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My feeling is this is someone's bizarre concept poorly done. The factory wouldn't have slathered bondo all over the trunk lid, and if they were going to make a pick up truck out of it they wouldn't have messed with a trunk lid at all.
I always thought they were coachbuilt funeral flower cars. I haven't see many 60-70 era cars but in the 50's I have seen them In pictures usually in mafia type funerals .... Tedd
It's as factory as the Cadillac tilt wheel in it. However it could have been coach built as others have suggested in which case there should be builder identification somewhere on it.
I thought all the limos, hearses, ambulances etc. were built by coach works. Were there any built in the factory?
Pretty cool car though.
Not to my knowledge. Never. It makes zero financial sense for GM to get in the business of super low volume custom coachwork. Third parties have always done this work. Having said that, this car may well have been professionally built by a coach builder back in 1962. In which case there should be a builder tag on it somewhere.
Go to the link in my original post. The car is for sale and there are more picks. If it was fake someone went to a lot of time to make all the photos. Lol
Go to the link in my original post. The car is for sale and there are more picks. If it was fake someone went to a lot of time to make all the photos. Lol
Every conversion to a flower car I've seen is built by a custom coach builder and is almost always done with four door body styles. 1961 thru '66 Starfires were never four doors.
If they were to use a 1962 Olds I would guess they would use a 98 do to the longer chassis. Which were used for hearse and ambulance duty. Starfire's from the '60's used the shorter 88 chassis.
Also why would they go through all the trouble to stretch the trunk lid ??? You wouldn't need it. And come up with custom door glass as the pic shows no Starfire came with door glass like that. I say the pic is bogus (I clicked on the ad and the pic's never come through.)
I have one, 1961. Definitely a custom, built from a 98 4dr and 88 wagon rear section including tailgate. This one was built for and used by a Shriner, he and his wife toured around in it with Shriner motorcycles in the back to various parades and such. A love it or hate it vehicle.
Has a lot of aesthetic positives, attention to detail. Evenly matched duals, cool tires and cast wheel covers, like someone cared. Looks mostly proper under hood. But MAN that Caddy column looks GROSS, I'd have the impact wrenches buzzing on that first thing. 1970 I'd guess. Does the deck tilt up to open, or maybe it lifts off.
Look out for frame rot, these cars were prone, including mine.
I don't get this car. Is it supposed to be a pickup with a lid? Does the deck lid hinge up? Does it just remove? Is this supposed to be some kind of two seat coupe with an enormous trunk? From what I can tell from these pictures, it looks to be a nearly useless car.
I don't get this car. Is it supposed to be a pickup with a lid? Does the deck lid hinge up? Does it just remove? Is this supposed to be some kind of two seat coupe with an enormous trunk? From what I can tell from these pictures, it looks to be a nearly useless car.
It's a throwback to a previous car design that stopped in the 50s. A flower car was a coach built El Camino style pickup with a carpeted bed that was supposed to move flowers from funeral home to cemetery, sometimes getting the from the florist.
This is not a flower car, it's an attempt at a business coupe. Business coupes were for traveling salesmen after the war. They were no frills 2 door, bench seat, no back seat coupes with huge trunks that were designed for the wares of a traveling salesman. They went out of style as body types firmed up into less categories as the 50s went on, and as department stores grew.
You should see the stuff we do on prototype stuff and one offs at the tech center
Ya but you certainly don't let that stuff out. Why do you want this car to be some sort of professional piece so bad? Are you the one who bought it? It's thinking outside the box for sure, but this particular car leaves a bit to be desired.
Ya but you certainly don't let that stuff out. Why do you want this car to be some sort of professional piece so bad? Are you the one who bought it? It's thinking outside the box for sure, but this particular car leaves a bit to be desired.
I don’t. I just asked a question About it being factory in the ad, and I just stated the fact that it’s not a photoshop job. Funny how worked up people get on these sites, I was just trying to figure out where it came from and if it was gm Built and everyone saying there is no way it could have been isn’t true because I see first hand the the things build and go to shows. All I was trying to do is find out some info on it. If you don’t like this thread don’t read it
It's a throwback to a previous car design that stopped in the 50s. A flower car was a coach built El Camino style pickup with a carpeted bed that was supposed to move flowers from funeral home to cemetery, sometimes getting the from the florist.
This is not a flower car, it's an attempt at a business coupe. Business coupes were for traveling salesmen after the war. They were no frills 2 door, bench seat, no back seat coupes with huge trunks that were designed for the wares of a traveling salesman. They went out of style as body types firmed up into less categories as the 50s went on, and as department stores grew.
Do you really think somebody went to all this trouble to build a 1962 Starfire business coupe?? It's a tremendous amount of effort for such a half baked and poorly executed design if that's true. Maybe if we're lucky, whoever bought this car will come on here and give more info. It is a serious curiosity for sure.
There was a thread about this car before, a few years back, pretty sure. I guess there will be another one in a few years the next time it rears it’s ugly head.
.....I was just trying to figure out where it came from and if it was gm Built and everyone saying there is no way it could have been isn’t true because I see first hand the the things build and go to shows....
Let's clarify. This car WAS indeed built by Oldsmobile when it was new. BUT it was not built in that configuration. The factory would never have time to completely fabricate a one off, nor would they spare the manpower, space or materials to do a 'custom' order like that. At some time in its previous life and ownership, the car was extensively modified to its current condition by a body shop or coach fabricator. Is it rare? Possibly, Is it desirable? IMO you'd have to find the right buyer to want that. I'm sure that from the drivers seat going down the road it looks like a nice Starfire front end cruising down the road, except for that Cadillac steering wheel...
Let's clarify. This car WAS indeed built by Oldsmobile when it was new. BUT it was not built in that configuration. The factory would never have time to completely fabricate a one off, nor would they spare the manpower, space or materials to do a 'custom' order like that. At some time in its previous life and ownership, the car was extensively modified to its current condition by a body shop or coach fabricator. Is it rare? Possibly, Is it desirable? IMO you'd have to find the right buyer to want that. I'm sure that from the drivers seat going down the road it looks like a nice Starfire front end cruising down the road, except for that Cadillac steering wheel...
Gm does build one offs for shows , concepts , and high profile customers.. I work at the design center at the tech center and we do do it , I was just trying to get some history on the car. I’ll ask at working I can find someone still there that would know if it was a one off show or prototype or if it was just a garage build ...
Jeff, I suspect (99.99% sure) that this is a garage build. GM may do one offs now, but back in the 60's I highly doubt it. Unless it was in their experimental racing division or concept cars as you mention. And that Starfire doesn't look like it qualifies for that but who knows? Usually experimental and concept cars don't have VINs so you might want to check that out.
Jeff, I suspect (99.99% sure) that this is a garage build. GM may do one offs now, but back in the 60's I highly doubt it. Unless it was in their experimental racing division or concept cars as you mention. And that Starfire doesn't look like it qualifies for that but who knows? Usually experimental and concept cars don't have VINs so you might want to check that out.
This is just not true. GM has built one off, functional show cars in the '60s and some of them are out in the public. Case in point, this fantastic little roadster based on the Tempest called Monte Carlo. It was shown during '61 and '62. When they were done with showing it, it was fitted with the windshield and top it now has and given to Ed Cole, who eventually gave it to his son. It has been for sale fro awhile now and if you have loads of money, it could be yours. If I were wealthy I pay whatever and have this now.
Jeff, I suspect (99.99% sure) that this is a garage build. GM may do one offs now, but back in the 60's I highly doubt it. Unless it was in their experimental racing division or concept cars as you mention. And that Starfire doesn't look like it qualifies for that but who knows? Usually experimental and concept cars don't have VINs so you might want to check that out.
Your right. Most have a (x) vin but Harley Earl use to drive all the concepts as daily driver. Buick Y Job, corvette stingray concept, Buick Lesabre concept. mako shark....they had to have vin# to be registered he put thousands of miles on these. He put around 50k in the le sabre
I was under the impression that almost all the concept cars were never given out to the public, in fact most of them were crushed. What is an (x) VIN? That's a new terminology for me; the only car I recognize with an X in the VIN is the 72 442 W30.
I'm not disputing that concept cars were built, that would be silly. And I'm not disputing that GM had a special division for creating these concept cars. What I have been schooled on about those cars is that they were never intended for production. There is some history about GM keeping some of the concept cars and first run production models in their museum.
So here's a question to those who have the knowledge and proof: How does a concept car get registered for road operation? Big whig executives back in the day could get away with most anything that involved driving their prototypes that never hit the market. I doubt any of that would fly today.
To keep this Olds related and about GM modifications to production cars, here is a concept from the GM studio under Mitchell's management for the '63 show season. The '63 Oldsmobile J-TR based on the production F-85. It's not known what happened to this car.
That picture is in the dome at the tech center. Hasn’t change much. Lol. These cars do get out to the public, there was a 50s caddy and Buick concept at the employee car show this year both owned by private owners
This is just not true. GM has built one off, functional show cars in the '60s and some of them are out in the public. Case in point, this fantastic little roadster based on the Tempest called Monte Carlo. It was shown during '61 and '62. When they were done with showing it, it was fitted with the windshield and top it now has and given to Ed Cole, who eventually gave it to his son. It has been for sale fro awhile now and if you have loads of money, it could be yours. If I were wealthy I pay whatever and have this now.
It's original show configuration-
I think they are two different cars. The one with the full size windshield under all the stainless trim has a frame that is integral to the cowl. And those two Domes??? for lack of a better term are missing from the rear deck which would re quire a lot of body work to remove
I think they are two different cars. The one with the full size windshield under all the stainless trim has a frame that is integral to the cowl. And those two Domes??? for lack of a better term are missing from the rear deck which would re quire a lot of body work to remove
It is the same car. There is plenty of provenance on the car. It was built and modified when GM was flying high and flush with cash. In those days the styling studio was the most important and well funded department and the guys that ran it had a lot of say. Whatever it took to convert this car to civilian life was just done and it was the tiniest rounding error on the balance sheet for the company. You are correct in that it was likely a fair amount of work by our standards, but they were fully equipped and staffed, so for them it wasn't that tough. It truly must have been a fantastic time to have worked there.
.... Tedd
