Vehicle Description
The Starfire was the top-of-the-line Oldsmobile in 1961, and
available only as a convertible. Performance cars were just coming
into their own, and Oldsmobile jumped in with a sporty convertible
that packed a muscular 394 cubic inch V8, special trim, and
beautiful bucket seats to create a fantastic gentleman's
express.
Oldsmobiles were all-new in 1961, losing some size and dropping the
excesses of the '50s, and instead looking forward to the jet age.
The entire car gives the illusion of motion, from the special
aluminum panels that sweep across the sides of the car, to the
little "winglets" at the lower edge of the rear quarters. Finding
one of these in any condition is a rare thing, with only 7800 or so
being built, and this one is in ideal condition to drive and enjoy:
not perfect, but pretty darned nice. Sharing a chassis with the
Dynamic 88 means that mechanical parts are easy to find, but if you
don't start with a solid example like this, you can expect your
restoration to be a long, slow, painful, and expensive process. The
original sheetmetal is quite good, with tight gaps and a wonderful
code C Provincial White paint job that suits the big ragtop
perfectly. Fender skirts add to the long, low look, and all that
specialized chrome and stainless trim remains in very good
condition, especially since most of it is in original
condition!
The Starfire's other claim to fame, besides the trim, was the
luxuriously trimmed bucket seat interior as standard equipment.
Buckets and a console were still a relatively rare innovation,
especially on a full-sized car, but it gives the Starfire a very
sporty attitude. In 2004, the seats were neatly retrimmed in blue
vinyl with contrasting dark blue carpets, while the door panels are
likely nice original pieces. The steering wheel is so slender it
almost looks fragile in your hands, and frames a full array of
instruments including a tachometer in the center console. As an
Olds, it also neatly straddles the luxury/performance line, and
carries an AM radio with rear speaker, power windows, and a Safety
Sentinel, which sounds an alarm if you exceed a pre-set speed. A
black convertible top was fitted in the 80s yet still looks great,
and it powers itself up and down with the touch of a switch. You
know the trunk is massive, and it's beautifully finished with blue
carpets, including a matching cover for the spare tire.
Oldsmobile's top engine was the 394 cubic inch Rocket V8 making 330
horsepower in Starfire trim. A "Slim Jim" Model 10 automatic
transmission was standard, and an "Anti-Spin" rear end was included
as well. The air cleaner advertises "Ultra High Compression" as a
kind of warning, although the bright red powerplant is happy to run
today on pump gas, so don't let it scare you. Everything has been
neatly restored, the engine was rebuilt about 3000 miles ago, and
everything from the power steering to the generator works as it
should. The floors underneath are shockingly clean, and a set of
glasspack-style mufflers give it an appropriate V8 rumble. 14-inch
steel wheels with unique wheelcovers offer 205/75/14 whitewall
radials, which are quite similar to the narrow white stripe tires
this car originally wore.
Documented with restoration receipts and factory literature, this
is an unusual cruiser that has plenty of performance to remain
entertaining. Call today!