UPDATE – The seller has removed the reserve!
Ford created the Personal Luxury Car sector with the original Thunderbird. It didn’t take the competition long to realize it was a lucrative market, with most following a tried-and-true formula utilizing existing mechanical components. Oldsmobile entered the fray with its Toronado in 1966, but it was a car that rewrote the rulebook. This 1986 Toronado is from the badge’s last generation, and its condition is impressive. It needs a new home, with the seller listing it exclusively at Barn Finds Auctions.
This Toronado presents well for its age, with its thirty-seven-year-old color combination of Medium Driftwood Metallic and Light Driftwood paint shining impressively. The panels are generally straight, and there’s a lack of visual rust. It isn’t perfect because there is easily repairable damage on the hood’s leading edge, which is visible in the photos in the gallery below. The underside of the front bumper exhibits an area of peeling chrome, but the overall impression is positive. If the winning bidder decided to enjoy this classic in the coming warm months while addressing its needs when the weather turns nasty, that approach is viable. The remaining trim is in good order, and the tinted glass is flawless. The wire wheel covers and narrow whitewalls provide a further touch of class and are the ideal finishing touch for the exterior of a car that isn’t short on luxury.
It’s called a Personal Luxury Car, so buyers should expect plenty of comfort touches in this Toronado. It doesn’t disappoint because the winning bidder receives air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power front seats, remote mirrors, a tilt wheel, cruise control, a premium AM/FM radio and cassette player, and a state-of-the-art digital dash display. Some items require attention because the A/C doesn’t blow cold, and the cassette player worked perfectly until a tape became jammed. Neither fault should consume much time or money and appear to be the interior’s only needs. The digital display works perfectly, as do the other features. The Cream leather seat upholstery looks supple and inviting, with no wear or other problems. The same applies to the remaining upholstered areas, while the carpet, dash, and console are faultless. Vehicle manufacturers had come to terms with interior plastic by the time this car rolled off the line, making the lack of cracked or crumbling pieces unsurprising. Overall, I can’t think of many more enjoyable places to pass the time than inside this Toronado.
You must delve below the surface to understand why the original Toronado was groundbreaking. Most companies within the Personal Luxury Car sector utilized existing drivetrain components under a shiny new body. The 1966 Toronado had a genuine physical presence, but it was also the first front-wheel-drive domestic model since the collapse of Cord in 1937. The more efficient packaging of this configuration provided improved cabin space. It proved so effective that Oldsmobile continued down the FWD path until the last Toronado rolled off the line in 1992. Powering this Toronado is the company’s 3.8-liter V6 that sends 140hp to the road via a four-speed automatic transmission. Although hardly a muscle car, it offers excellent performance and the ability to cruise effortlessly at freeway speeds. It hasn’t had much use since the summer of 2021, but it still runs and drives extremely well. With a mere 42,365 miles on its odometer, it should offer its new owner years of reliable classic motoring pleasure. The seller includes Service Manuals in the sale and actively encourages in-person inspections.
The Personal Luxury Car sector enjoyed great success during its early decades, but the popularity of those models waned as buyer taste shifted towards alternative vehicles. The demise of Oldsmobile in 2004 means there will never be another Toronado unless General Motors elects to perform a brand revival. Since this is unlikely, preserving cars of this caliber is important. The new owner will drive away in a low-mileage classic offering style, class, and luxury appointments. Those seem good reasons why bidding on this classic would be worth it.
- Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Mileage: 42,365 Shown
- Engine: 3.8 Liter V6
- Transmission: Four-speed automatic
- VIN: 1G3EZ57B2GU307866
- Title Status: Clean
Bid On This Auction
- rawhit5226 bid $4,300.00 2023-04-10 11:25:20
- PMD1965 bid $4,200.00 2023-04-10 06:04:36
- DG bid $2,315.00 2023-04-05 05:59:01
- Pitbullman bid $1,751.00 2023-04-05 05:27:28
- DG bid $1,650.00 2023-04-04 20:35:32
- dosperros bid $800.00 2023-04-04 18:59:00
- 69 Toyota bid $500.00 2023-04-04 18:57:09
- dosperros bid $400.00 2023-04-04 09:45:20
The Olds in the mid 80s are cool. I knew someone who had one and took for a spin it was very nice. Love the seats and handing around curves. Plenty of power for it purpose. The only problem could be the electronics you have to make sure everything’s working because once it goes down that’s it. Unless you find someone to fix it. To me this is just a weekend car to take out and have fun with. Even bring it to car shows since it falls under more than 25 years. Don’t know what the seller is looking for at the end. Wish him or her luck. 🇺🇸🐻
These always looked truncated to me.
I have parts for this car .Electronics . Headlight motor assy. New inbox rear bumper.
First thing I thought of was the electronics.
I owned the 87 Toronto. It was a great car I wish I still had.
Is a nice car
The remark about the 63 Riviera, “there’s nothing like the original”. I believe that would apply here.
I remember looking at these when they were maybe 8 to 10 years old and I thought at the time what a unique car for a very low price. Never bought one but came close.
These had a “Horse Shoe” shifter? I did not know that.
Beautiful offering from the Generals Oldsmobile division. Lovely riding cars, the coupe is handsome. Only a more luxurious Trofèo pkg would sweeten this deal.
As beautiful and classy as these cars were, the sales dropped by 70% over the outgoing 1985 model. You really have to love this car for what it is and NOT compare it to previous models/ generations. The 1986 Oldsmobile Toronado brought an entirely new modern car. It essentially took 1970’s technology and design and almost literally “ skipped “ the 1980’s and brought Toronado to the 1990’s. Some will say that it was a great idea but just about 10yrs too soon. People who bought Eldorados, Toronados and Rivieras still wanted a big car and in 1986 people just thought they were too small. This 1986 Oldsmobile Toronado is beautiful and believe it or not “RARE “. Believe it or not it actually is very collectible. Good luck folks! Nice article too.
My brother in law had a Trofeo. A beautiful car, with gadgets out the wazoo, for the time. But, you’d have better been under 5’5, or a kid, if you were sitting in the back seat.
A family friend had the equivalent Buick Riviera as a compan car for a few months. Pretty nice. It had the touchscreen CRT to control radio and HVAC. If I were buying one now I think I would get the Olds with knobs and buttons.
I beg to differ on the whitewalls and wire wheel covers. They only really work on cars a generation or two older, as soon as the slightest bit of mid-late ’80s aero styling is involved it shows them up as cheap and tacky (which is why Detroit held on to them as the base option on luxury cars for so long – they appealed to some, were cheap to make, and sold a lot of upgrades to alloy wheels).
Have to heartily agree on those miserable wire caps. You could twist them in your hands. Offering junk to reduce weight. After a few years the spokes worked loose and it sounded like the car was falling apart driving it, they rattled so bad.
I know, I had a ’86 Electra 380 with these. It was a blessing to find aluminum honeycomb rims in a yard.
That interior is a blast from the past. The electronic instruments with the bar graphs done in green. (Engineers of the day likely had no idea what electronic instrument panels would evolve into). The 742 buttons. The ubiquitous GM cruise control stalk. All done in an attractive yellow-beige.
Nice car. I like it because it is different.
A nice looking ride…but nothing like my 1976 Riviera sled!
Oops, meant to say my 1975 Toronado sled……
This era Toronado, Riviera and El Dorado were a faux pas on the part of GM. Sales tanked as a result. They added length to the rear end a few years later which helped a bit, but not enough.
Always thought these were ugly.Zero styling imo. The short trunk look is not for me.Make a good winter beater or work car for around 3k as long as the brake and fuel lines are good.Decent reliable engines though they were dependable and peppy.
This car is unique, and is in nice shape. The right person will want this. Unfortunately, as someone pointed out above, sales tanked by about 70% in 1986 compared to 1985. That rarely happens, and it says something. The 1979-95 generation had such great, classic styling. In my opinion, the 1986-88 or so Toronados were a huge step down in terms of the styling. People still expected classic American styling in a luxury car in the mid-80s. These cars were a step up in terms of the technology used in the car (e.g. fuel injected V6, electronic dash). When they did a restyle in about 1989, they looked better – but they should have dome the restyle with a year or two instead of waiting so long. Sales never recovered. It reminds me of the 1968 Pontiac Grand Prix situation, which, once restyled and downsized, it didn’t sell. So they did a second restyle in 1969 which sold well. This Toronado doesn’t look like a luxury car from the outside, yet it is. As someone else said, they downsized the car too much. One thing to be cautious of is these used the THM-440 transmission, which had a lot of problems in 1986 and 1987 until they worked out the problems with the 1st and overdrive clutches in about 1988. or 1989. If the transmission has never been rebuilt, which it probably never has been since it only has 42,000 miles, it may need it sometime. The new owner should definitely at least change the transmission fluid as a precaution. As I said earlier, the right person will want this. That person isn’t me.
for those that are interested if you had the bose high-end stereo system with the electronic 12 way seats and the power window controls the drivers door ends up at 52 wires going into the door
did i mention the electric locks and power mirror controlls wires are part of the 52 !
Hello watchers & bidders,
I am the seller of this 1980’s time capsule. This car still smells like an Oldsmobile! I bought it for my Dad three years ago. He enjoyed and drove the heak out of it. Hope it finds another good home that will drive and appreciate it. If your looking for a winter ride like the one commenter spoke of, please don’t buy my car. It’s not seen snow in over thirty years….
Any questions, please ask
Strong interest in your Toronado. Great cruiser and great styling. I’m two hours from Ann Arbor and wish to take a trip to check it over this weekend. Could you provide a phone number to arrange it? Thank you
Mr. Hastings, give me a call tomorrow to arrange your visit.
Thanks! 313-350-6865
Buick somet BUICK SOMERSET MINE HAD 2.5 4 CYL THM 1C25 ALSO 440 T4 IS A GOOD TRNS JUST DRIVE IT RIGHT
Corvette suspension on these cars.
I had an 87Trofeo with FE3 suspension. The car was downsized but had a big car ride but handled well. Had a 90 too it was little bigger than this model. Nice cars but no 66’
good morning I also have a oldsmobile tornado Trofeo with every option purchased right off the showroom floor
we’ve had in the family since 1986 remarkable cars quiet dependable at night it’s like driving a starship with the dash lit up
the comment about the spoke wheels to be easily fixed with a little bit of hot glue on the inside the V-6 can also be supercharged by using a supercharger from a later model buick bolts right i you do you have to change the alternator bracket but it takes it from 140 to 200 that’s a real rocket ship.
oh the chrome peels on the bottom bumbers on all of them factory issue at the chrome plater
Good luck with the sale.
The reserve is off!
I was asked if the dash/radio/antenna had any issues. The electronics work nicely. The air is not cold. It worked great when my dad was using it in 2020. Its been converted to the newer freon.
More answers- the power antenna works, the tape player has a jam (it played awesome until the auto reverse kicked in) the Neil Diamond tape is now included with the sale.
My father has driven this car (summers only) since 2020. I bought it from a dealer in Tampa.
Also, I was asked about the electronic load leveling system. I believe this car has front and rear struts. Maybe someone can clarify.
Tires are date coded 2012.