One of the most iconic shows from the 70’s the Starky and Hutch hits the right nostalgic notes of the good old days. Starring the show are David Saul and Paul Michael Glaser, and the “striped tomato” which was a Ford Torino colored in bright red paint job and a white stripe that was used in the show. This was one of the first shows where the car has become a hero like James Bond and the Enterprise from Star Trek. Here is everything you need to know if you love the show.
The protagonist of the show initially hated the car
At first, the initial choice for Starky & Hutch was the Chevrolet Camaro of that era, and the producers even asked Chevrolet to provide the car in a green exterior for the show but unfortunately, Chevrolet was not able to provide the car for the show, which I bet they must have regretted soon after.
The Ford Torino became the next choice, and in our opinion, it suited the role of the LA cop car better than the shiny and muscular Chevy Camaro. However, neither of the stars was happy with the decision, at least in the beginning. Paul Glaser who drove the car was not happy with the heavy steering of the car and it was difficult for David Saul to stay in the driver’s seat during scenes that required rough driving.
However, after becoming such an icon, the producers of the show didn’t have any interest in changing the car. Only the stripes of the cars were changed in certain episodes, the color scheme remained the same with a red base, and the white striping was moved further back for the rest of the show.
Ford took advantage and issued a special edition based on the car
After appearing and becoming a Ford Gran Torino became a staple car for people who resonate with the manliness of the characters. Made its debut in 1968 as an upscale version of the Ford Fairlane, the Gran Torino became one of the most loved cars of the era. The Torino came with several updates such as smart styling, more kits, and better upscale materials for the interior.
After gaining all the love of the masses, the producers, ABC Studios and Ford Motors were receiving inquiries about the availability of the car. Although the Gran Torino did fairly well in the market, because of the overwhelming response from the customers Ford decided to make 1,100 special Stasky’s and Hutch’s editions of the car to capitalize on the fame. The car came with a 5.7 Liter V8 engine that produced a peak output of 200 horsepower and 353 lb-ft of torque.
The car came with the iconic red colorway with white wedged stripes similar to the show, the car sold faster than anything else on the market. If you are looking for one in the market, it can easily cost around $10,000, which is quite a good price since it is a collector’s item and you are getting a piece of American automotive and television icon.
Where can you find the original car from the Starsky and Hutch show?
There is no particular information about the original cars used in the show, However, one of them resurfaced in 2014 for an auction and sold for around $40,000. It was autographed by the stars of the show on the visor of the car. Also one of the original cars was standing in the Auto Collectio garage in Vegas, which hosts a garage for more than 800 coolest cars.
Even for the 2004 Starsky and Hutch movie, the producers were not able to find the original cars and ended up buying the Limited edition Gran Torinos to be featured in the movie. Recently one of the limited edition cars made by Ford was sold in an auction for $60,500 which makes sense due to the limited nature and ever-growing demand for these cars.
