1961-66 Oldsmobile Starfire

GM's First Personal Luxury Car

On April 29, 2004, a dark maroon Alero sedan marked the end of the oldest operating automotive marque in America, Oldsmobile. It came from a long line of interesting, dynamic, and often revolutionary models that had been produced over the years. From the mighty Limited of the early 1910's, through the first "Rocket V8" in 1949, to the muscle of the 4-4-2, Oldsmobile was always considered a fast and powerful car.

As the 1960's dawned the automotive market was being pulled in several different directions at the same time, and Oldsmobile was gearing up its offerings to meet all of them. Those looking for big, roomy, luxury cars had the Ninety-Eight series to turn to. Compacts were arriving and Olds presented the neat little F-85 series to meet this demand. Eighty-Eights were there for those looking for comfortable family transportation with comfort and a little flash. However, the most exciting area of the market was performance, and here again, Oldsmobile was ready to meet the challenge.

On January 1st, 1961, Oldsmobile added a rather spectacular new model to their roster, the Starfire. In its premiere season, only one body-style was available, a sporty and dressed-up convertible that had its origins in the Super 88 series. This sleek new model was gussied up with full-body length brushed aluminum trim framed in bright stainless steel. Inside, leather-covered bucket seats and a center-shift console with tachometer were standard fare. Also included was a full compliment of power equipment including windows, driver's seat, "Roto-Matic" steering and brakes. However, Starfire's real claim to fame was the package under the hood, 394 cubic inches belting out 330 horses, backed by the 4-S Hydramatic automatic transmission. Based on the same 123" wheelbase as the Super 88s and measuring out at 212" from bumper to bumper, this was big American performance.

Starfire was the most expensive model in the Olds family for 1961. At $4,647, it was about $300 more than the Ninety-Eight series convertible. Its target market was the potential buyer of Ford's Thunderbird, which up to this point had enjoyed the sporty, personal car market all by itself. This would also mark GM's first entry into this highly-profitable segment. Production was limited to exactly 7,800 copies for 1961.

Low and sleek, the original Starfire is a looker.

Early Starfire interiors were quite flashy, such as this '62.

The '63 and '64 models got a little more formal but still offered plenty of pizazz. This is a '64.

For 1962, Starfire returned with a new hardtop to join the convertible. Still based on the Super 88 versions of these body styles, many of the same amenities that had been found in the first edition returned, and more. Special wheel trim rings were employed for the hardtops, while the selection of leather interior colors was expanded to four. Under the hood, the 394 cid Rocket-V8 engine was tweaked and peaked, pumping out an even hotter 345 horsepower. Price for the convertible was upped slightly to $4,794, while the new hardtop could be secured at a $4,131 starting point. With popular equipment, such as radio, heater, white wall tires, etc., one could expect to pay about $5,300 and $4,650, respectively for the two different models. The 1962 hardtop surprised everyone, with sales coming in at 34,839 units, while the convertible's appeal dipped only slightly to 7,149. During the year, the car designated as the 7,500,000th Oldsmobile produced was one of those Starfire hardtops, produced on January 11th of that year.

1963 saw new sheet-metal for the Eighty-Eight series, and Starfire reflected most of those same traits. While the hallmark brushed aluminum trim panels were not as obvious with the new model, they were retained, running the full length of the car in a two-inch wide strip just below the belt-line. In an effort to keep rising costs in check, leather now became an extra cost item in the soft-trim department with all vinyl becoming the standard trim. Remaining on the 123" wheelbase, the new restyle grew to 214.4" from bumper-to-bumper, with hardtop prices increasing about 6.5% to $4,401, while the convertible actually dropped a few dollars to $4,742. Under the hood the powertrain remained unchanged. Starfire production dropped this year to 21,489 hardtops and 4,129 convertibles. One factor that may have contributed to this notable drop was the introduction of a new personal luxury car entry from GM's Buick Division, called Riviera.

The '63 model grew and got a bit more formal.

1964 brought an update to the trim inside and out. Inside, nylon cloth insert material with vinyl bolsters now adorned the bucket seats. All vinyl was a no-cost option this year, but there was a rather hefty increase in price for the installation of full leather. Most of the other Starfire amenities were left such as the bucket seat interior, center-shift console, all the power goodies, plus the instrumentation package. Most importantly, the 345-horse, 394 cid V8 was still found under the hood. Another minor re-style was instituted this year which expanded the bumper-to-bumper spread to 215.3".

Prices for the 1964 Oldsmobile line generally stayed within a dollar or two of their 1963 levels. Starfire saw a decrease in the hardtop's base price to $4,153, while the convertible remained at the previous season's level. Convertibles saw production drop to just 2,410 units while the hardtop fell to 13,753 examples. Undoubtedly, some of the fall of this superstar in the Olds line-up could be attributed to yet another new model, the 4-4-2 option now available on several mid-size Cutlass models.

Despite the lower production figures, Starfire was back for 1965, again wearing all-new sheet metal with even more bulk and length while still trying to promote itself as a sporty, luxurious and powerful personal vehicle for four passengers. Exterior appointments were considerably more subdued than the early versions, and base interiors used more economical fabrics and materials to help keep costs down. While still riding on a 123" wheelbase, the overall dimensions had now grown to 216.9" from bumper to bumper. All vinyl trim for the convertible, or cloth and vinyl trim for the hardtop were part of the base prices, which rose slightly for the open-model and dropped a few bucks for the hardtop. Full power items were still standard with the Starfire including windows, seats, steering and brakes.

Under the Starfire's hood a new generation of Oldsmobile Rocket-Power was unleashed when the 394-cid V8 was re-stroked to create a 425 cubic-inch engine with a healthy 375-horses. Compare this with the mid-size 4-4-2's 400 cid power-plant which was causing a major stir in performance circles with its 345-horses. Despite the new styling and bigger engine, sales continued to slide, with just 13,024 hardtops and 2,236 convertibles produced for this model year.

1966 would mark the end of the line for Starfire with just one model, a 2-door hardtop, offered. Sharing the same body shell as the new Delta 88 series, the price of this last year's edition was reduced again, this time due to the deletion of standard items such as power windows and seats and full instrumentation. These were now extra cost-items. While the wheelbase had remained unchanged from 1961, this year's edition was officially 217" from stem to stern, a full five-inch growth since its inception in 1961. Even with very limited promotion, a total of 13,019, or just five cars less that 1965, were produced. The biggest factor in the termination of this model, of course, was the new personal-luxury entry in the Olds line, the revolutionary front-wheel-drive Toronado.

Over its run of six model years a total of 118,848 Starfires were produced. They were an important and rather successful chapter in the 108 year history of the marque.

What to Look For

For model years 1961 to 1963, no other Oldsmobile commands as much attention or interest than the Starfire. With their unique trim, full compliment of accessories, and powerful V8 engines they were the hottest medium-priced cars of the day. However, there are two big factors which has severely limited the number of these cars still on the road today.

The '65 still looked good and with a new 370hp motor had plenty of zip despite its large size. Still, luxury was taking over.

First, Oldsmobile relied on the Twin-Turbo Hydramatic transmission for all of its shifting duties in the early Starfires. While these were tough and reliable when new, a decade of service often meant that a rebuild or maintenance was required. By 1973, the cost of rebuilding one of these units could exceeded the current market value of the car, which often meant that the scrap-yard was the next stop.

The other factor has to do with popularity. Although a sought after car when new, Starfires seemed to drift into obscurity more so than other "personal luxury" cars such as the Thunderbird, Riviera, and Grand Prix. As a result, the supply of Starfires today is often less than many other similar models. This has led to an interesting market shift.

The Market

Extremely sharp, well restored or preserved examples of the early Starfires can dazzle a customer with its chrome and style, and command strong prices in today's market. Values of first year models can exceed the $40,000 mark (2019 update: over $50,000), while the 1962 editions come in just a bit below that level. The hardtop, new for '62, is holding steady at about 70% of the convertible's value.

Values take a a hit with the 1963-64 editions due to the styling changes, but those in the know about these cars are often able to secure a great car for a bargain price. The best bargain in the Starfire family is probably the 1965 edition. It still has a potent V8 and all the little touches of luxury, but the performance image was taking a back seat to comfort by this point. Good examples of these cars can still be found for under $10,000. 2019 Update: Under $10,000 is still possible, but $12-14,000 is more realistic. The '66 version lost some standard equipment so it's a little difficult to compare average values, but suffice to say the '66 is a bit below the '65 model.

There are several areas that require close inspection. Starfires boasted the most powerful engine Oldsmobile had for each year of the Starfire's run, so make sure the right block is sitting under the hood. Particularly on the early models, make sure the soft-trim is the proper color and materials, both inside and out. Chrome plated trim is plentiful on many of these cars and it doesn't hurt to give it an up-close inspection. Particularly since unique Starfire trim in good condition is both expensive and fairly rare.

The recent demise of the Oldsmobile nameplate will probably have little or no effect on the value of Starfires as they were produced 35-40 years ago. These were up-scale cars, something that many admired but simply could not afford when they were new. As a nostalgia driven model, these cars have limited appeal. However, those who like flash, classic styling and some very interesting and non-traditional color combinations of lilacs, coppers, and burgundies, Starfires are just the ticket.

During the 1960's, Oldsmobile had a strong market presence and created several "icon" cars such as the 4-4-2 and front-drive Toronado. However, before either of those cars ever hit the road, there was Starfire, the car that lead Olds into the space-age.

Current Values

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

(C) Copyright 2004- VMR International, Inc. All rights reserved. This article first appeared in the September 2004 issue of Collector Car & Truck Market Guide.