In 1975, two Bay City Police detectives, the macho David Starsky (who loves his 1974
Ford Gran Torino and recklessly pursues minor offenders) and the easy-going Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (who often works alongside criminals to investigate their activity) are forced to become partners as punishment for recent antics. Meanwhile, drug kingpin Reese Feldman and his right-hand man Kevin develop a new type of cocaine that is untraceable in scent and taste. When one of his dealers botches an operation, Feldman shoots him and dumps him in the bay. The body washes ashore a few days later, and Starsky and Hutch investigate the scene. A clue leads them to Feldman, who denies any knowledge of the crime, but his wife mentions that the dealer had been dating a cheerleader. After meeting (and flirting with) cheerleaders Stacey and Holly, the detectives are given a jacket from cheerleader Heather (who disrobes in front of them, causing an embarrassing situation). Their street-wise informant Huggy Bear directs the pair to Big Earl's motorcycle bar. Disguised as "Captain America" and "Billy" from
Easy Rider, Starsky and Hutch learn that Big Earl is in jail, where they question him on his connection to Feldman's illicit dealings. Big Earl forces the detectives into humiliating acts in exchange for information and a packet of what they believe is cocaine. However, Captain Doby, angered by their wild interrogation, takes them off the case, revealing that the packet was analyzed and found to contain only artificial sweetener. The duo invite Stacey and Holly to Starsky's place, where Starsky puts the “sweetener” in his coffee while Hutch sings "
Don't Give Up on Us". Starsky soon discovers that the contents of the packet were actually Feldman's untraceable cocaine, and begins to feel the effects. The four visit a disco where Starsky, high on cocaine, loses a dance-off and tries to arrest his opponent. Hutch defuses the situation, takes Starsky home and puts him to bed, then proceeds to have a threesome with Stacey and Holly. The duo are then attacked by another of Feldman's dealers, causing damage to the Gran Torino, which a hungover Starsky is furious about. They visit the dealer's apartment, only to be attacked again, this time by his knife-wielding young son. After they interrogate the dealer (and Starsky almost shoots himself in a game of Russian Roulette), they deduce that Feldman stores the drugs in his garage. They go undercover as mimes at his daughter's
Bat Mitzvah; confronting Feldman, Starsky shoots the lock off his garage door, inadvertently killing a pony inside that had been a gift for his daughter. Feldman hopes the botched operation will take heat off him, but Doby indefinitely suspends both detectives and reveals a complaint Starsky filed against Hutch weeks ago. Starsky tries to explain himself to Hutch, but an argument leads to a split in their friendship. A bomb meant for Hutch instead injures his young neighbor Willis. Visiting him in the hospital, Starsky and Hutch reconcile and decide to shut down Feldman's drug business. Aided by Huggy Bear, who grudgingly goes undercover as Feldman's golf caddy, they learn that Feldman plans to sell the drugs at a charity ball by hiding them in Volkswagen Karmann Ghias to be given away to other dealers. The duo enters the party in disguise with Stacey and Holly as their dates. Deducing Feldman's plan, they shoot open the trunk of a Karmann Ghia on stage, revealing the large stash of cocaine. Feldman takes Hutch hostage, and Starsky, attempting to rescue him, accidentally shoots Captain Doby in the shoulder. In the confusion, Feldman and his girlfriend Kitty escape with the money from the cocaine deal, leading Starsky and Hutch on a car chase through a golf course. As Feldman and Kitty take off aboard a yacht, Starsky and Hutch pursue them to the end of the docks and jump the Gran Torino off a loading ramp, hoping to land it on the yacht. Instead, they overshoot and land in the water. The two manage to escape to safety, but the car sinks to the bottom of the bay and is lost. Meanwhile, Huggy, hiding on board the yacht, knocks Feldman out with a golf club and takes one of Feldman's briefcases of money (and his sunglasses). At a party celebrating the capture of Feldman, Starsky mourns the loss of his car. Huggy surprises him with another, identical Gran Torino (bought from the original Starsky and Hutch duo,
David Soul and
Paul Michael Glaser). The two partners roll out on another case in their new ride, driving triumphantly through the
L.A. River as the credits roll. ==Cast==