Priced at $4,650, it was the most expensive Oldsmobile for 1961, and 7,800 examples were produced. Standard items on the Starfire included power front bucket seats, a dual exhaust system, leather interior, Hydra-Matic transmission, limited-slip differential, power windows, power brakes, power steering, trunk release, antenna, and console-mounted tachometer. Other features included the chrome-plated oil filler cap, air cleaner, and valve covers. Distinguishable features included the full-length brushed aluminum side-sweep that would become the car's visual signature. It shared its platform with the 88 (well, it was actually one to five inches shorter overall with a fractionally smaller wheelbase) but with the more powerful 394 cubic-inch Rocket V8 engine. Oldsmobile introduced the Starfire convertible late in the 1961 model year.
![1963 oldsmobile starfire 1961 ford thunderbird 1963 oldsmobile starfire 1961 ford thunderbird](https://www.southerncrossusimporters.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1961-Ford-Thunderbird-23.jpg)
![1963 oldsmobile starfire 1961 ford thunderbird 1963 oldsmobile starfire 1961 ford thunderbird](https://barnfinds.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1961-Oldsmobile-Starfire.jpg)
The 'Starfire' name was not used on the 98 series beginning with the 1958 model year. For 1957, all 98 models were referred to as Starfire 98. The four-passenger convertible had a fiberglass body, a wraparound windshield, and bucket seats for all passengers.įrom 1954 to 1956, the Starfire was a convertible on the Oldsmobile 98, and with a retail price of approximately $3,250 (in 1954), they were the most expensive Oldsmobile offered during those years. It was called the Starfire Concept and was named after the Lockheed F-94 Starfire jet fighter and powered by an overhead valve Rocket V8 engine.
![1963 oldsmobile starfire 1961 ford thunderbird 1963 oldsmobile starfire 1961 ford thunderbird](https://photos.classiccars.com/cc-temp/listing/115/4812/13882975-1963-oldsmobile-starfire-std.jpg)
January 1961 was the genesis of the Starfire as a stand-alone model, but its name existed within the Oldsmobile lineup many years prior, beginning with a dream car shown at the 1953 Motorama auto show.