The shark’s mouth disappeared again. Otherwise only small changes at the front, thanks to new laws. Here are a few sample pictures of the respective models:
| Bodies: | 2-door hardtop | |
| 2-door fastback | ||
| 4-door sedan (pillared hardtop) | ||
| 4-door station wagon | ||
| Model-combinations: | 11 pieces | |
| Engines: | 250 cid (4.097ccm) | straight-six engine |
| 302 cid (4.949ccm) | V8 Windsor | |
| 351 cid (5.752ccm) | V8 Windsor | |
| 351 cid (5.752ccm) | V8 Cleveland | |
| 400 cid (6.555ccm) | V8 335er Series | |
| 429 cid (7.030ccm) | V8 385er Series | |
| 460 cid (7.538ccm) | V8 385er Series | |
| Transmission: | 3-speed manual transmission | |
| 4-speed manual transmission | ||
| cruise-o-matic | ||
| Wheelbase: | 114,0 in (2.896mm) - 2-door | |
| 118,0 in (2.997mm) - 4-door & station wagon | ||
| Length overall: | 208,0 in (5.283mm) - 2-door | |
| 212,0 in (5.385mm) - 4-door | ||
| 215,6 in (5.476mm) - station wagon | ||
| Width overall: | 79,3 in (2.014mm) | |
| 79,0 in (2.007mm) - station wagon | ||
| Curb Weight: | 3.597 4.124 lb (1.632 1.871 KG) |
The ’73 series remained pretty much unchanged. However, a significant change was the front end, which had to be changed because of new laws. A law dictated that from September 1st. 1972: a car must be able to withstand a 5 mph (8 km/ h) impact without damaging the headlights and fuel system. The rear bumpers had to withstand 2.5 mph (4 km/ h). Absorbent bumpers were added, which lengthened the car by 1 inch and increased the weight by about 45 kg.
The Torino and the Gran Torino can be recognized by the different grille. The Gran Torino had a rectangular grill with park lights, horizontal grilles and square headlights with chrome trim. At Torino, the grill was full width, which included the headlights. The bumper was visually identical to the 1972 series, but with small changes due to the impact protection.
The model selection grew from 9 to 11 types. The top model was the Gran Torino Brougham, available as a coupe and sedan. Everything else remained the same. The benches were a bit down, the rear seat had separate headrests to increase safety. The hood closures were also laid inside. Radial tires that promised better roadholding and longer life. Standard engine remained the 250cc six-cylinder except the station wagons and sports models. These were equipped with the 302er double carburetor. The compression was set down again to 8.0:1, which reduced the performance of course. Only the 351 Cobra Jet increased by 1.5 KW, which was not noticed `cause of the extra weight. There was a 460 carburetor as an “Interceptor” package, which was also offered for police vehicles. All models got larger 11-inch drum brakes at the rear to master the weight. In 1972, 10-inch drum brakes were installed.
The Gran Torino Sport has its own emblem now, which was attached to the radiator grille and the trunk. The slightly redesigned “Laser Stripe” was still in the program. No longer available was the “Hood Scoop” on the hood, also Ram Air was eliminated off the program. As in the ’72 model, the Sport series was only available as a coupe and coupe hatchback. A 351 Cobra Jet with automatic transmission and 3.25:1 ratio achieved the 0 – 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and the quarter mile in 16.0 seconds at 141.8 km/ h top speed. That was 0.9 seconds slower than the previous year model. The car had a weight of 1,954 kilos, which was one the reason for the worse results. The ’72 model weighed only 1,799 kilograms. Thanks to the lower compression, the engines needed only “normal” gasoline instead of “super”.
The Gran Torino Brougham was still the “noble” Torino. It was equipped with finer fabrics and higher quality materials. The basic equipment included a front, continuous seat with center armrest, wood on the dashboard, high-quality steering wheel, digital clock and a two-tone horn. The Squire station wagon is similar in the equipment.
1973 was also a successful year for the Torino with 435,701 units sold. The main competitor, the Chevelle, sold about 168,000 times less.
