*taps mike* “Is this thing on?”
OK, I know that most of the party has moved on to new environs, but dagnabit, I can’t help myself. Especially when I see Broughamage of the early ’70s GM pre-Federal bumper variety.
Most of you have heard of my pal Jayson Coombes in Texas. Most recently he accompanied me to the fantastic national CLC and BCA meets in Lombard and Lisle, IL. But he has been doing more traveling since then, and when he found out the Oldsmobile club was having their national meet in the Nashville area-relatively close to his folks-he could see some great Lansing-built rolling stock and visit his mom and dad, all at the same time. Perfect.
As is our routine, we text each other pictures from car shows we attend. So over the course of the weekend before last, he sent approximately 130 pictures from the event. And there were some extremely excellent cars in attendance.
I love the original Toronado. Call me predictable, but my most favorite is the original ’66 version. And there was, as you’d expect, several nice examples from that model year. But the one that I really zeroed in on was this ’70 Toronado GT. Yes, a GT.
Most folks argue that the Toronado got less attractive every model year after ’66. I can’t argue the point-the ’66 is the prettiest. But I still love the later ones, despite their, shall we say, less aesthetically pleasing lines?
The ’70 got fender blades, presumably borrowed from its higher-toned Eldorado sibling. Some may say it’s a ’66 trying to morph into a ’71. I can see that. But I was still smitten by this unabashedly gold personal luxury coupe.
In 1970 there were two Toronado models: the regular Toro, and the Toronado Custom. The plainer one saw few takers with 2,351 sold. Meanwhile, 23,082 Customs were bought. But there was a special GT option package available, little seen and few outside PLC or Olds circles are aware of it. But this is one of them.
While not mentioned by name, the ’70 brochure (of course I have a copy) mentions that “Toronado now has available a W-34 performance package which increases output to 400 horsepower. This is accomplised with a high-performance camshaft, special transmission calibration for quicker acceleration, and a dual exhaust system.”
“A worthwhile combination for those who like their luxury as fine-honed as possible.” And keep in mind the basic Toro still had a 455 V8 with 375 hp. The cost? A mere $212.
Anyway, Jason was smitten with this one, and now he’s kinda-sorta looking for a ’70 Toronado. Unlike some other ’60s/early ’70s personal luxury coupes, these haven’t gone through the ceiling price wise-yet.
Although he’s not a big fan of gold. Blue is more his style. But no matter the color, seeing cars like these only reinforces how much I miss Oldsmobile.
Tom, the audience is still in the house just think of it as the audience for Fleetwood Mac as they played as a warmup band for The Stones. Numbers may not have reached a full house but the spirit is there…..
PS that is one fine Oldsmobile….
Keep ‘em coming, Tom.
I am glad you are still posting here Tom. Not sure how well your content would gel with the anti GM stuff Jack is promising and delivering on Substack. I had to stop reading his thing yesterday when he compared Citation trial lawyers to Gregory Peck style and era legal crusaders. Too much for my delicate stomach. Sorry.
On the Toro GT, I wonder how they managed to put 400 horsepower down through the front wheels and all at lower rpm. A skill apparently lost by modern makers.
The HP ratings are known to be ambitious…so take that 400hp with a grain of salt. (I own one myself) – same engine, same camshaft has been rated at 375hp in the cutlass (or 442, not sure).
Still clicking, keep ‘em coming.
That color is perfect for the car. Love it
The ’70 is my second favorite Toro after the ’66. The front end is much nicer than the snout on the 1968-69 models, and the shoulder on the rear quarters keeps the vinyl top from looking too weird.
Back around 1989 I found a dark green ’70 Toro GT on the used lot at Fort Pontiac/Buick in Fort Washington, PA. It was gorgeous and they wanted something like $3500 for it. I was smitten, but as a broke-ass 18 year old it might as well have been $35 million.
Sweet ride! Is Broughamage a word?
Just for the record, I think most of the people were coming here to read Tom anyway!
THANK YOU for this article.
What!? No engine bay pics and the hood is even up!
Fie on thee!
Jayson took like 32 pictures of this car, hold on…
caught the “higher-toned” reference 😉
What a sweetie .
I’ll never own one but I do remember them new and those who owned and ran them hard & fast .
-Nate
I’d really like to ask the owner what the logic is behind bringing a car to a car show and then covering up half the interior so it can’t be seen…..
Oh that drove me NUTS. Jayson went back a couple times over the course of the day to see if he’d moved the tarps from the dash and steering wheel but nope. 😑
Beautiful! And wouldn’t it be amazing to see one in traffic today?
However, as impressive as this would have been as a clean-sheet design in 1970 it loses the plot of the 1966 original, inspired by the Cord 810/812.
Check out my styling analysis: https://www.pjkingdesign.com/styling
Nice write up. Not sure the car was really trying to recreate the past, The nods were perhaps just to reinforce the possibilities of front drive.
Now I constantly advocate recreating the past. To go back in time to a place when things still worked. Once there, the point would not be to freeze so a car was then free to evolve as the 70 and especially the 1971s did. I don’t think GM was as stupid as some here do, that the changes on the Toro were all in the direction of presence and formality must have meant GM was reacting to some need they saw in the market. Like a way to show an achiever respect he was getting less from society and perhaps even within his family.
Without researching sales numbers I’m guessing Oldsmobile sold more Toronados as the styling gradually morphed in a more conventional direction but fourteen-year-old me was bowled over by GM’s radical approach in 1966, much as I had been by the Corvair, the rear transaxle Tempest and OHC Sprint Six. And I mourned the announcement that Chevrolet would be ending production of the L84 “fuelie” after the 1965 model year… when I was thirteen!
Yeah, the sickness started early in me!
Without researching sales numbers I’m guessing Oldsmobile sold more Toronados as the styling gradually morphed in a more conventional direction but fourteen-year-old me was bowled over by GM’s radical approach in 1966, much as I had been by the Corvair, the rear transaxle Tempest and OHC Sprint Six. And I mourned the announcement that Chevrolet would be ending production of the L84 “fuelie” after the 1965 model year… when I was thirteen!
Yeah, the sickness started early in me!
PS: forgot to fill in some field or other a minute ago so my original comment is “awaiting moderation.”
First year was the best year sales wise for the 1st gen Toronado, sales went down by half for 1967, though I imagine the new for 67 Eldorado having something to do with that. They hung around the 22-25K mark through 1970 from what I recall and then ticked upward again with the new 1971 bodystyle.
I am younger than you but I have a little sickness of my own. Not so much for flush GM tech exercises like you named. Rather I worry about todays achiever, who instead of lusting for Cordish Toros to announce they have arrived. Instead they obtain Broncos or used FJ Cruisers to instead signal a departure from society and family, An escape instead of a victory lap.
Dang John, that last part rings true. I appreciate the perspective. I think folks buy those vehicles to signal they want to be, or are, manly loners that’ll protect themselves before they protect their family. You see a lot of that from recent Californian transplants to Boise, Austin, etc…
Both of you are over thinking it a bit, I’d say. The purpose of these Broncos et al is to declare that they are too important to have to go into the office every day. Instead they have a toy car to drive to the restaurant and/or park at the beach. Last time I was in Cali for work I ended up parking next to a $250k Icon F100 at dinner. It was perfectly clean and had never seen dirt. Driving it more than ten miles would have been a hassle. The signal being sent is that you don’t have to drive more than ten miles.
“The signal being sent is that you don’t have to drive more than ten miles.”
Considering this is California, land of fantastic public roads, that is lame ~ I love driving around near and far, I don’t need any fancy-schmancy car to do it either .
Choosing your vehicle, clothes or music because of what anyone else thinks is idiotic .
-Nate
Shows what I know. Thanks.
Damn Jack, that’s a good point. Bicycling to work is a status in some areas. That’s why I often walk to work, ahead of the curve. Also, I bought when downtown Boise was depressed, I’m so far head of the curve I may have been behind the curve…
(Wish I could edit)
I guess my problem is that I HAVE to work, back to being behind the curve.
Patrick/Carmine, I would like to add, that these cars were overengineered (the Toro drive train was put under the GMC motorcoaches of 1974-1979) and were from a time before GM started to decontent (cheapen) their cars. Unfortunately, the 66 Toros and the 67 Eldos suffer today by having some one year only parts, both mechanical and trim wise and it has become harder and harder to maintain them. I really like this example that Tom’s friend found as it had all the updates over the four model years from introduction and the peaked fenders are just outstanding. You would not mistake this for another car in the Woolco or Grants parking lot… 🙂
Oh, and Tom, footnote, there are any number of people that put towels over their woodgrain inlay steering wheels as these wheel are color coordinated with the interior. The wood grain inlay after all these years is really prone to damage by the sun and to have these wheels remade is just under a grand. There is only one or two guys in the states that can remake them.
The motorhomes were made from 1973-1978, in 23 and 26 foot versions, though the 23 was only made 1973-1975 from what I recall.
Regardless of whatever happens to the wood trim, I still say its a bit daft and rude to the car show patron to cover up your car after you bring your car out with the purpose of displaying the car, for that, leave it locked in a dark garage.
Carmine thanks for the model year correction, I was not sure if it was model year 78 or 79 due to GM using the last of the Toro/Eldorado drive trains from before the 79 down size. I did read somewhere that when production stopped it was sudden and unannounced. That there were half finished units on the assembly line. Als maybe you can remember or confirm, that someone in Ohio purchased all the remaining parts, half finished units, and all the remaining drive trains for his/her business of servicing the GMC coaches.
Yes I agree that the owner should have taken the towel off the wheel during the judging part of the show. 🙂
Just one more poster requesting more Klockau and any other guest articles that don’t fit at the Substack.