When it was released in 1966, the Oldsmobile Toronado was considered to be a groundbreaking car. It represented the first front-wheel-drive American production car since the demise of the Cord in 1937. This Toronado Deluxe is an original and unrestored survivor, and it has generated its fair share of interest since being listed for sale here on eBay in a No Reserve auction. The Oldsmobile is located in Richmond, Virginia, and with a total of 20 bids having been submitted up to this point, this has pushed the price along to $3,383 with 3-days left to run on the listing.

The owner of the Toronado describes the condition of the Silver Mist paint on the vehicle as being a 9½ out of 10. The photos that he supplies aren’t the greatest, but they do show some promise. There are no signs of any obvious dings or dents, nor are there any signs of rust issues. He does say that the floors are solid, but as you will see as we work through the car, there is some pretty compelling evidence to suggest that the vehicle has spent some time in a damp environment. With that in mind, I would suggest that I would be attempting to perform a personal inspection if this is at all possible. The external trim and chrome appears to all be present, and its condition looks to be quite good. Similarly, the glass also appears to be free of any significant defects or obvious problems.

Lifting the hood on the Toronado reveals just what made this car so revolutionary when it was new. When Cord ceased production, front-wheel-drive technology remained largely forgotten in the US. However, when it emerged, it did so in a way that was, quite literally, big. The Unitized Power Package, or UPP, managed to allow Oldsmobile to fit a V8 engine and automatic transmission with front-wheel-drive capabilities, into a very confined space. In this case, we find that the V8 is a 425ci monster, producing 385hp. This copious power is fed to the front wheels via a 3-speed THM425 automatic transmission. With so much power being fed to the same wheels that also perform steering duties, the potential for torque-steer was always going to be enormous. Therefore, power steering helped to insulate the driver from the worst of it. Braking duties were tackled by power-assisted 4-wheel drum brakes. At 4,568lbs, this is one pretty heavy piece of machinery. Therefore it is impressive to consider that even with all of that weight and the inherent disadvantages that can be part-and-parcel of an FWD package in such situations, the Toronado could still cover the ¼ mile in 15.6 seconds. The owner indicates that the vehicle has been sitting in a warehouse for some time. He says that the carburetor will require some attention if the 425 is to run properly, while a service and thorough inspection would probably also be a pretty wise move. I earlier made mention of evidence that the Olds had spent some time in a damp environment, and it is the condition of a number of components in the engine bay that fuels this belief. There are plenty of painted surfaces that have corrosion breaking through the paint itself, and this isn’t limited to one or two isolated components. That is why I tend to think that a personal inspection would be a wise strategy.

The owner describes the interior as being in great shape and given a cursory glance, it does look quite promising. The upholstery on the seats and door trims looks very nice, with no signs of any rips, tears, or cracks. However, the carpet is looking really tired, and in some spots, it actually looks like it is rotten. In isolation that probably wouldn’t be a major concern, but when you couple that with some of the corrosion that is appearing on some of the plated components inside the car, it does start to become a little more troubling. As is the case under the hood, there are also a few painted items with corrosion poking its way through the paint, which just seems to be adding fuel to the fire. Having said all of that, the interior does appear to be completely original and unmolested, with no signs of any missing components. The owner also states in the listing that the car comes equipped with air conditioning, power windows, power locks, power seats, and cruise control. He gets no arguments from me about the A/C, but some of the other items need to have a question mark placed over them. I can see a very manual window crank on the passenger door, and there is also no sign of the switch to operate the cruise control. As for the rest, I can’t be sure about that.

When we look at the development of automotive technology over the years, it is interesting to think that today it is extremely difficult to find any manufacturer who is willing to try to feed more than about 240hp through the front wheels of their latest creation. Oldsmobile was nothing if not brave because 385hp is an awful lot to feed to the same wheels that do the steering. The Toronado was not developed as a muscle car, but it did achieve its aim of being a spacious luxury car. When I first looked at the listing for this particular car, I thought that it showed enormous promise. Well, perhaps it still does, but the amount of evidence that points to longterm exposure to a damp environment really places a question marl over this car in my mind. Nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong on this point. What do you think?