With so many possible configurations available, 1972 Gran Torino prices are all over the map. But, the good news is that you can get almost any model you want of this classic muscle car, in good condition, for under $20,000. Most of them list for under $15,000, and a lot of them go for less than $10,000. You don’t have to daydream about “someday” owning a 1972 Gran Torino. These cars are a lot more affordable than you might think.

It’s worth noting that prices are slowly trickling upwards across the board, but they’re not outpacing inflation by any real margin. The sooner you buy one, the better, but that’s only because that means you’ll have your own Ford Gran Torino that much earlier. Current projections don’t see these prices shooting through the roof anytime soon, so you should have time to find the perfect model and stake your claim.

The Average Price of a V8 1972 Ford Gran Torino Today: $10,580

1972 Ford Gran Torino Pricing Details

Not counting the 1972 Gran Torino Sport models, the priciest 1972 Gran Torino V8 listed on Hagerty is a 351cid Cobra Jet at $14,000, and the cheapest is a 302cid coupe listed at $7,600. Adding all the V8 prices together and averaging them out, you get an average price of $10,580.

The Gran Torino car is also available with a 250cid 4.1-liter inline-six engine. This model isn’t listed on Hagerty, but is reported to list for 20% less than the cheapest variant, so if you’re just looking to get behind the wheel of a Gran Torino for as little money as possible, expect to spend from just $6,080.

A Look at the 1972 Gran Torino

The 1972 Gran Torino kicked off the third generation of this model, which was pretty much a total redesign. Firstly, 4-door hardtops and convertibles were eliminated, simplifying the lineup, and the Cobra Jet would be the only performance engine offered for this model year. These days, the Gran Torino is remembered largely as a muscle car. Many drivers forget that the Ford Torino was also available as a station wagon.

What really set the third generation Gran Torino apart was the whole support system. The car went from unit-construction to body-on-frame, making for less squeaking and creaking on the ride. Improved suspension included short/long arms up front and four-link “Stabul” support in the back. You could get this with competition or heavy-duty suspension, and the power steering got an overhaul.

The Average Price of a V8 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport Today: $13,805

1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport Pricing Details

Introduced as part of the car’s third generation, the 1972 Gran Torino Sport is available with the same engine lineup as the standard 1972 Gran Torino, but you can choose between a hardtop coupe or a sports roof, with the difference in price ranging from more than $5,000, in the case of the 429cid model, to just $600, as in the 351cid Cobra Jet. The average price for a hardtop comes out at $13,360, while the sports roof models average out at $14,250. Between those two numbers, you get an average price of $13,805.

And if you’re keeping track of both, this gives us a total average of $12,192 across every Gran Torino packing a V8. And, like the standard Gran Torino, the Sport edition is available with a 250cid i6, which should cost you around $7,200 for a hardtop, or $9,920 for the sports roof.

A Look at the 1972 Gran Torino Sport

The Gran Torino Sport featured a number of cosmetic changes from the standard Gran Torino coupe. You had racing mirrors, molded plastic door panels, some slick wheel lip moldings, a hood scoop, and an optional soft top. The Rallye Equipment Group packed the car with competition suspension, G70-14 tires, and a Hurst stick shift. According to Hagerty, the Rallye package is estimated to cost you an extra 10% on top of the sale price. So, if you want the sportiest Gran Torino you can get, that’s going to be a 351cid Cobra Jet with a sports roof and the Rallye package for an estimated $24,090.

In case you’re wondering, the titular Gran Torino in Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino (2008) is a 1972 Gran Torino Sport with a sports roof. A hardtop version of the same car features in Fast & Furious (2009), driven by bad-guy Fenix Calderon, and packing a 429cid engine modified to take nitro-methane.

What Will a 1972 Ford Gran Torino be Worth in Another Year?

According to listings and sales tracked by Hagerty, pretty much every version of the 1972 Gran Torino is appreciating in value at a rate of around 7% from this time a year ago, give or take a decimal point by model. Inflation, meanwhile, has persisted at a 4.1% pace in the same amount of time.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the average cost of a 1972 Gran Torino will go up another 7% by this time next year. It’s not unusual for appreciation to flatline, or even reverse course. But, if it does, the average price will go from $12,192 to $13,045 in another year’s time. In any event, buying as early as you can is never a bad idea. But, the average sale price of a 1972 Gran Torino isn’t exactly spiraling out of control, so you don’t need to rush into a buying decision before doing your research.

Here’s How Much The 1972 Gran Torino Originally Cost When New

The standard Torino could be had for as little as $2,727, with the Gran Torino starting at $3,045. Extensive pricing data is not readily available online, but we know that the Cobra Jet Sport model was priced at $3,735.

Adjusting for inflation, an entry level Gran Torino would cost you around $22,746, while the Cobra Jet would be somewhere in the area of $27,900, which would be considered dirt cheap if compared with newer performance model cars available in 2024. CarEdge recently reported that the average vehicle in 2024 costs around $47,244. And the more powerful Gran Torinos were considered to be among the pricier cars back in 1972. All told, any version of the 1972 Gran Torino muscle car is going to cost you way less than a new 2024 Ford Mustang.

Here’s something that people forget about this car: It actually went head-to-head with cars like the Dodge Charger and the Chevy Chevelle back in the golden age of the American muscle car. While a mint condition 1968 Charger will cost you more than a house in the sticks, the Gran Torino is dirt cheap, and looks like it’s going to stay dirt cheap into the foreseeable future. If you want to drive a true classic, but you don’t want to take out a second mortgage to do it, now’s the time to seize on a 1972 Gran Torino.