Manufacturer Ford Class Personal luxury car Layout FR layout | Production 1974-1976 Body style 2-door coupe | |
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Assembly Lorain, Ohio
Pico Rivera, California | ||
The Ford Elite is a personal luxury car produced by Ford for the North American market from mid-1974 to 1976. Based on the Torino, the mid-size two-door coupe was intended to be a less expensive Thunderbird knock-off to compete with the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Chrysler Cordoba. It was essentially the concurrent Mercury Cougar XR-7 with a mild front end restyling to resemble the Thunderbird, different taillamps with a center reflector, unique twin opera windows and large color-keyed vinyl moldings placed higher on the bodysides. The interiors were essentially identical save for upholstery styles and minor trim.
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Introduced in mid-1974 as the Grand Torino Elite, it was initially the top of the line model of the Torino series. Although advertised separately, it was titled and registered as a Gran Torino. For 1975 and 1976, the Grand Torino name was dropped and Elite became a stand-alone model nameplate. In all three years, the car sold well.
The Elite name was dropped after 1976 because the Ford mid-size range was restructured for the 1977 model year. The Thunderbird was dramatically reduced in size and price for 1977 by moving the nameplate to the Torino-based LTD II platform which replaced the Torino. In effect, the Elite continued restyled and marketed under the more-recognized Thunderbird name, as the previous full-sized Thunderbird was discontinued.
Standard equipment
Options
In Mexico
The Elite name was also used in Mexico. The Ford Fairmont was introduced in Mexico in late 1977 as a 1978 model, replacing the Ford Maverick that was produced there locally. The Futura coupe with its distinctive Thunderbird-styled roofline was never offered in Mexico. Instead there was an uplevel 2-door sedan called the Fairmont Elite. It was distinguished from other Fairmonts by its higher level of equipment and vinyl roof. It used the four headlight grille from the Fairmont Futura along with Mercury Zephyr taillamps and rear quarter window louvers. For 1981, the Fairmont Elite switched to the Mercury Zephyr grille.
In 1982, the Fairmont Elite disappeared and was replaced by the new Ford Elite II, which was now offered in two and four door sedans. It continued to use the body of the Fairmont with the entire front end of the American Ford Granada installed as well as the matching rear bumper. The rear continued to use Mercury Zephyr taillamps. For 1983, The Ford Elite II swapped its Granada grille for the one used on the Mercury Cougar sedan.