Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a very striking older
restored example of this beautiful 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire
394/345HP V8 Convertible in original factory 'Provincial White'
(Color Code C) color paint with a matching 'White' interior and
loaded with factory options of:Starfire 394/330HP V8 Engine with
10.50-1 Compression,High Speed Cam Shaft,Ultra High Compression
Cylinder Heads,Dual Exhaust System,Special Fiberglass Packed
Muffler,Foam Cushioned Bucket Seats,Tachometer,4-S Hydra-Matic
automatic transmission,Power Top,Power Steering,Power Brakes,Power
Drivers seat,Power Trunk Release,Power Antennae,Electric
clock,Courtesy lamps,Soft ray tinted glass,Console with
shifter,Outside LH rear view mirror Original Wonderbar AM radio The
Starfire was Oldsmobile's entry into the personal luxury market
built on the Super Eighty-Eight's 123-inch wheelbase frame. The
list of standard equipment included a more powerful V8, Hydra-matic
drive, sports console with shifter, tachometer, courtesy lamp
package, two-speed wipers, power brakes, power steering, brushed
aluminum trim, dual exhausts and leather trim. Oldsmobile
introduced the new Starfire in mid-1961. It was a high performance,
high style, luxury automobile that was true to the company's rich
performance history and offered a host of distinctive features. The
Starfire returned for 1962 to include a hardtop variant. Priced
around $4,000 for the Starfire Hardtop Coupe and $4,744 for the
Starfire Convertible; the cars were equipped with all the features
found in the Super Eight-Eight plus brushed aluminum side panels, a
sporty cockpit featuring bucket seats, leather upholstery, floor
console and power-operated front seats. Power was from a 394
cubic-inch V-8 engine that offered 345 horsepower and 440
pound-feet of torque, courtesy of a Rochester four-barrel
carburetor, 10.5:1 compression, a revised camshaft profile, an
efficient combustion chamber design and a free-flowing dual exhaust
system.The Oldsmobile Starfire was easily distinguishable from its
Super 88 counterparts by the addition of brushed aluminum side
panels. Arguably this was the first muscle-car from Oldsmobile
since it combined a very powerful engine in a small, compact body.
The Starfire's sporty and luxurious hardtop coupe and convertible
embodied the personal luxury cars for Oldsmobile with leather
bucket seats, sport and special luxury trim. "Distinguished . .
Distinctive . . Decidedly New" was how Oldsmobile advertised their
all new 1961 first full-fledged Starfire series. Oldsmobile chose
the General Motors 1961 Motorama which opened on November 3, 1960
at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC to debut the new one-model series.
This series remained until the revolutionary Toronado picked up the
Oldsmobile personal-luxury banner. At select Oldsmobile dealerships
in January 1961 the first Starfires began arriving. On the outside
the Starfire included two slim parallel hood moldings and a 4-inch
wide band of brushed aluminum on the sides, touches which were
exclusive to the Starfire. The 1961 Starfire also sported a
chrome-plated air cleaner perched on top of the four-barrel
carburetor and shiny valve covers and oil filler cap. Burning only
premium fuel, the Starfire had a 10.25:1 compression ratio. Another
unique advertising campaign was a direct-to-dealer piece that urged
dealerships to stage special open houses to showcase the new model
and gave interested dealerships with up to 500 invitations and
envelopes.This particular example is an older restored example and
finished in its original 'Provincial White' factory color (Code C)
paint over brushed aluminum side panels with a very striking
matching 'White' interior with an also matching virtually new
'White' color power soft top. The car looks very impressive and has
only very minor imperfections for it's age only noticeable upon
very close inspection. All the power options are working as they
should and the car has all it's original logos and its original
radio. All the chrome work is in very good condition and the spare
wheel is in the trunk.This particular car drives as good as it
looks - a truly remarkable daily driver that will really give any
modern day sports car a run for it's money! The transmission shifts
smoothly through all the gears and the temperature always remains
cool! There are no signs or evidence of the car having any rust or
indeed signs of any accidents.It is hard to pin down the first
actual muscle car; some have asserted that it is the 1949
Oldsmobile Rocket 88, which was built with speed in mind and with
an overhead valve V8 placed in a mid-size car with a relatively
lightweight body. A lot of observers cite the next big step in the
evolution of the early muscle car to be the introduction of the
1955 Chrysler C-300 with its 300 horsepower Hemi engine that could
go from zero to sixty in 9.8 seconds and reach a top speed of
around 130 miles per hour. A car that came along a few years later
that is of note to many collectors and muscle car enthusiasts is
the Oldsmobile Starfire.This is a rare opportunity to own a very
striking 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire Convertible - one very
collectible and unabused older restoration example of one of the
outstanding early muscle cars and a truly beautiful GM classic car
design from the early sixties muscle car era.