One-Family-Owned 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado

Description

Introduced in 1966, the Oldsmobile Toronado was the first American front-wheel-drive car since 1937, and it was praised for its combination of power, handling, and futuristic design, earning Motor Trend’s Car of the Year in its debut year.

Oldsmobile Chief Engineer John B. Beltz told Motor Trend in December 1965, “The Toronado venture was born of a desire to create a better automobile, one with more usable room and roadability... We were after a big step forward, and we were willing to break new ground in order to get it.”

Under the hood, the Toronado features a transaxle version of GM's three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, which is mated to a 455ci Rocket V8 factory rated at 375 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque. Inside, the Toronado's innovative appointments include a completely flat floor, Strato seats, woodgrain accents, and a rotating-barrel speedometer.

This ‘68 Toronado was inherited in the late 1990s by the seller, who notes their uncle purchased the car new from Hinton Oldsmobile-GMC Truck, Inc. in Mount Vernon, Washington, while working as a salesman there.

This 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado is now offered with repair manuals and a clean New Mexico title in the seller’s name.

Highlights

• Front-wheel drive

• Chain-driven Turbo-Hydramatic transaxle

• 455ci Rocket V8

• Four-barrel carburetor

• Factory rated at 375 horsepower and 510 lb-ft of torque

• Torsion-bar front suspension

• Repainted in its factory Willow Gold approximately 27 years ago

Factory Equipment

• The Body by Fisher trim tag decodes as:

  • 01E - Built during the 5th week of January 1968

  • 68 - 1968 model year

  • 39487 - Two-door holiday coupe

  • EUC - Euclid, Ohio, assembly plant

  • 023555 - Fisher Body sequence number

  • 087 - Parchment interior trim

  • GG - Willow Gold paint

Servicing & Documentation

• Carburetor has been rebuilt

• Repainted circa 1999

Known Imperfections

• Vacuum headlight covers inoperative

• Exhaust manifold leak

• Clock inoperative

• Split seams on driver’s seat

• Driver’s seat power-adjustment inoperative

• Loose left door panel

• Rust on trunk lid

• Miscellaneous scratches

• Dent in right front fender

• Cracked taillights

• Taped left A-pillar trim

• Cracked headlight covers

• Broken hood latch

Ownership History

The car was purchased new by the seller’s uncle from Hinton Oldsmobile-GMC Truck, Inc. in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Included Items

• Repair manuals

Additional Information

The seller has told us that they start the car and let it run regularly, but it has not been driven any significant distance in approximately three years.