1983 Oldsmobile Toronado

General Motors produced the Toronado through four generations, lasting from 1966 to 1992. It was a personal luxury car that gained notoriety for being the first United States-produced front-wheel-drive automobile since the Cord of the mid-1930s. It was the 1966 Motor Trend Car of the Year recipient and placed third in the 1966 European Car of the Year competition.

The 1983 Oldsmobile Toronado was part of the third generation, introduced in 1979 and produced through 1985. Compared to the 2nd Gen, it was much smaller and lighter, reduced by over 20 inches in length, and dropped nearly 1,000 pounds. The new 114-inch wheelbase platform, with its 206-inch length, was powered by a smaller Oldsmobile 350 cubic-inch V8 rated at 170 horsepower. A 307 CID V8 was introduced in 1980, and a larger 252 CID version of the Buick V6 was offered from 1981 to 1984, along with a new diesel V8. The diesel was initially popular due to its fuel economy, but after acquiring a poor mechanical reputation, sales quickly fell off the pace. A 307 CID V8 was standard on the 1985 Toronados.

The standard transmission from 1979 to 1981 was a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic. From 1982 to 1985, the standard unit was a four-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 325-4L overdrive unit.

The fourth-generation Toronado rested on an independent rear suspension, and rear disc brakes were optional.

The 1983 Olds Toronado Brougham two-door Coupe had a factory base price of $15,250 making it the most expensive car in the lineup. The 39,605 examples built accounted for just over four percent of Oldsmobile's total production that year. The engine selections remained the same as those found on the Ninety-Eight and styling was essentially unchanged from the previous year. The front grille received slight modifications, and the panel located above the full-width grille received a center emblem and its nameplate was moved onto the grille. The base engine was a 252 cubic-inch V6 backed by the four-speed automatic with overdrive. Standard equipment included power steering, power brakes, an AM/FM electronic tuning stereo radio, speed control with a resume feature, power windows, Four Season air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, a digital clock, and a power antenna built into the front fender. Side window defoggers, dual remote-control mirrors, steel-belted radial whitewalls, automatic leveling, and power door locks were also standard. The electronic-tuning radio/cassette player with Dolby noise reduction, dynamic noise reduction, and custom-equalized sound was a new option this year.
By Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2020