Full size performance models
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From: BOWLING GREEN KENTUCKY
Thanks for those production figures. Saved me from digging them up and I surely could not have done that good of a job with the percentages. I guess I worded it poorly when I said Toro killed them off. Looks like Starfires had trouble enough before Toro was introduced. I didnt even think about the Starfire coupe being the only model available by 65. It was a disappointment about those 65 sales. I love the 65-68 full size bodystyles and I wished those Starfires and Jetstar I 's would have sold better. I wish the regular full size Olds of the 60s would have sold better than they did. It appears we lost out to full size Pontiac in sales in the 60s let alone the cheaper Chevrolets. Olds sold better in the smog controlled 70s though.
Yes and no.
I agree with Diego in that I would not characterize sales of the Starfire and Jetstar 1 as poor, at least not in the earlier years. On the other hand, sales of the Starfire were best its first year and then decreased every year that followed. Ditto for the two years of the Jetstar I
For '61, the Starfire was not its own model line, but rather was an option package on the Super 88 convertible. Production was 7,600.
For '62, the first year of a full-fledged Starfire line, production was healthy at 34,839 coupes and 7,149 convertibles for a total of 41,988.
For '63, Starfire coupes dropped by 40% to 21,148 while convertibles dropped by about the same percentage to 4,267 for a total of 25,415.
For '64, things get a bit more complicated as the Jetstar I was now available. Production of the Starfires continued to drop to 13,753 coupes, a 35% drop from 1963 and a 60% drop from 1962. Convertible production fell significantly, too, to 2,410, a 44% drop from '63 and a 67% drop from '62. Total Starfire production was 16,163.
But the '64 Jetstar I saw a reasonably healthy 16,084 produced. That brings total '64 full-size performance car (Starfire plus Jetstar I) production to 32,247, a number that beat 1963.
For '65, interestingly, Jetstar I production fell significantly to 6,552, a 60% drop from '64 and probably a big disappointment to Oldsmobile that, not surprisingly, led to the decision to eliminate it after this year. Starfire production, though, held pretty steady compared to 1964 at 13,024 coupes, a drop of only about 5%, and 2,236 convertibles, which was about a 7% drop from '64. Total Starfire production was thus 15,260 while total full-size performance production was 21,812, a drop of 33% from 1964 due almost entirely to the fall-off in Jetstar I production.
For '66, all that was left was the Starfire coupe, and production totaled 16,019, which actually beat total '65 Starfire production.
But '66 was also the first year of the Toronado, and total Toronado production was 40,963. It's probably reasonable to assume that the Toro stole some sales from the Starfire.
I don't think, though, that it's fair to consider the Toronado as "replacing" the Starfire as a performance car. The Toronado was more of a "personal luxury car," especially in the generations that followed in the '70s and early '80s, along the lines of the Buick Riviera. At least, that's how it always came across to me.
I agree with Diego in that I would not characterize sales of the Starfire and Jetstar 1 as poor, at least not in the earlier years. On the other hand, sales of the Starfire were best its first year and then decreased every year that followed. Ditto for the two years of the Jetstar I
For '61, the Starfire was not its own model line, but rather was an option package on the Super 88 convertible. Production was 7,600.
For '62, the first year of a full-fledged Starfire line, production was healthy at 34,839 coupes and 7,149 convertibles for a total of 41,988.
For '63, Starfire coupes dropped by 40% to 21,148 while convertibles dropped by about the same percentage to 4,267 for a total of 25,415.
For '64, things get a bit more complicated as the Jetstar I was now available. Production of the Starfires continued to drop to 13,753 coupes, a 35% drop from 1963 and a 60% drop from 1962. Convertible production fell significantly, too, to 2,410, a 44% drop from '63 and a 67% drop from '62. Total Starfire production was 16,163.
But the '64 Jetstar I saw a reasonably healthy 16,084 produced. That brings total '64 full-size performance car (Starfire plus Jetstar I) production to 32,247, a number that beat 1963.
For '65, interestingly, Jetstar I production fell significantly to 6,552, a 60% drop from '64 and probably a big disappointment to Oldsmobile that, not surprisingly, led to the decision to eliminate it after this year. Starfire production, though, held pretty steady compared to 1964 at 13,024 coupes, a drop of only about 5%, and 2,236 convertibles, which was about a 7% drop from '64. Total Starfire production was thus 15,260 while total full-size performance production was 21,812, a drop of 33% from 1964 due almost entirely to the fall-off in Jetstar I production.
For '66, all that was left was the Starfire coupe, and production totaled 16,019, which actually beat total '65 Starfire production.
But '66 was also the first year of the Toronado, and total Toronado production was 40,963. It's probably reasonable to assume that the Toro stole some sales from the Starfire.
I don't think, though, that it's fair to consider the Toronado as "replacing" the Starfire as a performance car. The Toronado was more of a "personal luxury car," especially in the generations that followed in the '70s and early '80s, along the lines of the Buick Riviera. At least, that's how it always came across to me.
Last edited by vistacruiser67; Mar 1, 2013 at 05:02 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 233
From: Wichita KS
69 delta
to the O.P. I would love it if they had made a "69 delta 88 ss" However it doesn't appear that they did. What would you do to a 69 delta 88 to get it to the SS model standards suspension and breaking ? how would you do it?
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