West Coast Classics are proud to present a very striking older restored example of this beautiful 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire 394/345HP V8 Convertible in original factory 'Provincial White' (Color Code C) color paint with a matching 'White' interior and loaded with factory options of:
Starfire 394/330HP V8 Engine with 10.50-1 Compression,
High Speed Cam Shaft,
Ultra High Compression Cylinder Heads,
Dual Exhaust System,
Special Fiberglass Packed Muffler,
Foam Cushioned Bucket Seats,
Tachometer,
4-S Hydra-Matic automatic transmission,
Power Top,
Power Steering,
Power Brakes,
Power Drivers seat,
Power Trunk Release,
Power Antennae,
Electric clock,
Courtesy lamps,
Soft ray tinted glass,
Console with shifter,
Outside LH rear view mirror
Original Wonderbar AM radio
The Starfire was Oldsmobile's entry into the personal luxury market built on the Super Eighty-Eight's 123-inch wheelbase frame. The list of standard equipment included a more powerful V8, Hydra-matic drive, sports console with shifter, tachometer, courtesy lamp package, two-speed wipers, power brakes, power steering, brushed aluminum trim, dual exhausts and leather trim. Oldsmobile introduced the new Starfire in mid-1961. It was a high performance, high style, luxury automobile that was true to the company's rich performance history and offered a host of distinctive features. The Starfire returned for 1962 to include a hardtop variant. Priced around $4,000 for the Starfire Hardtop Coupe and $4,744 for the Starfire Convertible; the cars were equipped with all the features found in the Super Eight-Eight plus brushed aluminum side panels, a sporty cockpit featuring bucket seats, leather upholstery, floor console and power-operated front seats. Power was from a 394 cubic-inch V-8 engine that offered 345 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, courtesy of a Rochester four-barrel carburetor, 10.5:1 compression, a revised camshaft profile, an efficient combustion chamber design and a free-flowing dual exhaust system.
The Oldsmobile Starfire was easily distinguishable from its Super 88 counterparts by the addition of brushed aluminum side panels. Arguably this was the first muscle-car from Oldsmobile since it combined a very powerful engine in a small, compact body. The Starfire's sporty and luxurious hardtop coupe and convertible embodied the personal luxury cars for Oldsmobile with leather bucket seats, sport and special luxury trim. "Distinguished . . Distinctive . . Decidedly New" was how Oldsmobile advertised their all new 1961 first full-fledged Starfire series. Oldsmobile chose the General Motors 1961 Motorama which opened on November 3, 1960 at the Waldorf-Astoria in NYC to debut the new one-model series. This series remained until the revolutionary Toronado picked up the Oldsmobile personal-luxury banner. At select Oldsmobile dealerships in January 1961 the first Starfires began arriving. On the outside the Starfire included two slim parallel hood moldings and a 4-inch wide band of brushed aluminum on the sides, touches which were exclusive to the Starfire. The 1961 Starfire also sported a chrome-plated air cleaner perched on top of the four-barrel carburetor and shiny valve covers and oil filler cap. Burning only premium fuel, the Starfire had a 10.25:1 compression ratio. Another unique advertising campaign was a direct-to-dealer piece that urged dealerships to stage special open houses to showcase the new model and gave interested dealerships with up to 500 invitations and envelopes.
This particular example is an older restored example and finished in its original 'Provincial White' factory color (Code C) paint over brushed aluminum side panels with a very striking matching 'White' interior with an also matching virtually new 'White' color power soft top. The car looks very impressive and has only very minor imperfections for it's age only noticeable upon very close inspection. All the power options are working as they should and the car has all it's original logos and its original radio. All the chrome work is in very good condition and the spare wheel is in the trunk.
This particular car drives as good as it looks - a truly remarkable daily driver that will really give any modern day sports car a run for it's money! The transmission shifts smoothly through all the gears and the temperature always remains cool! There are no signs or evidence of the car having any rust or indeed signs of any accidents.
It is hard to pin down the first actual muscle car; some have asserted that it is the 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88, which was built with speed in mind and with an overhead valve V8 placed in a mid-size car with a relatively lightweight body. A lot of observers cite the next big step in the evolution of the early muscle car to be the introduction of the 1955 Chrysler C-300 with its 300 horsepower Hemi engine that could go from zero to sixty in 9.8 seconds and reach a top speed of around 130 miles per hour. A car that came along a few years later that is of note to many collectors and muscle car enthusiasts is the Oldsmobile Starfire.
This is a rare opportunity to own a very striking 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire Convertible - one very collectible and unabused older restoration example of one of the outstanding early muscle cars and a truly beautiful GM classic car design from the early sixties muscle car era.
