To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVEEstimate:
$45,000 - $55,000
- The first 1961 Starfire off GM's Arlington, Texas assembly
line
- Recent frame-off restoration included chassis and engine
rebuild
- Finished in its original colors of Garnet Mist metallic over
Garnet red leather
- Powered by a 330-hp, 394 cu.-in. Starfire V-8; Hydra-Matic
transmission
- Loaded with features, including optional air conditioning and
power vent windows
- A beautiful example of Oldsmobile's flagship offering
First applied to a glamorous Motorama show car in 1953, the jet
fighter-derived Starfire name was used on convertible versions of
the Oldsmobile 98 from 1954 through 1956. When it returned for
1961, however, the Starfire was a standalone top-of-the-line
model-one designed to showcase the very best that Oldsmobile had to
offer.
Loaded with luxury features and packed with Jet Age style, each
1961 Starfire was a convertible (the only body style offered on the
model in the first year of production) sporting a muscular and
model-exclusive 330-hp, 394 cubic-inch high-compression "Starfire"
V-8 engine mated to a Hydra-Matic transmission. Each example was
well-equipped, with plenty of standard features including a
console-mounted tachometer, power steering, power brakes and power
windows.
Pricing reflected the Starfire's flagship status: At $4,647 before
you started checking the options boxes, the 1961 Starfire was
Oldsmobile's most expensive offering. This car, chassis number
616T01001, also received further desirable add-ons including air
conditioning (a pricey $430 option) and power-actuated vent
windows.
Making this example even more significant, both its chassis number
ending in "001" and the production sequence number "1" listed on
the trim tag indicate that it is the first 1961 Starfire off
General Motor's Arlington, Texas assembly line-and therefore very
likely among the first of these cars built for the 1961 model
year.
This car was recently restored from the ground up including a full
engine and chassis rebuild. The new interior trimmed in the correct
Garnet red leather is complemented by a matching red Morocceen boot
with new convertible top, while the freshly applied Garnet Mist
exterior paint (the correct color per its trim tag) is nicely set
off by the model's signature brushed aluminum side panels. A
stylish, top-of-the-line cruiser that packs a powerful V-8 punch,
this stunning 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire is a must for collectors
seeking rare and significant examples from the American Jet Age. To
view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0520.