The Oldsmobile Toronado name represents one of the more significant model offerings ever to come from GM’s hallowed halls. A lighting rod of a vehicle both for its design and clever engineering, the first Toronado hails from the era many enthusiasts fell in love with GM. Popularity was high and its products were in demand. That all changed throughout the late 70s and 1980s, when many American companies struggled to find their footing, and it can sometimes cloud over wholly decent product offerings like the Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo, as shown here on Facebook Marketplace. This car is a project at the moment, and listed for $2,500.
It’s amazing how an era can cloud over certain models, and perhaps even unfairly so. There are some pundits who will claim that the Toronado was a dinosaur, a personal luxury coupe offering at a time when many consumers were shifting to SUVs and minivans. It is curious why GM didn’t create some space in the lineup for a more compelling model than a “has been” of automotive product types. Yes, budgets were tight and consumers were hesitant to spend money following a global recession, but even throughout the years of economic improvement, Oldsmobile used a rebadged Blazer as its sole SUV offering. The Trofeo trim was an attempt to drum up sales of the Trofeo with extra features, but it wasn’t enough to save this striking coupe.
I really do believe this is one of the better designs to come out of the 1990s, but I’ve always been a fan of GMs 3800-powered, front-wheel-drive products from this era. The hideaway headlights, low-slung stance, and miles-long trunk lid creates a very interesting profile, while the side skirts and lower apron trim seems to make it hover just inches off the ground. The Trofeo trim added touchscreen technology to the interior along with (I believe) improved FE3 suspension. An airbag was standard, along with ABS. This was Mercedes-grade equipment level, and the Trofeo handily outsold the base model Toronado.
Even with that, the numbers were still bleak, spelling the end of the model in 1992. This being a final-year example makes it somewhat interesting, but it is a project. The paint is clearly done and will require a respray if you want to to present well again. The center caps are missing from both driver’s side wheels, and good luck finding replacements for those; hopefully, they’re in the car. The 3800 is a stout engine and shouldn’t prove too difficult to revive, good for 170 horsepower and 220 lb.-ft. of torque, channeled through a conventional 4-speed automatic. I do love these and would still have a hard time resisting a Trofeo if it fell in my lap for the right price, but it’s still not desirable enough to ask this kind of money for a project.
No mention if it runs or not and no mileage. Why bother with it? Maybe if you need parts and you can get it for $500
Exactly, these are too close to the bottom of the depreciation curve so that cars with multiple problems are more parts cars than projects. With a $2,500 asking price, this car is not viable as either.
Steve R
And, if you are going to ask that much, at least put some effort into a useful description and pics of the interior.
I had a beautiful, dark red 1992 Trofeo. I remember it fondly. It had arguably the best balance between ride and handling in GM’s fleet at the time. The touchscreen was Star Trek stuff back then. It wasn’t a true touchscreen like today’s, though. A grid of infrared lights were projected across the screen to sensors on the other side. If your finger broke two beams, one horizontal and one vertical, the system interpreted it as a touch.
Though I wouldn’t mind having another one, I would avoid a big project. Even in the late 1990s, some parts were hard to come by, such as the broken headlight door that took weeks to locate and cost about $300.
A beater, at best.
with the lack of information and crucial pics on inside, engine etc 2500.00 is just too much. this is a lazy ad and deserves a lazy price of 500.00.
Too much possibly bad high tech (back then) to go bad and try to make functionable again. (Mostly because of age) 3 8s were great engines with great fuel economy. But the transmissions of this era were not the greatest. Transmission failure was so common that I had a tech that could perform an overhaul (not including the front converter seal that rarely failed) the transmission in one of these without removing the transmission from the car. We had a warranty audit ( normal annual thing) when the service rep and auditor brought 3 work copies of warranty claims to my attention that they were going to deni because the punch time was not enough to do the job. My comment was, “Did I charge GM for a front seal?” And do you have some time to watch my tech do a transmission overhaul on a car he is just pushing in his bay?” When my tech was done, all they could say was “claims will be paid.” They left, with mouths open and chins dragging on the ground. By the way, the tech NEVER had a comeback! Not only did he perform the overhaul he also performed all the required updates. After the first 15 minutes, he knew if he had to pull the transmission for front seal, bushing replacement or converter flush. Because once completed, he never wanted the car to come back. He was also an animal, his hands were always cut and bleeding. But that never slowed him down.