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.
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