The horsepower race was in full swing during the 1960s, with every manufacturer seeking an advantage over the opposition. It spawned the muscle car war, but classics like this 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire offered a welcome alternative for those preferring a more comfortable experience. Its throbbing V8 and list of interior features could earn it the tag of the Gentleman’s Hot Rod. It is a tidy and rust-free classic that would look sweet in any garage, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for spotting it for us.
Oldsmobile had utilized the Starfire name before 1961, but it was in that year that they launched it as a standalone model. The First Generation enjoyed a surprisingly long production run by the standards of the time, with the final cars rolling off the line in 1967. The seller is refreshingly candid about this Olds, stating that their auction reserve reflects the fact that the car isn’t perfect. However, it is presentable if the buyer wishes to opt for preservation. My research suggests that this gem may have received a repaint in its original Cameo Cream in the 1980s, and although it retains a healthy shine, there is the typical selection of small marks and chips that accumulate with use. However, this Starfire lacks two significant features: Rust, and major panel damage. The exterior is clean for a vehicle of this vintage, and the underside shots reveal no evidence of rust. A couple of exterior trim pieces sport minor damage, but the glass is clear, and the spinner hubcaps perfectly suit this classic’s character.
Okay, enough of the small talk. It’s time to get down to the serious business with this Starfire. Oldsmobile followed a “one size fits all” philosophy with the engine, because every buyer received the 394ci V8, producing 345hp and 440 ft/lbs of torque. A three-speed automatic transmission handles shifting duties, while this classic features power steering and upgraded power front disc brakes. The Starfire’s luxury leanings are confirmed by the curb weight of 4,334 lbs. However, it can still cover the ¼-mile in 16.5 seconds, meaning that while it was slightly slower than the Ford Thunderbird, it definitely kept it honest! The seller confirms that although they updated the brakes, they retained the original components for the winning bidder. It also received an aluminum radiator to control engine temperature. It has a claimed 90,000 original miles on the odometer and is a turnkey proposition where the new owner could fly in and drive it home.
The interior equipment further emphasizes the “Gentleman’s Hot Rod” label, with the owner receiving bucket seats, a console, power windows, a power driver’s seat, an analog clock, and a pushbutton AM radio. The two-tone Tan and Gold interior presents well for its age, with no upholstery splits or other problems. The dash and pad haven’t cracked, and the bright trim is in good order. An in-person inspection will probably reveal small flaws or imperfections, but this interior should satisfy most people seeking a driver-grade classic.
The seller listed this 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire here on eBay in Dansville, New York. Bidding sits below the reserve at $8,301, but the auction action suggests the price will rise in the three days remaining in this auction. We can speculate on a possible price, and the car’s overall condition should see it comfortably climb into five-figure territory. However, I will qualify that by repeating the mantra that the classic market can be unpredictable. I located a previous listing for this car from February where it failed to sell when the bidding stalled at $7,000. It received thirty-three bids then, and the tally sits at twenty-three now. Do you think this Olds will find a new home? If so, are you tempted to make it yours?
Oh, lots of cars come through here we’d all be tempted on. Too bad father time didn’t work that way. Aside from the ’57, I thought the ’62 was the nicest Olds. Not sure why, perhaps it was because as a budding car nut kid, the old man had Oldsmobiles. As a kid, you always think your dads car was the coolest. It was pretty far fetched to think he would ever come home with a Starfire, but a kid has to dream, no? The ’62, to me, represented the last of the really nice cars, before they got to where people like my old man would buy them. The ’63-’66 Starfires were not near as fancy. YET,,never saw one. Seriously, me and my brother would always spot an Olds, and the silver stripe was the 1st thing we’d look for. Again, never saw one. The ultimate kick in the bum, was when Olds named that crappy ’75 a Starfire. That we saw plenty of, but a mere shred of what this car was.
And in true 2am form, how anyone could spend an alleged 3 times the amount on a rusty 1st gen Bronco, well, I suppose we’ll let 23rd century philosophers figure that out. Whoever gets this should rub it in the Bronco buyers face, THIS magnificent car could have been yours, AND enough left over for the wifey’s new bathroom. I guess I just think differently, is all.
but, BUT, I’ve got news for someone, not ALL kids think their dads car was the coolest. We had a brand new, turd brown, dodge dart 4 door sedan.
So, um, NO, I didn’t think my dads car was the coolest. I’m sure there are others who fit in those shoes, yes?🤪
My dad drew a supervisor assignment almost 200 miles from home on the early 60s’ Needed something to get him back & forth for the weekends quickly. He consulted with Al old buddy of his, who just happened to be a line mechanic at the local ford dealership. Pop came home with a 62 Galaxie. 406, 3×2 carbs & a 3 speed with overdrive. Yeah, pop had the coolest car on the block…
Your right, I had one of these in the early 70’s, when you have a certain model of car you usually notice like cars on the road, if any I don’t remember too many. Beautiful car so I don’t understand why.
Dad came home in a new 61 Buick LeSabor convertible…fawn, white top and two tone brown interior. Loaded to the hilt! Traded in his 57 four door Century. Me and my friends thought the car was absolutely beautiful. So yeah my old man got cool in my eyes!
Wow! That’s awesome! I wish I grew up in the late 50, early to mid 60s. That’s when cars were awesome!
My first car was a 62 Olds, this one is a beauty.
My 1st car was a 56 Super 88 2 dr 2 tone Blue., then I had 2 1962 Starfire’s both Convertibles and both had Safety Sentinels 1st was Silver Black interior, 2nd was Red Black interior, after I went into the service, I got my 1st 1966 442 4-Speed Convertible, Green Black interior, 2 more 70 442’s 1 was Convertible 4-Speed, 2nd was 4-Speed Post Coupe W-30, then 3 71 Vista Cruiser’s. Today my daily driver is my 3rd Vista Cruiser, Numbers Matching Unrestored I’m 2nd owner, fully documented with 111,100 original documented miles. I will only own an Oldsmobile and nothing newer than a 1972. Old School and hate plastic cars. My nickname is Rocketman.
I am in LOVE with this car. If the owner responds to my request I will try to buy it.
What makes it a gentlemans hot rod??? I always thought the 63 Buick Wildcat with the four speed manual trans was the gentlemans hot rod. I have a 63 Lesabre with the four speed and a bench seat radio delete factory tack and it is not consider ed a gentlemans hot rod. So again what makes this Olds a gentlemans hot rod.
These Starfires are NOT hotrods. The clunky, balky roto-hydramatic guarantees that. It was a crappy GM design lasting only 4 years, and only used in Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles. It took the cast iron 4-speed hydramatic and eliminated one gear ratio – leaving a tragic and drastic drop off in ratios between 1st and 2nd gear. The fact that Chevrolet, Buick, and Cadillac wanted no parts of it should tell you something. You can not get straight line performance out of that transmission, no matter the HP. Granted, the Starfires look good, but DON’T try to pass it off as a hotrod.
The 62 Starfire always had me at that striking brushed aluminum side-spear. The attn to detail inside; rarely seen w/o pwr windows, etc. Compared to its sister cars (GP and Invicta) the Starfire always seemed to have the most options on board. Among Starfire enthusiasts, the 62 is the most desirable.
I’ve wanted one before I knew how to drive!
What a beauty! Olds is gone now and I know why. GM management has no vision shared by America. They lost all their market share to foreign cars. They basically only make trucks now. The foreign competition will eventually win that market too! GM is doomed!
Oldsmobile V8s in the 60s had a subdued ground thumping rumble to them. My neighbor bought a 1963 red one and I was one of the fortunate ones to get to ride to school in it. I never recall him accepting any takers on for a drag race.
Beautiful looking car. 1962 and 64 are my favourite years for the Oldsmobile. I regret that I’ve never seen a Starfire of either year. I’d love to one day. Given its condition, a little patina, but hopefully everything is solid and the car is driveable, I’d be willing to pay around the asking price of $8,000. If there’s nothing wrong with the car and it can be driven, I’d go ahead and drive! I hope this goes to a good owner.
Memories, my buddy, a few years my senior, just got his license and was lucky that his dad let him take the new Starfire for a spin every once in a while. That ride that I got turned me into a car nut…
Raised in a family where a car was an “appliance” and where my automotive interests were tolerated (subscribed to Hot Rod magazine in 1959), was not permitted any non running/unsightly vehicles around the house. When I got the previous family car, a 1956 Buick Special repleat in Apricot/White pallet, after the dealer where it had been traded couldn’t wholesale it, Earl Scheib ($29.95), 2×4 intake on the 322, 59 heads, solid lifters, conversion to manual transmission, driven until it blew up. Replaced with a 1962 F-85. Start of Oldsmobile fandom for years. Gave up the F-85 when the 327 installation went awry. The 215 just couldn’t keep up with the 289’s.
Thanks for tolerating my nostalgia this long. The tears are making it hard to type.
My first ride was 62 Buick Special with that 215. It did churn out 195 HP but while a few of my buddy’s rides were faster, I really liked the styling, and still do, and have fond memories of the blue top over white Special. Since then my hobby has been different rides and I have had a number of really good ones but the Buick has a special place. Someone is going to get a great ride with this Starfire.
Buick, Olds, and Pontiac are my favourite cars for 1962 and 1964.
I guess the year was around 1970-71 when I saw an ad in the Tacoma Tribune for a 1962 Olds Starfire $125.00. I called got the address went and bought the car. It was white with red interior and the original wheels had been replaced with chrome reversed and baby moons. I really liked that car, I could just sit and look at the lines on that car from my lawn chair for hours. It had been driven hard and put up wet far to many times so the engine and trans were tired but still operational. In those days I was going to “Clover Park Technical School” for A & P license and living off my G.I. Bill while living in government housing on the east side of town called “Shalaton” spelling is probably wrong. Any way it’s where poor people lived. Unfortunately for the Olds the brakes went out while a potential buyer was backing up in it and smashed the rear bumper into the trunk on a pole. Car went to the junk yard. This is my life story “ending up in the junk yard”.
God Bless America
It’s “Salishan” a WW II housing development. We used to use the roads for impromptu road races in the 60’s.
In the previous listing (Feb. 2024) where bidding stalled at $7k it was stated that the car did not have a title because it was registered in a state (NY) that does not issue titles for cars that old. In the current listing, though, the seller states the car does have a title (“It has been well-maintained and has a clean title”) even though the NY location of the car has not changed.
That front fender stamping looks interesting. Not complicated.
But not simple, either.
Yep…..best year of the Starfire……
Had one in ice blue. 394 V-8 with 3
deuces and oh my God that thing was
fast! Mine had dual exhausts and the
sweetest rumble you ever heard. Only
problem I ever had with it was when the lineage got stuck on wide open going down Route 66 and the parkway in Bloomington. That thing hit 125 before we shut it off and coasted it into a gas station. Turned out the vacuum line broke that worked the lineage broke and hung it
wide open. After a replacement, everything was fine. The first year I went on the road playing music, Dad
borrowed my car to take the family on
vacation and he told me when I came home that it was the most comfortable car he’d ever driven. It
pulled our little canned ham camper
with no trouble at all. So, why did I
sell it? Young people do stupid things
and I was smitten with the ’66 Cadillac Calais 4-door hardtop my folks were gonna sell to my drunken
uncle and I wasn’t havin’ any of it. It was a 2 owner car with less than 60K
miles at that time and was in prime condition too. Sold the Olds to a kid
I knew in school for $1,500, pooled that with the cash I made from that road trip, and there I was, riding around playing one nighters in Cadillac style!
I can’t explain why, really, but I loved the steering wheels of the early ’60s Oldsmobiles. Dumb kid.