1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Deluxe �€" 425ci V8, Front-Wheel Drive,
2025 National Autorama Class Winner Why This Car Is Special The
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Deluxe is one of the most technically
significant American cars of the postwar era. When Oldsmobile
introduced the Toronado for the 1966 model year, it became the
first American front-wheel-drive car in over three decades �€" the
first since the Cord 810 of 1936. That alone would have earned it a
place in history. But the engineering team at Oldsmobile went
further, pairing the front-wheel-drive system with a 425 cubic inch
V8 producing 385 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. To route that
much power through the front wheels required an entirely new
drivetrain architecture. The Turbo-Hydramatic transmission was
mounted alongside the engine, connected to the differential by a
roller chain running through an oil bath. It was a purpose-built
solution with no precedent in American production cars, and it
worked. Motor Trend named the Toronado its Car of the Year for
1966. This particular car is the Deluxe model �€" the top trim
level for 1966 �€" which brought meaningfully richer interior
appointments than the base Toronado. That distinction matters to
collectors. Roughly 40,963 Toronados were built for the 1966 model
year, spanning both trim levels, and the Deluxe represents the
fully optioned expression of what Oldsmobile intended. The
consignor acquired this car in 2013 and has spent the years since
bringing it to show condition. The car has been driven
approximately 2,000 miles under current ownership. The odometer
reads approximately 76,759 miles, with the bulk of those
accumulated prior to 2013. It is garage stored and part of a larger
personal collection. In February 2025, the car took a class win at
the National Autorama in Dallas �€" a national traveling show that
draws serious competition �€" a result that reflects the quality of
this restoration. Included with the car is a separate provenance
piece: a factory bronze-colored Toronado ashtray signed by David
North, the designer credited with the Toronado's exterior styling,
obtained at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale. The inscription includes a
personal dedication to the current owner. The consignor notes the
personal inscription can be erased if the buyer prefers. The
ashtray is not installed in the car �€" it is a display piece kept
separately �€" but it transfers with the sale. Features List -
425ci Super Rocket V8, 385 HP, 475 lb-ft of torque - Rochester
4-Barrel Carburetor - Turbo-Hydramatic Automatic Transmission -
Front-Wheel Drive - Factory Air Conditioning with Frigidaire
Compressor - Power Steering - Power Brakes - Tilt and Telescopic
Steering Column - Power Windows - Power Seat - Cruise Control -
Windshield Washer - Outside Remote Mirror - Strato-Bench Split
Front Seat - Rear Bench Seat - Rear Courtesy Reading Lamp - Bronze
Vinyl Interior (restored with SMS Auto Fabrics materials) -
Electric Clock - Full Gauge Cluster - AM/FM Radio (professionally
rebuilt) - Hidden Pop-Up Headlights - Louvered Rear Roof Vents
(flow-through ventilation system) - Re-Chromed Bumpers - Diamond
Back Classic Tires �€" custom thin whitewall - Chrome Wheel Covers
- Dual Exhaust Tips - Repainted Exterior (2022) - Trunk Covered
with Original Materials - Trunk Release in Glovebox - Seat Belts -
Spare Tire and Bumper Jack Included - 2025 National Autorama Dallas
Class Winner - Signed David North Ashtray (display piece, transfers
with sale) - Clean Undercarriage Mechanical The 1966 Oldsmobile
Toronado Deluxe carries Oldsmobile's 425 cubic inch Super Rocket
V8, fed by a Rochester 4-barrel carburetor and rated at 385
horsepower with 475 lb-ft of torque. Those are substantial numbers
for any era, but they carry particular weight in the context of a
front-wheel-drive platform. Oldsmobile's engineers solved the
torque routing challenge with a split drivetrain: the
Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission sits beside the engine
rather than
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