Patina'd Bimini Blue Driver: 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado





























Though today front-wheel drive cars seem to be a given in terms of automotive transportation, fifty years ago it still was a novelty in the United States. Though gaining steam in Europe, fifty years ago, the last time front-wheel drive was used in an American car was back in the 1930s. Bucking the trend was the Oldsmobile Toronado; this 1967 Deluxe model is resplendent in Bimini Blue and looks fairly clean. Find it here on eBay in Olive Branch, Mississippi, with reserve not met and a Buy-It-Now price of $6,000.



























Introduced in 1966 to compete against Ford's Thunderbird and Buick's Riviera, the E-body Toronado was the first American front-wheel drive car since the 1937 Cord 810/812. Available exclusively as a two-door hardtop coupe, the Toronado shared a platform design similar to its E-Body corporate cousin Riviera, but used front-wheel drive rather than the traditional rear-wheel drive. This Toronado is a second-year deluxe model, and is one of 21,970 built for the model year. Resplendent in Bimini blue, the outside of this Toronado looks to be fairly solid, albeit patina'd. There is a bit of rust running along the rocker panels on both sides, and there is a bit of paint missing. The driver's-side hubcap is off as well, but is included. The chrome and stainless look good, and I dig the Bimini blue paint. I would address the rust, touch up the paint where necessary, and clean up the rest of the exterior of the car.

Open your mouth, here it comes! Underneath the hood of this Toronado is a big-block 425 cubic-inch Oldsmobile Super Rocket V8. Rated at 385 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, mechanically the drivetrain is said to be "excellent". Backed by a TH-425 three-speed automatic transaxle, this Toronado has only covered 53,000 miles in its 50-year life. Cosmetically, the engine has a bit of patina, but still presents very well. Air conditioning, power steering and power drum brakes are welcome options, though the air conditioning needs a freon charge. I would detail the engine and charge the freon, driving this car as-is.


Well, this certainly looks promising! Inside, the interior of this Toronado Deluxe is mint, looking almost showroom-fresh. There is a fist-sized hole in the passenger floor pan, and the radio doesn't work, so I would address and repair both. The blue vinyl nicely matches the Bimini blue exterior, and that gauge cluster is amazing in appearance. I would address the passenger floor pan and radio, clean and detail the interior, and spent lots of quality time driving in the driver's side of the bench seat. Overall, this Toronado Deluxe has a lot of potential, and once the necessary areas are addressed, would make a nice-weather driver during the warm months of the year. What are your thoughts on this second-year, driver-quality Toronado Deluxe?
Location: Olive Branch, MS 38654, USA

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