Oldsmobile marketed the second-generation Toronado’s front-wheel drive arrangement as a unique safety feature. One ad said, “Toronado is built with the engine weight over the drive wheels for impressive traction on wet, slippery roads. It gives a feeling of confidence you can appreciate.”
The Pick of the Day is a 1977 Oldsmobile Toronado Brougham listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Middle River, Maryland. (Click the link to view the listing)
“This car is well-maintained and is great to look at,” the listing begins.
Through four distinct generations and nearly 30 years, the two-door Toronado was sold by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors as a personal luxury car. When compared to previous model years, the second-generation (1971 through 1978) Toronado model saw its wheelbase increase from 119 to 122 inches. After all, that was an era when many American buyers believed “bigger is better.”
One of the unique exterior characteristics of the Toronado of this era was the presence of high-mounted brake lamps above the trunk lid but below the rear window. These lamps were the predecessor of what would later become a Federally mandated “Center High-Mounted Stop Light” (CHMSL).
And moving to the cabin, check out that striped red and gold upholstery! This car screams 1970s style. “Everything works inside,” the seller says. Equipment includes power steering, power brakes, cruise control, and an AM/FM radio. The woodgrain trim is an elegant touch, and the treatment is even carried through to the rim of the steering wheel.
According to the listing, the 403ci V8 has been upgraded with fuel injection, and power is fed to the front wheels through a TH-425 three-speed automatic transmission. The engine had its work cut out for it: The Toronado tipped the scales at nearly 5,000 pounds (4,841 to be exact). According to some of the magazine tests from the period, it would take the car nearly 12 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour. In its day, that was probably acceptable but by today’s standards, that’s on par with the performance (or lack thereof) of a three-cylinder Mitsubishi Mirage G4 subcompact.
Of course, the Mirage couldn’t hold a candle to the Toronado’s level of touring comfort, and when the car was sold new, that was its biggest selling factor. “You sit back comfortably in the inner world of your new Toronado, surrounded by a loose luxurious cushion look,” Oldsmobile said.
The asking price is $21,000 or best offer.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, you can find it in the archives at Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com