars of the desired model year on sale (in Europe and the USA, of course), then a clear color requirement severely limited the potential choice. One of the suitable specimens was found by our employees in Belgium:

After a preliminary call to the seller and agreeing on the nuances of inspection / test drive / diagnostics, we immediately fly for a detailed inspection of the car.

Car inspection in Belgium:

The car is in really decent condition, of the advantages is an interesting "custom" equipment (400th sports custom engine with a volume of 6.555 liters and automatic transmission). Of the minuses - the unwillingness of the seller to help with the export clearance and the lack of the SportsRoof option (vinyl roof). We leave an advance and draw up documents for the purchase.

Next steps for buying a classic retro car in Europe/USA:

• We prepare documents for export at the place of purchase.
• We send the car to Russia, unload it at the terminal of the Central Moscow Excise Customs.

• We pass the examination.

• We pay customs duty (calculated according to the volume of the motor).
• We get the TCP, pick up the car.

• We issue insurance, go to the traffic police, put on record.

A few hours of pleasant procedures, and fresh registration plates have been received - the car is ready for operation on public roads.

• We carry out maintenance, prepare the oldtimer and accompanying documents for operation.

Work completion time"turnkey" amounted to 2 weeks:
1 week – paperwork in Europe
3 days — delivery by car transporter
3 days — examination, customs clearance
1 day - insurance, traffic police

How to calculate the approximate budget for the car you are interested in:
1. The cost of the car you are interested in in Europe (or the USA).
2. Customs duty in full compliance with the law.
3. The cost of delivery, examination, insurance, overhead costs - from 3000 euros.

Currently, the car has undergone technical work, updating the paintwork and installing additional options:

Company "Antique Cars": the car of your dreams is our job!
You can get acquainted with other completed works on this page.
You can get advice on the repair and restoration of your car by phone: