The Starfire nameplate returned to the Oldsmobile fold in mid-1961 as a grand touring automobile. And only as a convertible for that model year. The lineup was expanded the following year, making the 1,500 or so built in 1961 rarer to acquire today. This example looks to have been sitting for some time and is not complete, at least per the photos provided. And it was the first GM car to have a floor shifter in the console for an automatic (or so we understand). Located now in Newfield, New York, this ragtop project is available here on craigslist for $10,000.
Oldsmobile used the Super 88 and Dynamic 88 platform to house the revived 1961 Starfire. It was the GM division’s most expensive product and came with everything you could imagine, including leather bucket seats, an automatic transmission, and a “Sky-Rocket” 394 cubic inch V8 that was good for 330 hp. The console even featured a tachometer to keep track of how the engine was performing. The side body panels were adorned with brushed aluminum to add to the car’s special nature.
The seller says 7,800 of these convertibles were built, but that’s far more optimistic than other sources. We’d bet this Oldsmobile has an interesting story, but the seller either doesn’t know or share it. The overall condition is rated as “fair,” and the seller says the body and frame are solid, despite its being under wraps for what may be many years. And are any of the missing parts still around anywhere?
This machine has 59,000 miles according to the seller. That sounds rather premature for the Starfire to have been put out to pasture. If you were to restore this Oldsmobile, chances are you’d be the only person in your circle to have one. But at what cost? A bravo goes to Barn Finder “Zen” for the cool tip!
I never saw one of these. Would love to see it completed.
Great looking dash and console. Love the upside down fins and taillights.
What a potential Gem !
“The seller says 7,800 of these convertibles were built, but that’s far more optimistic than other sources.”
What other sources? Wikipedia has production at 1,500 but I’m not seeing where they got that number from. “Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980” (published in 1993) has it at 7,600 while more recently the 7,800 figure has turned up, but that could be a typo. Seems like production was around 7k-plus units. 1,500 seems much too low.