1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Deluxe

It was 1966 and Oldsmobile were proud to take the wraps off America’s newest and most advanced automobile – The Toronado. Not only did it look very different with its long, low-slung nose and concealed headlamps but it was also front wheel drive. In fact, it was the first U.S. front-wheel-drive car since the Cord 810.

Let’s take a look at this 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado Deluxe (2-door Sports Coupe) in Ocean Mist. It’s becoming quite rare now to come across these first year cars especially those that haven’t been messed with.

That trunk area certainly has some similarities with the Camaro and Firebird that were to be launched the following year.

Rear view of the 66 Oldsmobile Toronado
rear view showing the fastback styling

The large, rounded wheel cut-outs further add to the Toronado’s unique look.

The Oldsmobile 425 cubic inch Rocket V8 engine equipped with a Quadrajet carburetor puts out a respectable 385 horsepower – this was a Toronado only engine. It was paired with a Turbo Hydra-Matic drive automatic transmission.

1966 Oldsmobile Rocket V8 425 cubic inch
425 cubic inch V8

Standard equipment on the car included: Power brakes, power steering, deluxe steering wheel, strato bench seat (Deluxe), automatic transmission, wheel trim rings and an electric clock. It would have been pitched against cars like the Ford Thunderbird.

Inside the car was different too. Most notable is the flat floor. Due to the Unitized Power Package (UPP) design the engine and transmission were squeezed into the engine bay leaving the interior with a completely flat floor. Remember this is front wheel drive so no need for a drive-shaft tunnel.

This particular interior is all-original.

Original interior of a survivor 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
original interior

The 1966 Toronado was 211″ long with a wheelbase of 119″ and 78.5″ wide.

Popular Oldsmobile Toronado Options for 1966

Option Price
Air conditioning $390
Power windows $69
AM Radio $64
AM / FM radio $147
Cruise control $49
Deck lid remote release $12

Oldsmobile sold 34,630 Toronado Deluxe cars for the 1966 model year at a base price of $4,779. The Deluxe far outsold the Standard version with Oldsmobile producing just 6,333 of them. This particular car is also fitted with air conditioning. It was built in Lansing, MI.

This 1966 Toronado is currently for sale on eBay. (follow the link for even more photos)

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