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The First Oldsmobile Toronado Was a Technological Marvel and Instant Classic
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ค. 2021
- It's hard to understate just how radical the Toronado was when it was released from Oldsmobile in 1966 - there was nothing else on the road quite like it, either mechanically or stylistically.
It was built during a high point for GM, and even the country at large - It was a couple of years before societal chaos would take hold, and another few before gas and emissions issues would spark the malaise era. It was the perfect time for a radical car.
And the Toronado was indeed radical. It was the first front-wheel-drive American car since the Cords of the 1930s, and had dozens of other innovations to boot. The styling matched the mechanicals, with a low roofline, long beak, and swept-down tail. If radical was the order of the day, the Toronado looked the part.
This is a full review and test drive of a 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado, with an in-depth tour of the car and a brief discussion of how it was made, and the players involved. Vehicle was loaned from a private collection, and is not for sale.
Videos referenced:
Review of 1976 Oldsmobile 98 including history of Oldsmobile:
• This 32K Mile 1976 Old...
Review of a 1969 Cadillac DeVille with a flat tire fiasco:
• This 1969 Cadillac Sed...
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This guy does the best car reviews. So informative and interesting to watch. The way he explains the history and all the behind the scenes corporate stories gives such a great feeling of nostalgia.
Today cars build to fit your pockets, and no sole anymore, taking even 2000 year, I have to paint build my self everything, now you just buy strips with car, then car story's so much full of striking brave decisitions. Just love this channel, it takes me back to what I loved about cars, just want to say thanks.
He’s the reason why I brought my Jaguar lol
….plus Florida weather reports
Totally agree. Rob UK.
@@Frontsit soul*
My daily driver (literally my only car) when I was in my early 20s was a 1969 Toronado with bucket seats and console shifter. Bill covers everything that was wonderful about it. The engineering, the styling, the friendly kudos from appreciative strangers. And how huge and heavy it was! Mine had disc brakes and they were still terrible! Many times I found myself 10 feet deep into an intersection at a red light. Watching those headlight covers open up brought back great memories.
I imagine that car could be retrofitted with better modern disc brakes for better stopping power and safety.
Yep, in my '66 Olds 88 I always had to plan my braking distances WAY ahead for traffic lights and cars ahead of me. Also had to test and dry the front brakes off after turning through deep puddles. Helped make me a more cautious driver to this day.
My buddy in High School inherited a '70 Tornado in '72 and instantly became the most popular guy in the class 😀 What a beautiful car, I still get a little stiffy looking at theses Tornados...my car was a '71 Chevelle rag top, bumblebee yellow, with a 350ci 4 speed. Once or twice a year I get in the ass kicking mode for letting that car go...🥴
Thanks all.. Interestingly, slight off Topic of TORONADO, BUT:: I bought a nice 66 FORD GALAXIE 500 XL( in 1967, from Chrysler Dealer, asTHE ONLY MANUEL in all Dealership)//* 4 SOD/352/4BBL/ Dual EXHA/ Deluxe interiors:::first thing I HAD TO DO WAS BRAKE jobs to **METALLIC Drums::as the 113 mile south
A car that deserves to be remembered . Lovely lines and interesting engineering.
Yes it does Tony!
Dear God! Brings back memories. My next door neighbor had one of these. They were so beautiful and still are today. They were front wheel drive which was very unusual back then.
That car styling STILL holds up today. A beautiful example.
My HS chemistry teacher, Mary Tyo, had one of these in silver, and I always called shotgun on field trips. Loved the car. Loved her. Coolest young lady too ever ignite a Bunsen burner.
Van Halen knew your thoughts exactly 😃
This was a nice blast from the past. My uncle had a '68 Toronado with the massive 455 cu in torque monster. I was a little kid and the car seemed like a spaceship to me. The first-gen Toronados still look awesome. That hood is so big you could land aircraft on it. My uncle had a number of great classic cars that I wish I could have inherited.
You should've sent him b/day cards! 🥳
This man has a knowledge it knows a lot about it
Oldsmobile marketing would eventually say "not your father's Oldsmobile". And that was the problem. This beauty was my father's Oldsmobile, when I was a 10 year old lad. And I want it!
Had a 1969 W-34 . Used it on our honeymoon in 1977. Great highway car, amazingly good in the snow as well. Sadly lost to rust in 1983. Great memories thx.
Darn highway salt
Bill, on so many levels you have the most informative background on the cars and the wildlife and coronavirus therapy that just brings a smile to my toothless🏒 face, LOL. CHEERS🥂👍😁 🇨🇦 ❤
Don't forget the weather....Bill is always there for a weather report
@@charleskiel2299 Oops, my bad.
@@charleskiel2299 I never got used to the humidity when I lived there.
Things I look forward to on this channel... The "Good morning!" greeting and the weather and animal report. Thank you Bill!
Glad I grew up in this era to see the fantastic styling.
Moms boyfriend back in the day had one. 😊
Never2 much
Never2 long
Full sized Hot Wheels.
Remembering what an event it was when our local car dealers "unveiled" the following year's line up in their showrooms around September & October!
@@billolsen4360 Exciting times my friend.
That's the nicest looking Toronado I have ever seen, perfect paint color.
Congrats Bill you hit the 90000 subscriber mark on your way to a million
Thanks so much for letting me traval down memory lane for a few moments, Owned a 1968 Toro an now nearly 72 its still and forever will be my favorite car. I Hope to find another one and restore it in my way before its to late for me, Lord what a beautiful car and dream it was to drive. ❤
My parents bought a 1968 Toronado new (light brown) from the local Olds dealer when I was 6 years old and the whole family LOVED that car! I remember visiting the car lot as we picked it out. Mom wanted a luxury Cadillac and dad wanted a sports car and the Toronado checked both boxes. It was a huge car, but undeniably sporty and very fast for the times. The Olds Rocket 455 engine moved that beast around quickly. Seeing the rolling speedometer in this video really brought back all the great memories of long family road trips (along Route 66) in that beautiful car.
Came November 1973, and 6 MPG wasn't that cool anymore . . .
My first car. Mean as nuts 455 front wheel drive? Never thought about snow tires.
In high school my contemporary year muscle car kids laughed at the beast. Straight road. Well, they knew my license plate number and I saw the panic in my rear view mirror
A great memory.
@@angelo_giachetti just fun adolescent times
Bill needs to release his own brand of Coronavirus Whiskey.
At least a barrel pick.
@Just Mingled yep…whiskey just makes one care less about *being sick*
@Just Mingled actually moderate alcohol consumption has been shown to boost immune response in several studies.
Agreed myfriend.
Lurking Goat Whiskey
Absolutely love!! My good friend in high school was given this 1968 toronado to drive. ( It was her father's) It was great ..I had the 1970 cutlass supreme oldsmobike Convertible. So miss my car..😥
My Great Aunt had a plum color '69, I loved that car, it was a BEAST in winter.
The amazing GMC motorhome of the '70's used the entire stock Toronado powertrain to power it.
455 Big Block or 403 in a Gmc motor home
Had forgot all about that big beast.
As usual, you provide a wonderful, information-laden tribute to a magnificent car. As you go over it, the details are so intricate and unique, like the Olds rocket logo parking lights on the rear quarter panets. The Toronado didn't look like anything else on the road in its earliest years. Today, its like manufacturers WANT the vehicles to look interchangeable. Thank you Bill and Uncle Johnny for sharing this bit of welcome nostagia. (HAHA...."Daniel S Moran will be your Uber driver today." I guess the dash plaque was like engraving your name on the back of your watch and marking it as your own, claiming original ownership.)
My father had a GMC Motorhome that used the 455 cid, front drive transmission from the Oldsmobile. I drove it many miles while on family vacations.
I remember my Dad taking me to look at a 70's model and how excited he was to look at one. Brings back memories.
Would you look at that beauty? Just look at it! It’s so beautiful!
Would you just look at it?
Automotive art at its best.
I remember that car so well my grandfather had a 1968 Toronado and on both sides of my family everyone family had Oldsmobiles take note to how absolutely huge the gas pedals are. Lol
Extremely cool....1966 is my favorite. Love that the headlights don't move but the grille opens up!
Was, and always will be, my ultimate dream car. I was 9 years old when the Toronado debuted, and my first ever car mag was Motor Trend's Car of the Year issue, with the awesome Toronado as the recipient. Thanks Bill, watching your video made my heart beat faster.
Full sized Hot Wheels.
The best car my dad ever had was his '68 Toronado in the same color as the one in the video (minus the vinyl top). A stuck horn was the only problem the car ever had. He traded it in for a '70 Toronado a couple of years later, which he drove for the rest of his life.
My Dad had a 1968 Toronado and I loved it when I got to drive it. Smooth power was the best way to describe it. The only draw back I remember was that it only got 8 miles per gallon.
Yes. Good lord!! Gas was like 30c a gallon when it was new though.
And quality of gas was questionable back then too
Made proudly here in Lansing, Michigan.
Heck yeah, I'm in Lansing too!
LoL I've never heard anyone admit being from Michigan, let alone proud of it🤪
The fact that REO Speedwagon honors Oldsmobile founder blew me away!! I also love all the historical information that explains how cars reflect the important milestones of the era. Thanks!!
Back in 1968 My dad & uncle worked body & fender at Kaiser Bros Oldsmobile,
in downtown L.A. I remember going with them to the shop
I was 10 years old Man the first time I set eyes on the Toronado I fell in love with it, thanks for featuring this car do not see many around.
In the early 80s, at the time I was finishing college and looking at going out to work, I really wanted to pick up a used Olds Toronado. Had even found one and was considering buying it, but decided at the last minute to attend grad school instead. Thought those were beauties, but this 68 Toronado has to be hands down one of the most beautiful designs of the 1960s and 70s. It makes me thing of a T-Bird of the mid-60s but even more sleeker! The design stands the test of time and a modern version would be a beauty today!
That car is in incredible shape for its age, and i dont really remember seeing them back in the day much.
They were big in the San Fernando Valley, Brentwood, Bev Hills, as were Eldorados and boat tailed Rivieras.
My God, what a gorgeous car! Myself and a buddy of mine had a little business back in the late 80's-early 90's where we bought and sold convertible classic muscle cars (maybe we were the first "flippers", LOL!), with a few rare hardtops thrown in, and we had a 66 Toronado that was all original, in a beautiful blue with a darker blue interior that had only 66k original miles. It had the optional chrome wheels, and pretty much every option. What a lovely car, and powerful! That thing would light up the front tires until you let off the gas. Thank you, Bill, for the awesome review of this 68 Toronado. You ROCK, man! I wish I could experience all the cool old iron you get to have fun with. Stay cool, brother!
I cannot lie the car is simply beautiful!
Thank you for your videos, Bill! I'm always so happy when I see a new video. Beautiful car! Pure art!
Yup. Love this channel
@@TheJrj430 Fully agree!
Glad you mentioned the GMC motorhome. I hope you get to review one someday.
Ditto's on that comment.
AKA the EM-50 Urban Assault
Vehicle, if you remember the movie Stripes.
That was the six wheel vehicle with only a front axle. The four rear wheels were bolted to the frame rails, so as to keep a low flat floor inside.
@@charlesyoung7436 Indeed.
Saw the thumbnail and said this looks like another Uncle Johnny car!
Your accent screams somewhere between Lake Michigan & Pittsburgh😆This baby is a real gem from an era we may never see again
Bill you are one of kind ,we love these videos more than you can ever imagine brother
My Dad had a light blue metallic '66 Toronado. It took us thru the Mojave Desert in the summer. It cruised thru there at 90mph, A/C set to 65 and it was 110 outside. Didn't break a sweat. Not only was it the prettiest car on the road, it was a monster machine.
yea have flasbacks as child dad driveing at nite spedo pegged on a hundred me going back to sleep...no wonder i speed feels normal
That retracting headlight grille is badass!!
I had a 1986 Toronado. Loved that car! Thanks for making this Video
What a jewel! Great history lesson on the development of this marvel.
Bill loves them hidden headlights so much, he will risk being in his own video to show it to us!
What a sacrifice Bill, good to hear your voice at the start of a lovely Canadian weekend!
Was thinking that exact same thing with that cool opening ( and cool closing , of the opening 🤔.) 👍
I'm a bit late to the party just now watching this vid, but I have to say as a retired mid 60s retired auto body mech who's first two cars were a '67 and then a '66 Riviera, this front drive cousin to the Riv looks incredible!! Damn!
My buddies father had one like that one in silver back in the mid seventies. I drove it a couple of times. Once to a drive in movie. You could lay on the back seat floor and go to town and no one could walk by and see you.
When I was a kid my dad had a '66 Toronado that I thought was amazing! He bought it used but it was only a couple of years old. It seemed like a larger size Corvette and painted in a deep maroon color. The rolling barrel speedometer was pretty cool. I like the pop-up headlights on the '66 better than the behind the grill lights on this '68. I noticed a couple of differences on this '68 than how my dad's car was: On the inside door panel of the '66 there was a handle at the back of the armrest for people in the rear seat to open the door. Also, the telescoping steering wheel adjusted by turning the center hub (unscrew it) and then the wheel would just pop right out - my dad didn't know about this feature until he was sitting at a red light one day and fiddling. What a surprise he said it was. Somewhere around 1972 the transmission went out on my dad's car. He had it towed to a Oldsmobile dealership somewhere near downtown Oklahoma City where it sat for months - supposedly they couldn't figure out how to fix the thing. After many months (I remember us going by to check on it a couple of times) they called him and said someone had stolen the front seat and the hood off the car. That's the last I remember of my dad's car. Sad. I still think it's one of the nicest styled cars GM ever produced - I would LOVE to have one in as nice a condition as the car in the video.
Exasperating sigh 30 seconds in followed by “It’s a fine morning. It’s not actually it’s humid as shit. It sucks.” This is why we watch your videos. We love you Bill.
What an unbelievable BEAUTY and testament to Americas engineering & style on the edge! Love it!
You really hit the roof with this epic ride. Thanks a million.
Love, love , love this car!! Especially those tires = Amazing!!!
I was fascinated by these cars when I was a kid in the 70s, before I even liked cars.
Great reviews. Bill, you crack me up... you've got a great sense of humor in addition to amazing knowledge about these very curious cars... each one is a mini-documentary.
What a genius vid! Brilliant car, and your incredibly informative, wildly clever, and totally engaging narration is as good as it gets!
My favorite American design of those years.
Oh these are sooooo awesome. One of the best 60s cars. Front drive. Power. Cool ass Speedo.
Coming from cold and windy West Yorkshire, UK, I really appreciate your honesty with the weather. The Toronado is my favourite Classic American car. My brother has a '95 5.0L Mustang convertible and a '68 429" 2dr Thunderbird.
I just bought a 68 toronado and this video has helped so much thankyou
I had a 67 Eldorado and it pulled out like a locomotive !
Does that mean slowly with the wheels slipping?
I had a '73.
The '67 - '70 were the best looking by far. The 1970 Eldo had the best of all Cadillac engines, the 'pre smog' 500 inch (8.2 liter) with 400hp at 550 foot pounds of torque.
OMG... when you did the Riviera the other day, it made me think of the Toronado! I've always preferred the Olds. Sweet ride!!
I have never been a big car person. But these videos have given me a whole new perspective and appreciation for cars. Especially older cars. Your information is amazing.
I remember when people used to leave burnouts with the front wheels. Big block Olds engine under the hood. Thank you Bill.
I own a 1972 Toronado, love it, but the earlier Toronados are the coolest! Thanks for your great insight, Bill, and your “rambling” is just getting better and better!
GM used the chain thing (again) in the X-cars, although they were traverse mounted engines…I have repaired several of those damn things, they had a irritating tendency to get too much slack and wear down the cock wheels, the result; under hard acceleration the chain would fly over the cock wheels…..
Gorgeous. Looking at what was out there in 1968, it's very true that the Toronado stood out!
That is incredible looking car. I never saw this car in real life. 1966 and it looks absolutely badass now.
I owned a 67 back in the mid-eighties for a few years. God, how I'd love to own this one. I LOVED my car. I loved the ride, I loved the power. I loved the interior comfort- and I did carry 6 adults with no discomfort for any of them, including the headroom in the back. It was a reliable starter even in horribly frigid weather. I never made multiple emergency brake applications in quick succession, so never experienced this dreaded fading they were so alarmed about. Thank God these things existed. I know cars are infinitely safer and better handling and every shitty car out there has power windows and locks and A/C, etc. but you don't FEEL anything with new cars anymore. There's no spirit anymore.
That car doesn’t have a bad angle. The front end looks especially fine.
The rear is sub par compared to rest of the car.
I dont understand why its front wheel drive. A big car with a big engine doesnt go with front wheel drive. If they had RWD and disc brakes they would have sold millions.
@@tubester4567 Ever drive in the snow? That's why.
@@tubester4567 You've never driven one, then.
Cornering, especially hard cornering, with a FWD land yacht is an absolute delight! Leave enough room to accelerate and the front wheels pull the rest of the beast behind it and just snap through curves. The rear end will never 'wash out' but if you do lose front traction you'd best find a soft spot to land and hope there's nothing in the way (don't ask how I know this).
For braking, set the rear brakes tighter than the front. They actually self adjusted that way every time the car was braked in reverse.
@@patcurrie9888 I once hitched a ride in one of these through Donner Pass in January. There was a CHP roadblock that only allowed 4WD, vehicles with chains, and the unchained Toronado through.
It cut through several inches of snow like it was _'snow problem'._
Bill's reviews of these old cars are genuinely the very best on TH-cam. So clear, informative, enthusiastic and entertaining. I used to read about American cars as a kid in the UK in the 90s, but these videos really make the cars come to life. I remember reading about the pre-facelift Toronado in a book written by a posh, stuffy Englishman and, because of that, I never really understood the Toronado or its intended market, but I do now after watching this.
I got recommended this video and I was instantly hooked by the Toronado's unique look and I kept watching BECAUSE of your rambling, it's quite entertaining from one car comical reviewer to another. I never reviewed anything this cool, but I did do an Old's 442 a few months back.
what a beauty! shame we don't have that kind of 'something' in today's automotive world...sorely lacking, to the point they need to harken back to the 'good old days' with retro rockets like the incredible Hemi Challenger or the Camaro, until they ruined that look completely but....these old cars are just stunning...nothing compares to them today in style and beauty..NOT-A-THING
actually I remember the TV show Mannix had one of these a custom ONE OF A KIND just made for the show 1967 convertible, listed on ebay for $135,000! wonder if anyone was insane enough to plunk down that kind of green for it
Delorean had a great eye and helped produce some of GMs most iconic automobiles.
Bill Mitchell and his team did the Riviera, Eldorado, and Toronado.
Talking about bringing back memories! This was the first car my parents bought brand new! I vividly remember sitting in the front seat in my car seat in the dark blue Toronado named 'Betsy'...Thank you for this review! 🥰🥰
i"m 56 and this thing looks way better than me! I had when a kid a hot wheels car of this and was my favorite. Love your ramble Bill! You speak volumes for me.
This car looks very classic!!!
15minutes in and I wanted to yell " open the friggin door why don't ya!"
Thanks Bill you have more character than all of the other TH-cam car guys combined.
The Toronado started to be developed in 1959. The car had 1 million test miles before sold to the public. The 68 front end design was designed from the 56 Olds front end. You can see the styling ques in the front. The 68 Toronado was the first car to have the "halo" vinyl top. The 68 was the first year for the 455! Olds always was a step ahead and always had contemporary body styles. The reason Olds was dropped was because Buick is a big seller in China. More Buicks are sold in China than in the US. The 68 Toro was exotic and one of a kind. Thanks for the GREAT video!
Nice lines. Replace the chrome with plastic, take off the soft top, beef up the pillars and put 18 inch rims on it and it would damn near look like a modern car. I mean, don't really do those things because that would ruin the car, but the point is that the design is timeless.
Why ruin a good thing? Why must everything be changed to look like today? 1968 was a terrible year, but just like the Civil War and the depression, they should be remembered for what they were. The cars were a bright spot that year.
Ooh ill watch any if Bill's videos bit I love his 60s and 70s boats. My first stepdad had a used 66 Toro when I was a little kid. The doors were so heavy we could barely shut them.
This will give me a fix until the Cordoba is ready. If it doesn't have Corinthian leather I might burst a blood vessel.
Spoiler: It doesn’t.
@@curiouscars9282 Well we still get to listen to your thoughts on it and the short lived twin Dodge Charger. Your flipping the lights on this one in the videi was orgasmic.
Stunning, gorgeous and what a presence 1968, 2024, whenever 💯💫
There was a book I remember reading in HS named Big Iron. The hero was racing in NASCAR and drive a Tornado. Made me always want one. Fantastic looking car. Cracking an adult beverage in your honor.
Great car! I was 10 years old when I first saw one in South Asia (in Pakistan, of all places) which belonged to a US diplomatic corp person. It was jaw-dropping in (and out) of its US context.
Thanks for this.
PS. Bill, for pillarless cars, could you give an outside view when you lower the front and rear windows? It's seldom one gets to see a pillarless coupé with all the side glass lowered.
All the best, 🖖🙏🇨🇦
I had a 1977 Jaguar XJ6C hard top coupe ... I loved driving it with all the windows down.
We love you!!!
My grandfather went on a trip in a snowstorm with a friend who had a Toronado and he loved the front wheel drive and he ended up buying a black 69 Toronado it was a beautiful car it was sold when I was in college and I wasn't able to get it I wish I had
The Florida humidity. This time of year it goes up the Atlantic coast and hits us in Nova Scotia. But it does not bother us all of the time. We do have dryer days, so remember this for after the Pandemic is over. Beautiful car, I've always loved the Toronado. My husband is a clergy man, before theology he worked at a Chevy Oldsmobile dealership. GM had brought in an Oldsmobile Aurora for everyone to drive. This was the 1990's. He remembers it fondly though he was annoyed because the car was slated for eventual destruction. We both love your curious cars. Love from Canada. Mary.
Love this guy, I love his reviews, love the fact he doesn’t even ❤️our comments!!😂
Look at the engine compartment! easy to fix, plenty of room! Wish they made cars like this today!
My dad had a white flip light Toronado that preceded the nose light car featured in your video. It was way cool as it had a flat floor in the back and on long trips my brother and I used to end up sleeping either on the back seat or on the floor (we took turns).
Thanks for the interesting videos, rants included!
The front styling instantly made me think of a 2005 Maserati Quattroporte.
Anyone else see it?
Gorgeous car for sure!
This car was so ahead of it's time that if it came out today, it would sell very well. Maybe far more than anything else. Bill you're correct. I think that accountants have too much power. They eventually ruined many great car companies. Build what the people want and you will sell them by the dozens.
It shares the same platform and front wheel drive as the Eldorado (I had a '67 Eldo- great car)
Absolutely.
I had a 1973 Eldorado, triple black.
The '67 - '70 were the best looking by far. The 1970 Eldo had the best of all Cadillac engines, the 'pre smog' 500 inch (8.2 liter) with 400hp at 550 foot pounds of torque.
I had a neighbor who had valet parked his Cadillac on the sunset strip in the late 60s and was driving home, and saw a rose on the front seat ... Soon realized it wasn't his Cadillac.
Damn! You make me roll on the floor with laughter and give a great and thorough review of classic cars! You are seriously the best buddy...
Thank you Bill. When I was in high school a friend hired me to work in his greenhouse business. He became like a treasured uncle. He bought the first year Toronado. Everything you say about this car is spot on. US quality back then was special. Springs didn't get "sprung". Springs retained their temper for decades. That drive chain! Talk about durability under stress--but the country was making rockets and capsules for space travel. That little clip of the men in white shirts, buzzy haircuts--and ---didn't I see some pocket protectors? Wasn't that before the "bean counters" came into high regard displacing the guys with the buzzy haircuts?
I freaking love your commentary about the cars. You had me laughing out loud about the turkey vultures waiting to get a piece of you and the terrible humidity making you feel as though you didn't want to go on. You're awesome!!!
Absolutely gorgeous car! I wish GM would make a modern version. I think it would sell like hotcakes!
Probably not until people lose their ridiculous addiction to SUVs
Was just thinking about the Toronado earlier and how cool they are, looking for videos. Then you post this! 😃
Your photos are more than 1000 words. G bless
What a pristine example
Try being in n the North in February. I'll trade you the humidity for the damp cold that eats right through you.
No thanks . Ill stay here in Tampa Fl. Home of the back to back Stanley cup champs . Lol sorry saw you screen name . Had to say it . Im a native to Florida and ill take the heat to the cold any day .
I'll take the Southwest, thanks just the same.