# Oldsmobile Toronado
The **Oldsmobile Toronado** was a personal luxury coupe produced by [General Motors](https://www.edgepedia.org/general-motors)' Oldsmobile division from 1966 to 1992, best known as the first front-wheel-drive American production car since the 1937 Cord 810.[1](https://stk-resource.s3.amazonaws.com/instructions/pdfs/384/original.pdf?1697512746=) Introduced on October 14, 1965 as a 1966 model, it paired a 385-horsepower 425 cubic inch V8 with front-wheel drive in a full-size fastback body, and it was named [Motor Trend](https://www.edgepedia.org/motor-trend)'s Car of the Year for 1966.[2](https://automotivehistory.org/oldsmobile-toronado-debut/) • [3](https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/a-look-back-at-the-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-the-art-of-the-the-automobile)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Production run | 1966–1992, four generations (1966–70, 1971–78, 1979–85, 1986–92)[4](https://www.toronado.org/) |
| Debut | Introduced October 14, 1965 as a 1966 model[2](https://automotivehistory.org/oldsmobile-toronado-debut/) |
| Drivetrain | Front-wheel drive with the Unitized Power Package: 425 cu in Super Rocket V8 (385 hp, 475 lb-ft SAE gross) and three-speed automatic in a single unit forward of the passenger compartment[5](https://www.outrightolds.com/model-guide/toronado-guide) • [6](https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/toronado-a-new-breed-660154) • [7](https://hachette-collections.de/medias/en-us/download-center/A21_FF_21_US.pdf) |
| 1966 dimensions | 211 in (5,360 mm) long, 78.5 in (1,994 mm) wide, 119 in (3,023 mm) wheelbase, over 4,500 lb (2,040 kg)[8](https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/oldsmobile-toronado-1966-1970/) |
| Recognition | Motor Trend Car of the Year for 1966, plus engineering and design awards including one from the Industrial Designers Society of America[3](https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/a-look-back-at-the-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-the-art-of-the-the-automobile) |
| Platform sharing | Shared GM's E-body with the Buick Riviera (rear-drive in 1966) and later the Cadillac Eldorado (front-drive from 1967)[9](https://www.motortrend.com/features/c12-0509-1966-oldsmobile-toronado) • [10](https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/design-considerations-full-size-front-wheel-drive-vehicles-750014) |
| Successor | The Aurora sports sedan arrived for the 1995 model year[2](https://automotivehistory.org/oldsmobile-toronado-debut/) |
## Development
Since 1958, [Oldsmobile](https://www.edgepedia.org/oldsmobile) had been developing front-wheel drive under engineer John Beltz's guidance; Beltz, who created the 442, would later lead the division.[11](https://carsofdreams.com/past-collection-1968-oldsmobile-toronado/) The work began as an investigation of a front-drive layout for GM's entry-level cars, pairing the engine and transaxle together as a single unit dubbed the Unitized Power Package (UPP).[12](https://www.drivingline.com/articles/the-1966-1970-oldsmobile-toronado-introduced-muscle-car-fans-to-big-block-front-wheel-drive-performance/) The result was a vehicle with all the power components designed into a single unit forward of the passenger compartment, described by the Oldsmobile engineering team in a 1966 SAE technical paper.[6](https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/toronado-a-new-breed-660154)
The styling was credited to Dave North, working in an Advanced Design Studio; GM Styling vice president Bill Mitchell credited North with the design.[3](https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/a-look-back-at-the-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-the-art-of-the-the-automobile) North's original design had been conceived as a future A-body Pontiac Tempest/[Le Mans](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-mans)/GTO, but the production Toronado was considerably bigger: 211 inches long and 78.5 inches wide on a 119-inch wheelbase, weighing over 4,500 lb.[8](https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/oldsmobile-toronado-1966-1970/)
## The Unitized Power Package
The 1966 Toronado used Oldsmobile's 425 Super Rocket V-8, rated at 385 hp, which was 10 hp more than the same engine installed in a Starfire and 20 more than in a Ninety-Eight.[5](https://www.outrightolds.com/model-guide/toronado-guide) The 475 lb-ft torque rating was an SAE gross figure.[9](https://www.motortrend.com/features/c12-0509-1966-oldsmobile-toronado) The powertrain packed the seven-liter V8 and a three-speed automatic transmission into an engine bay no larger than that of a comparable rear-wheel-drive car.[7](https://hachette-collections.de/medias/en-us/download-center/A21_FF_21_US.pdf)
The drivetrain's details were unusual. The right-hand driveshaft passed under the engine oil pan, and Buick actually designed the Toronado differential and driveshafts, although Buick did not use them until 1979.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/)
## Performance and road tests
Contemporary road tests of the Toronado varied widely, with a spread of over 2 seconds in 0 to 60 mph times, suggesting testers struggled to extract the best dragstrip performance from a heavy front-drive car that was very reluctant to spin its wheels.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/) Motor Trend's December 1965 test recorded 0 to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds and a standing quarter mile in 17.2 seconds at 82 mph; the same 2,769-mile test averaged 12.3 mpg with a best of 14.7 mpg at a steady 60–65 mph.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/) • [14](https://www.motortrend.com/features/toronado-roadtest) The British magazine Autocar, testing a left-hand-drive import on a somewhat damp track, managed 0 to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, the quarter mile in 16.9 seconds at 88 mph, and an observed two-way average top speed of 127 mph.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/)
Oldsmobile did a good job of preventing torque steer with front-wheel drive and such a massive engine, and the resistance to wheelspin that hampered dragstrip starts contributed to outstanding wet-weather traction and fine straight-line stability.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/)
## Relationship to the Riviera and Eldorado
When the Toronado bowed, it shared its body shell with the all-new 1966 [Buick Riviera](https://www.edgepedia.org/buick-riviera), although the 1966 Riviera remained rear-wheel drive.[9](https://www.motortrend.com/features/c12-0509-1966-oldsmobile-toronado) The two cars were closely related yet different: the Riviera was over 200 lb lighter and consistently quicker in magazine tests, even with its single-carburetor engine, while the 1966 Toronado suspension was stiffer than the standard Riviera's, though not as stiff as the Riviera Gran Sport's.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/) The Toronado offered no performance options in 1966, while the Riviera offered a Gran Sport package priced at $176.82.[13](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/)
[Front-wheel drive](https://www.edgepedia.org/front-wheel-drive) spread from the initial 1966 Toronado to the [Cadillac Eldorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/cadillac-eldorado) in 1967 and to commercial applications for motor homes and limousines.[10](https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/design-considerations-full-size-front-wheel-drive-vehicles-750014) The Toronado shared its E-body platform with the Riviera and Eldorado for most of its 28-year history.[15](https://oldsmobilesforever.com/The%20Toronado.htm)
## Later generations
The second generation ran from 1971 to 1978; 28,980 Toronados were built for the 1971 model year, a 13.9 percent increase over 1970.[5](https://www.outrightolds.com/model-guide/toronado-guide) This generation is mainly noted for early use of two safety features later required on all cars in the United States: high-mounted taillights, and, from 1974 through 1976, participation in GM's first experimental production run of driver- and passenger-side airbags, which GM named the Air Cushion Restraint System.[15](https://oldsmobilesforever.com/The%20Toronado.htm) For 1977, Oldsmobile, using a new glass-bending technology, introduced the Toronado XS with a wraparound backlight and power moonroof.[16](https://toronado.org/public/FAQs/GenII/xsr.htm)
The third generation, 1979 to 1985, was significantly downsized as part of GM's corporate-wide downsizing, while offering the comfort and space of the earlier cars; from 1979 through 1985 it shared the E-body platform with the Buick Riviera and Cadillac Eldorado, which became front-wheel drive in 1979.[4](https://www.toronado.org/) • [17](https://oldsjunction.classicoldsmobile.com/oldsfaq/oftor.htm) The downsized car used smaller engines, the 350 cu in (5.7 L) Rocket V8 and, beginning in 1980, the 307 cu in (5.0 L); a diesel engine was available from 1981 to 1984 but proved unpopular due to its slow acceleration.[15](https://oldsmobilesforever.com/The%20Toronado.htm)
The final, fourth-generation Toronado, 1986 to 1992, was generally considered too small for its target market and did not sell well.[4](https://www.toronado.org/) A replacement arrived for the 1995 model year as the Aurora sports sedan.[2](https://automotivehistory.org/oldsmobile-toronado-debut/)
## References
1. [1966 Oldsmobile Toronado (collection booklet)](https://stk-resource.s3.amazonaws.com/instructions/pdfs/384/original.pdf?1697512746=)
2. [Oldsmobile Introduces the Radical Front-Wheel-Drive Toronado (October 14, 1965), This Day In Automotive History](https://automotivehistory.org/oldsmobile-toronado-debut/)
3. [A look back at the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, Old Cars Weekly](https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/a-look-back-at-the-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-the-art-of-the-the-automobile)
4. [Toronado Owners Association](https://www.toronado.org/)
5. [Oldsmobile Toronado Guide, Outright Oldsmobile](https://www.outrightolds.com/model-guide/toronado-guide)
6. [Beltz, J., Watt, A., Diener, J., Weidman, W., et al., "Toronado – A New Breed," SAE Paper 660154, 1966](https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/toronado-a-new-breed-660154)
7. [Designs for a New Era (collection volume)](https://hachette-collections.de/medias/en-us/download-center/A21_FF_21_US.pdf)
8. [Out in Front: The Front-Wheel-Drive Oldsmobile Toronado, Part 1, Ate Up With Motor](https://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/oldsmobile-toronado-1966-1970/)
9. [1966 Oldsmobile Toronado – Drive, Motor Trend Classic](https://www.motortrend.com/features/c12-0509-1966-oldsmobile-toronado)
10. [Design Considerations for Full-Size, Front-Wheel-Drive Vehicles, SAE Paper 750014](https://saemobilus.sae.org/papers/design-considerations-full-size-front-wheel-drive-vehicles-750014)
11. [Past Collection – 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado, Cars of Dreams Museum](https://carsofdreams.com/past-collection-1968-oldsmobile-toronado/)
12. [The 1966–1970 Oldsmobile Toronado Introduced Muscle Car Fans To Big Block Front-Wheel Drive Performance, DrivingLine](https://www.drivingline.com/articles/the-1966-1970-oldsmobile-toronado-introduced-muscle-car-fans-to-big-block-front-wheel-drive-performance/)
13. [1966 Buick Riviera Versus 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado (Part 1), Curbside Classic](https://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/1966-buick-riviera-versus-1966-oldsmobile-toronado-closely-related-yet-so-different-part-1/)
14. [1966 Car of the Year – Toronado, Classic Road Test, Motor Trend](https://www.motortrend.com/features/toronado-roadtest)
15. [The Toronado, Oldsmobiles Forever](https://oldsmobilesforever.com/The%20Toronado.htm)
16. [Toronado XSR FAQ, Toronado Owners Association](https://toronado.org/public/FAQs/GenII/xsr.htm)
17. [Olds FAQ – Toronado, Olds Junction](https://oldsjunction.classicoldsmobile.com/oldsfaq/oftor.htm)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › American automobile models › Luxury and personal luxury cars*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license