The 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado stands as a fascinating chapter in automotive history, a vehicle lauded for its groundbreaking front-wheel-drive system and striking design, yet ultimately marked by compromises that hindered its full potential. Contemporary reviews of the Toronado, much like our own assessment today, highlight this duality: innovation and style met with significant shortcomings. While praised for its advanced drivetrain and eye-catching aesthetics, serious questions arose concerning various aspects of the car, preventing it from achieving true automotive greatness. In essence, the ’66 Toronado was a pioneering but imperfect and somewhat perplexing creation from Oldsmobile. History reveals it as a technological marvel that, in terms of market impact, led to a dead end rather than a revolutionary new path for front-wheel-drive in American cars. Instead of heralding a new era, it became more of an evolutionary side branch.
Oldsmobile’s foray into the personal luxury car (PLC) segment with the Toronado can be viewed with a degree of understanding, considering the industry-wide scramble to rival Ford’s successful Thunderbird. By the mid-1960s, even Ford recognized the original Thunderbird formula was losing its edge. Thus, a period of experimentation and uncertainty was inevitable as automakers sought to define the future of the PLC market.
1966 Oldsmobile Toronado front view, showcasing its distinctive hidden headlights and bold design.
Despite acknowledging its flaws, the 1966 Toronado possesses undeniable visual appeal. Its styling is captivating and could be extensively praised. However, its primary objective – strong sales figures – remained elusive. From its introduction, sales were underwhelming and continued to decline in subsequent years, indicating a disconnect between its innovative features and market acceptance.
Looking back, the Toronado’s conception reveals early signs of GM’s eventual challenges, even within the context of the evolving PLC landscape. Oldsmobile’s decision to implement front-wheel drive in a large luxury car, while unconventional for the time, wasn’t without precedent. The memory of the luxurious front-wheel-drive Cords of the 1930s likely influenced this direction. Furthermore, while FWD was gaining traction in smaller European cars, it was far from the norm in the American market, especially in larger vehicles.
The Toronado also exemplifies the internal dynamics within General Motors, where different departments pursued their agendas, navigating a complex corporate structure. On one side, a skilled research team developed cutting-edge technology, in this instance, Oldsmobile’s long-standing exploration of FWD technology dating back to the late 1950s. Simultaneously, a talented design department generated striking designs intended for showrooms – in the Toronado’s case, a sporty aesthetic initially envisioned for a smaller car. Ultimately, management, responding to market pressures, approved these innovative proposals from their staff. However, this often occurred without a clear vision for their integration, frequently resulting in compromises in the final product due to perplexing cost-cutting measures.
Side profile of a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, emphasizing its fastback roofline and long wheelbase.
Notwithstanding the internal conflicts and compromises surrounding its development, the Toronado achieved success in several aspects. A contemporary Car Life review generally spoke highly of the car, describing it as “a big, bold fastback gran turismo automobile with an exceedingly strong engine…” The review noted the effortless cruising at 80mph, thanks to the car’s substantial 385bhp, 425CID V-8 engine.
The Toronado’s distinctive styling undeniably attracted attention. Car Life observed, “Everywhere the car was taken during Car Life’s test period, everyone encountered expressed an opinion -positive or negative- or else asked a question. Everyone had something to say.” This public reaction underscored the Toronado’s visual impact, making it a topic of conversation wherever it went.
Anecdotes from the Car Life review further illustrate public perception. A young girl simply described the car as “Smooth.” An older woman expressed confusion about the car’s name, mishearing it as “Tornado?” Interestingly, mechanically inclined individuals posed more insightful questions, such as a jackhammer operator inquiring, “Is this one of those front-wheel-drive rigs?” This curiosity reflected the novelty of FWD in a large American car at the time.
Front three-quarter view of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado in motion, highlighting its sporty stance and unique wheel design.
Given the novelty of front-wheel drive, handling characteristics received considerable attention in reviews. Car Life directly addressed the question, “Does the Toronado handle differently? The answer must be a qualified yes and no.” In typical highway driving, the reviewers found “the Toronado cannot be distinguished from that of a rear-wheel driven car of like weight and size.” This suggested that under normal conditions, the FWD system didn’t drastically alter the driving experience compared to conventional rear-wheel-drive cars of similar dimensions.
However, the mechanically inclined public again offered astute observations. An electronics engineer astutely asked, “It understeers pretty badly I guess.” This pointed to a known characteristic of front-wheel-drive vehicles, particularly larger ones.
Car Life confirmed this, stating, “Yes, the Toronado understeers, but not badly… Hard into the corner, when it seems the Toronado’s massive front end will slew the outward arc of the bend, all that is required is a momentary letup on the accelerator pedal…” They elaborated on the technique to manage this, noting, “Therefore, to avoid an untoward shunt into a barbed wire fence, the trick is to make the front wheels do an accurate job of leadership with judicious seesawing of the accelerator pedal. This requires practice.” This description highlighted the need for a specific driving technique to mitigate understeer, particularly in spirited driving situations.
As expected for a personal luxury car, the Toronado prioritized a smooth ride for boulevard cruising. Car Life noted, “At high speeds on straight expressways, the passenger compartment seems to float…” This described the comfortable and isolated ride quality expected in this vehicle class. However, on less smooth rural roads, the car’s substantial front weight had implications. The review stated the “suspension system… (that) works hard and somewhat ponderously in the attempt to soften the ride…” Ultimately, they summarized the ride as “smooth -like Rocky Road ice cream, which has a few lumps here and there.” This analogy aptly captured the overall comfortable ride with occasional imperfections due to the car’s weight and FWD configuration.
Interior view of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, showing the dashboard layout, steering wheel, and spacious front seating.
Consistent with other reviews of the era, the Toronado’s braking system drew significant criticism. Car Life asserted, “The engineering which resulted in the Toronado’s drive system should have extended to the car’s braking system.” The Toronado was equipped with four-wheel drum brakes, which were deemed inadequate for the car’s considerable 5400 lb weight. The review highlighted “alarmingly unacceptable fade…” A harrowing incident during Car Life’s testing, involving an unplanned panic stop, resulted in a “…driver with trembling hands, icy perspiration, and a total lack of desire to drive the Toronado ever again…” This dramatic account underscored the serious shortcomings of the braking system.
Beyond performance concerns, the Toronado also faced criticism regarding interior packaging, especially considering its front-wheel-drive layout, which theoretically should enhance interior space. While hip room was considered adequate, a 6ft. 3in. Car Life staff member found legroom “disappointing.” This was particularly unsatisfying given the car’s substantial 211-inch overall length and 119-inch wheelbase. Furthermore, the fastback roofline compromised rear-seat headroom, limiting passenger comfort in the back.
Rear view of a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, emphasizing its distinctive taillight design and fastback styling.
Adding to its list of issues, Car Life’s test Toronado suffered from numerous quality control problems, which was unexpected for Oldsmobile, a brand traditionally associated with higher build quality. “Pillar and window moldings fitted well at some points and did not at others. The large, bin-like glovebox was sticky… Door hardware… set up sympathetic vibrations for a distressing buzz…” The review even recounted a physical manifestation of poor assembly: “Evidence of shoddy workmanship appeared suddenly when a piece fell off the Toronado onto a test driver’s foot.”
These and other assembly flaws led Car Life to conclude that “… the sum total of these manufacture and production engineering deficiencies indicates that Oldsmobile has made up in the interior, trim and fittings the amounts of money lavished underhood, especially on the drive-train. The effort was apparently to keep the Toronado’s price down.” This suggested a trade-off where investment in the innovative drivetrain was offset by cost-cutting in other areas, impacting overall quality.
Close-up detail of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado’s hidden headlight grille and emblem.
The Toronado nameplate’s history proved somewhat unfortunate, experiencing more disappointments than successes throughout its three-decade lifespan. GM gradually addressed the initial production issues of the 1966 model, introducing optional front disc brakes for the 1967 model year and improving assembly processes. Simultaneously, the Toronado evolved towards a more luxurious, “Brougham” style in an attempt to gain market traction. However, the overall results remained inconsistent.
Two concluding anecdotes from the Car Life review aptly foreshadowed the 1966 Toronado’s market reception. A physicist, driving a Mercedes Benz 180 and owning a Ford wagon for family use, questioned, “Who’d buy a car like that anyway?” This suggested a lack of clear target market for such a vehicle. Conversely, a college student inquired, “When do you think Chevrolet will bring out the Mako Shark?” This comment, referencing a Chevrolet concept car, implied that some, particularly younger buyers, were more interested in different styling directions than what the Toronado offered.
In conclusion, the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, while a remarkable showcase of engineering innovation and bold styling, ultimately fell short of its potential due to a combination of compromises in braking, interior space, and build quality. Its front-wheel-drive system, while groundbreaking, did not translate into sustained market success, marking it as a fascinating but ultimately tangential development in automotive history.
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Rear detail of a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, showing the trunk lid and prominent ‘Toronado’ badging.
