Oldsmobile Starfire (1961)

Like many cars of the time, the 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire had a bargelike feel thanks to light steering, soft suspension and wallowing ride. But this was exactly how people liked it, as they associated these attributes with quality and prestige. Yet the Starfire was intended to be sporting amongst its rivals and so had a torquey big-block engine. The chassis was stronger than most, featuring a separate frame with four steel triangulated crossmembers to promote torsional rigidity. This worked most noticeably on the convertible, which was particularly solid in construction. Dual exhaust gave away the engine's sporting prowess, which had an improved induction system and hotter camshaft, as well as the Skyrocket's four-barrel carb and high-compression pistons. Through the smooth Hydramatic gearbox, it performed extremely well, making the Starfire very quick for its size and bulk.

Oldsmobile Starfire (1961) Specifications