East Coaster of the Day: 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire
East Coast Tester, Garry Sowerby, spotted this car in the Truro area.
In the early 1960s, in his hometown, Moncton, New Brunswick, it was his fantasy car. He would drive by the doctor’s office where it was parked and dream that his father would buy one.
With unique trim and a futuristic interior, it was the first North American car Garry ever saw with bucket seats, centre console and a floor shift automatic transmission.
The Starfire name was used on Oldsmobile Ninety Eight convertible models from 1954 until 1956 then introduced as a separate model in 1961, also as a convertible.
The Starfire Coupe hardtop, like the one featured today, was introduced in 1962.
With a 394-cubic inch, 345-horsepower Skyrocket V-8 engine, the striking Starfire was a precursor to the Toronado, the beginning of a long line of high-end personal luxury automobiles from the Oldsmobile brand.
