When it came to passenger comfort considerations, one obvious advantage the Oldsmobile Toronado had over most competitors back in the sixties was front-wheel drive, which eliminated both the driveshaft and raised hump in the center floorboard, providing a nice flat area for even the center occupants. One company that picked up on this was American Quality Coach in Blytheville, Arkansas, who must have thought the platform would be an excellent base for moving large numbers of people at a time, so they went to work on transforming the Toronado into what we’re seeing before us, known at the Jetway 707. If you’re looking for a king-size ride that’s guaranteed to be the only one in your neck of the woods, this might be worth considering. The eight-door coach is residing in Belleville, Michigan, and can be seen here on Facebook Marketplace where the seller has set the price at $12,500.
Tony Primo, thanks for spotting this one and sending us the tip! Apparently, AQC made somewhere in the range of 50 to 150 of these monsters for airport use, and word on the street is that more than this one has survived. Unfortunately, we get no information at all about its history or past ownership, and I’m not really finding a whole lot of web info regarding the Centipede lettering on the sides, so maybe some of our readers who may have seen one of these before can shed some light on what significance that may have.
The exterior photos provided aren’t the greatest quality, but it looks like the elements have faded the paint, which is understandable because there aren’t a lot of places inside where this could have been stored. Regarding the design details, I’m kind of digging how the Vista Cruiser-style upper windows were incorporated into the top, so when those passengers were being chauffered around the airport they could enjoy watching the planes flying up overhead.
Inside, there’s some sort of soiling on the seats, of which there are many. As I try to envision how the upholstery might look under the grunge, it may be satisfactory for the most part, and perhaps a long weekend with a case of 409 and your favorite brew just may cut through all those years of grime.
Even though Oldsmobile didn’t have any direct involvement in this particular transformation, they were toying around with some other uses for their early Toronado offering and even made a couple of prototypes based on these ideas, including this station wagon along with a Euro-styled concept model. However, neither materialized nor found its way into production.
We actually get to watch a short video from the listing of the engine running, a 455 V8, but other than the fact that it runs there are no further details provided. However, we do find out that the transmission needs attention, but no mention of how well the tandem axles are performing these days. Do you or someone you know have any use for this 1968 Toronado Jetway 707 Coach?
This looks like a clickbait ad. “50 of the weirdest cars of history that are losing value that should have never been made but were found. Wait until you see #400.”
“Turns on a $100.00 bill…”
Now THAT’S a streeeeeeetch limo!
Now THAT’s a streeeeeeetch to CALL it a Limo!!
Interesting. Could be good for a haunted house or swamp tour? Just no sharp turns please.
Best to drive it into the swamp.
Way back in ’78 I found one of these at the rear of a Cadillac dealership in Dublin, Ohio. I was immediately interested, and managed to track down the owner, a mechanic at the dealership. He refused to sell it, claiming that he planned to restore it, but the last time I was there, in the early 80s, it was still sitting there.
Enough rear overhang to drag the bumper sometimes?
Yeah, even on a flat street!
Parking is a breeze with Jetway.
Wow what a beast, have to agree the turning radius was probably a bit wide, but doubt that caused a real problem where these operated. People traveled with real size suitcases back then, so this had to carry a load with all the people and luggage. Nobody cared about fuel economy, kind of cool, but what can you really do with it?
Turn it into a limo, a real “Stretch Job”, with a TV and a bar!
Cameron: [Ferris slowly pulls the Ferrari out of the garage] No! Ferris, forget it! You’re just gonna have to think of somethin’ else. I’m puttin’ my foot down.
[Ferris keeps driving]
Cameron: How bout we rent a nice Cadillac? My treat! We could call a limo! A nice stretch job with a TV and a bar! How ’bout that?
Ferris: [Ferris pulls the car back slightly] Come on! Live a little!
[Cameron crosses himself, walks to the car]
Cameron Frye in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
I guess when you have an open tarmac and a ground crew with flares then the turning radius is a non-factor.
Could you imagine if it broke down on you attempting to drive it home from the sale…..the look on the AAA driver’s face would be priceless….
My little company has a 24′ straight truck. The wheelbase is probably pretty similar. Its not so bad to drive.
I could see this as an offshoot to the “van life” thing. There is easily room for a bed in the back, and probably a little kitchen. The dome would allow for some headroom. It’d be unique anyway.
Although really, I just want to see a bunch of these race on a road course…
It’s the world’s longest car, I swear,
It reaches from Beale Street to Washington Square.
And once you get in it
To go where you’re going,
You simply get out, ’cause you’re there.
– Shel Silverstein
Take out some of the back seats and install a surf board rack put a bed in the center area fix the transmission make it so it has a portable shower station then take it to California and triple your investment.
A medium sized hot tub would be a welcome addition, especially with a full sized moonroof to open up over head. Set a course for Vegas with this boat, fill the tub up at the lake and watch the money roll in hauling naughty gamblers up and down the Strip. Clothing optional. Ha!
Ever tried to carry an open 2 gallon bucket filled with water, while riding in a car or truck? It sloshes all over the place when you hit the brakes or accelerate, not to mention go around the corner. now imagine what that would be like with 800 gallons of water in a decent size Jacuzzi tub.
With water weighing 8.34 pounds a gallon, an 800 gallon tub is 6,600 pounds. Add the typical weight of a large [5 to 7 person] tub, you’ve got over 4 tons in weight, and you can’t drive it around with the tub filled.
Back in the early 1980s I had a recently retired school bus and a Jacuzzi tub on the back deck. Several businesses had opened up in our area offering private hot tub and spa tub rentals by the hour. I gave some serious thought to combining the 2 and offering a rental bus with spa tub that would come to your home, and while parked there, you could enjoy the spa tub in the privacy of the bus [with privacy curtains of course].
The solution to the sloshing water involved pumping the hot water in and out of the tub, storing the water in a large water tank with internal baffles. The storage tank had to be well insulated to keep the water hot, and it would require a very powerful water heater to keep it hot when not in use. Then there was the need to have a 110/220 volt generator to power all the pumps and lights, as well as a powerful propane heater with a 100 gal propane tank. Add in the various other accouterments like lounge chairs and a water resistant bed/mattress, music system, and a small changing room, and the weight exceeded the max weight allowed on the bus.
Now add the alcohol factor, and insurance becomes impossible to obtain. Outlaw the use of alcohol, and paying customers are impossible to obtain!
Now 40 years later, I still have not seen a rent-by-the-hour truck/bus with a hot tub or spa. And I know why!
Geez, what a buzzkill! LOL!!!
Executive limousine service in northern Virginia had the limo contract for airport transfers between Dulles, BWI, and National, and they purchase at least 6 of these [I heard it was 8], and they had the same color blue as on this limo.
I knew the owner of Executive Limo, and had bought a 1955 Imperial limo from him [it had been an ex-White House limo for Ike]. He told me stories about all the problems these Toronado limousines were, and eventually he lost the contract because of far too many limo breakdowns. He also wanted me to buy the Toronados, but I didn’t want them all, so I ended up buying the best one out of the 6 he had sitting in a Storage lot just north of Dulles Airport, this would have been in the early 1980s if my memory serves me right.
These had many problems, some of the more serious ones were:
The dual Cardin joints in the front axles failed due to the huge loads.
Transmissions were failing, often with less than 30,000 miles between rebuilds.
Engines overheated, especially in the hot & muggy mid-Atlantic region.
The Air Conditioning system was sized too small, and compressor failures were common.
As they got older, the air bag rear suspensions failed. The one I had was converted to truck leaf springs, and as a result it had a terribly rough ride.
The roof windows were plexiglass, and the long one across the front of the raised portion flexed so badly that they would pop out, and they always leaked during rainy weather. But I believe today the leaks could be stopped by using a better rubber seal.
The big problem I see on this limo is the missing glass in 1 rear door and the rear luggage door. Mine never had any glass markings to identify what it came from.
Hope all those problems were covered by a CarShield extennnnnded warranty!
Thanks for adding the “euro-style” link to the write up. I think we saw some of those styling cues re-emerge in the Chevy Citation or the Aero coupe Monte Carlos
That would be perfect for Octomom and her kids and her kids kids when they leave the house for anything… grocery shopping 🛒 , the beach, dropping them off at school and whatevers lol 😝 🙏😜🏦🎈🎂🎁🎊🎉🍻🍻🍻🍺🍺🍺
It has 8 doors also not including the back door lol 😝
A more modern update for Bobby Fleet & his band with a beat.
Interesting enough to turn it into a limousine. Weld a few of those doors shut and stick in some lounge seats. I actually like the look of that white station wagon.
The Canadians have this racing they do where you are required to bump the other cars if you pass them. It’s insane. One race I watched on Youtube involved a stretch limo. This 707 car would be very entertaining to watch in that type of racing
I’m sure glad that I didn’t have to take my CDL parallel parking test in this vehicle…
HOW MANY OTHERS HERE CAN SAY, I HAD ONE.
WILL POST PICTURE TONIGHT.
Mine was white, red interior, 28 feet, 3 inches long.
Behind the nearest seat there is a massive, built in, root beer cooler with a pickup style slider window separating it from the passenger compartment.
Did I say “slider window”? Did I say “root beer”?
WHO ELSE HERE HAS OWNED ONE???
White 707 with a massive cooler
T. thank you for finding that picture.
The root beer cooler is behind the “rear-most” seat.
Hey back seat, reach me a brew…
Yes I have one right now, pretty rough was actually on Barn Finds here years ago, white with a blue stripe, got it running but project has stalled out for now – but ya crazy ride
T.Mann, yours has my Caddy limo beat by a few doors!
I took those coolers out and they are now for sale if you are interested. Everything underneath was rusted and had to be replaced.
If any of you guys are looking for a great way to get divorced in record time this looks like the car to haul home
to the old sweetheart you married.
The divorce lawyers will get a chuckle when they see
the car, too.
Everybody wins. It’s a win win situation.
Bob
If any of you guys are looking for a great way to get divorced in record time this looks like the car to haul home to the old sweetheart you married.
The divorce lawyers will get a chuckle when they see
the car, too.
Everybody wins. It’s a win win situation.
Bob
If it’s in Belleville it’s undoubtedly part of the fleet that serviced Detroit Metro back in the day.
I love it.
I have no place to park it.
I can’t afford it.
My wife would divorce me.
Perfect.
There was q women’s basketball team called The Red Heads that toured like the Harlem Globe Trotters that had one of these in red.
The BarnFinds Comedy Hour,,oh, so clever, what are you guys doing here? I’m surprised nobody mentioned, that this was the basis for the GMC motorhome, which had the very same mechanicals. I don’t know what to do with this crap, really.
This got far more attention than anything I’ve seen to date.
GMC motorhome was my thought too. I’m just slow or busy. Take your pick.
Would be the talk at cars and coffee.
Chick-magnet if you live in Michigan
Or more like a refrigerator magnet. Just picture the whole exterior covered with them
There is a another example in the Isle of Man motor museum. They have a fantastic selection of all types of Vehicles and Motorcycles on show. Highly recommend a visit there.
I visited the Isle of Man back in the late 1980s. I don’t remember seeing any roads without tight corners and curves that could handle a Toronado 707.
Since the Tornado was the basis of the GMC Motorhome, it makes sense that a coach builder would consider this a good idea.
I would think a little cutting here and welding ,you make it into a small camper. cut the back out make into bed for hauling your motor cycle and the rest for sleeping quarters.
I have no words…
I do, but BF deleted them.
Three more seats and the driver will need a CDL and be required to have the Passenger endorsement.
Great Fun
GMC motorhome was my thought too. I’m just slow or busy. Take your pick. Things like this are pretty special but omg what a project. When finished it’s your turn to drive to the game.