Friday, February 3, 2023

THE POWER OF A GRAPHIC

I've always been intrigued with the 1975 Ford Gran Torino used in the TV series, Stasky & Hutch, "Zebra 3" (fan-based nick name for Starky's car). The Ford Torino is a plain awkward looking land-yacht, nothing to really get your undivided attention or desire, so it's amazing that such an ugly car could be transformed into something so cool with a simple stripe.

Visiting my grandparents in Denver CO in the '70s, I started seeing several 1974-1976 Gran Torinos with all sorts of graphics, decals and stripped paint jobs. Even the police department there had many Gran Torinos with various interesting graphics on them.

Graphics and stripes overcame the ungainly hideous shape and contours of the Torino. There are many other examples of this, but the "Zebra-3", is one of the best.