HomePick of the DayPick of the Day: Toronado was another Olds innovation

Pick of the Day: Toronado was another Olds innovation

This 1969 example was stored for more than 30 years

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Ah, Oldsmobile, how we miss you… Pity that when General Motors decided to pull the plug on one of its brands, you had the fewest dealers to pay off, so it didn’t matter that you also had a better fleet of vehicles across the board than any of your fellow GM divisions.

You introduced the Hydra-Matic transmission way back in 1940, and the Rocket V8 soon after World War II. In 1995, you gave us the Aurora, perhaps the last great American car design. And in 1966, you introduced the Toronado, the first full-size American car driven by its front wheels since the 1936 Cord.

The Pick of the Day is a 1969 Oldsmobile Toronado. The car got some styling updates that year and a power upgrade with an optional 455cid V8 rated at 400 horsepower.  

Toronado
Car was in storage for 3 decades and had to be trailered because it’s gas tank was removed
Toronado

The Thousand Oaks, California, private seller advertising this Olds ClassicCars.com notes that the car “was kept undriven, covered and protected from the environmental elements in a garage for over 30-35 years.”

The seller notes that this is a “one-owner car with nice original fairly glossy paint, never been in an accident, original tires, original rims, original whitewalls, and a very nice original split bench seat with no tears, real wear or rips.” 

The seller also notes that the gas tank has been removed but is scheduled to be reinstalled this month. 

“The car is ready for purchase with or without the tank installation,” the seller says. “The power windows, tilt wheel, 455 v8 engine, and factory a/c, still work. Original seat belts, carpet, mirrors…. you name it!”

The photos of the car look great, but the description in the advertisement leaves us wondering. The 455cid V8 was standard for the ’69 Toronado, but there’s no photo of the engine in the advertisement, nor is there any detail about whether it’s the 375-horsepower version or the 400-horsepower W34 upgrade that came with uprated transmission and low-restriction exhaust. 

Nor do we learn any details about why the car was put in storage for three decades. 

The seller wants $28,868. To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day. 

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

5 COMMENTS

  1. For someone wanting a not as nice (updated version) of a great classic this would seem to be a good option.
    I suspect the notes on how it was well stored – including protecting the systems and more by removing the fuel tank should provide a lot of comfort, even though it also means some things – like tires and rubber – may restrict road use.

    I appreciate the comment about lack of some story/use and engine specifics and am always concerned when pictures are of it on a tow hook! But I don’t think the answers to any will make a significant monetary difference,

  2. For someone wanting a not as nice (updated version) of a great classic this would seem to be a good option.
    I suspect the notes on how it was well stored – including protecting the systems and more by removing the fuel tank should provide a lot of comfort, even though it also means some things – like tires and rubber – may restrict road use.

    I appreciate the comment about lack of some story/use and engine specifics and am always concerned when pictures are of it on a tow hook! But I don’t think the answers to any will make a significant monetary difference,

  3. With the amount of mileage on this car, there is no way it is riding on the original tires. Also, not the chrome trim at the bottom of the roofline: that is for a vinyl top car, yet no vinyl top. The “trim tag” on the firewall needs to be shown in order to confirm that this rolled out of the factory in black, and, with a vinyl top. Also, with the gas tank removed, thus leaving the engine inoperable, how can they say that the A/C works?

  4. The original tires could have been stored and the car driven on different tires. Still, 50 year old plus rubber is only suitable for use on display vehicles. Every bushing, gasket, seal, switch, motor, hose, line, wire, connector, and cable would have to be replaced along with a tear down of everything to make this car safe to drive

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