Oldsmobile Toronado

Oldsmobile Toronado
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
Overview
Manufacturer	Oldsmobile (General Motors)
Production	1965–1992
Model years	1966–1992
Assembly	Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size personal luxury car
Body style	2-door coupe
Platform	E-body
Related	Cadillac Eldorado Buick Riviera

First generation
1967 Oldsmobile Toronado
Overview
Production	1965–1970
Model years	1966–1970
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	425 cu in (7.0 L) 385 hp (287 kW) Rocket V8 455 cu in (7.5 L) Rocket V8
Transmission	3-speed TH-425 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	119.0 in (3,023 mm)
Length	211 in (5,359 mm) (1966–67) 211.6 in (5,375 mm) (1968) 214.8 in (5,456 mm) (1969–1970)
Width	78.5 in (1,994 mm)
Height	52.8 in (1,341 mm)
Curb weight	4,496 lb (2,039 kg)

Second generation
1973 Oldsmobile Toronado Custom
Overview
Production	1970–1978
Model years	1971–1978
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	455 cu in (7.5 L) Rocket V8 403 cu in (6.6 L) Oldsmobile V8
Transmission	3-speed TH-425 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	122 in (3,099 mm)
Length	219.9 in (5,585 mm)
Width	79.8 in (2,027 mm)
Height	54.7 in (1,389 mm)

Third generation
Overview
Production	1978–1985
Model years	1979–1985
Layout	Longitudinal front-engine, front-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	252 cu in (4.1 L) Buick V6 307 cu in (5.0 L) Oldsmobile V8 350 cu in (5.7 L) Oldsmobile V8 350 cu in (5.7 L) Oldsmobile diesel V8
Transmission	3-speed TH325 automatic 4-speed TH325-4L automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	114 in (2,896 mm)
Length	204 in (5,182 mm)
Width	80 in (2,032 mm)

Fourth generation
Overview
Production	1985–1992
Model years	1986–1992
Layout	Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive
Powertrain
Engine	231 cu in (3.8 L) Buick V6 3.8 L Buick 3800 V6
Transmission	4-speed 4T60 automatic 4-speed 4T60-E automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	108 in
Length	1989–1992: 200.3 in (5,088 mm) 1986–88: 187.5 in (4,762 mm)
Width	1989–1992: 72.8 in (1,849 mm) 1986–88: 70.8 in (1,798 mm)
Height	1989–1992: 53.3 in (1,354 mm) 1986–88: 53 in (1,346 mm)

The Oldsmobile Toronado is a personal luxury car produced by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors from 1966 to 1992. Designed to compete with the Ford Thunderbird and GM's own Buick Riviera, the Toronado is historically significant as the first U.S.-produced front-wheel drive automobile since the demise of the Cord in 1937.

The Toronado placed third in the 1966 European Car of the Year contest, a distinction no other American car has achieved before or since, and won the 1966 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S.

It used the GM E platform introduced by the rear-wheel drive Riviera in 1963 and adopted a year later with the front-wheel drive Cadillac Eldorado. Although each had quite different styling, the threesome shared the E platform for most of the Toronado's 28-year history.

The original Toronado began as a design painting by Oldsmobile stylist David North in 1962. His design, dubbed the "Flame Red Car", was for a compact sports/personal car never intended for production. A few weeks after the design was finished, however, Oldsmobile division was informed it would be permitted to build a personal car in the Riviera/Thunderbird class for the 1966 model year, and North's design was selected. For production economy, the still-unnamed car was to share the so-called E-body shell with the redesigned 1966 Buick Riviera, which was substantially bigger than North had envisioned. Despite the efforts of Oldsmobile and General Motors styling chief Bill Mitchell to put the car on the smaller A-body intermediate, they were overruled for cost reasons.

Oldsmobile had been working on front-wheel drive since 1958, a project shepherded by engineer John Beltz (who originated the 4-4-2 and would later become head of the division). Although initially envisioned for the smaller F-85 line, its cost and experimental nature pushed the program towards a larger, more expensive car. Engineer F. J. Hooven of the Ford Motor Company, had patented a similar FWD layout, and Ford was seriously considering the design for the 1961 Ford Thunderbird. However, the time to develop and engineer such a design in such short notice made this a doubtful proposition.