Performance Story: Gran Torino 1972-1973 PDF Document

This was it. The very last true musclecars, even if they were diluted considerably by lower compression ratios mandated by the Feds’ regular gasoline requirements. General Motors had lowered the compression on its 1971 models, but Ford and Chrysler had held off until the very last moment, with compressions as high as 11.7:1 in 1971.

For 1972, all that changed however, with 9.0:1 to 9.5:1 being the accepted standard. Also, the horsepower rating system changed in 1972, going from bhp (brake horsepower) extracted at the flywheel, to net horsepower, theoretically taking into account all the parasitic options such as power steering, air conditioning, automatic transmission, etc. The result was ratings approximately 30 percent lower than the brake horsepower used in previous years.

Combined with the lower compression, some engine ratings dropped by more than 50 percent! Torinos The 1972 Torinos were restyled and reengineered from the ground up for 1972, returning to separate body.

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