Hi guys
Can someone please clear something up for me. Is a first generation Oldsmobile toronado a muscle car?
Thankyou
Justin

 

Not really, more like a big cruiser.

 

Toronado's were pretty fast and the W34 was even faster but I don't believe they were ever considered muscle cars. They were built to compete with the Thunderbirds and Buick Rivieras. I think the term used was luxury sports cars or something close to that.

 

No.


As a general rule, "Muscle cars" were mid-size cars (A-bodies in the GM lineup) with unusually large engines (generally ones initially designed for fullsize cars) and special trim and handling packages.

Each detail above will have exceptions, according to some (some "pony cars" like Camaros, firebirds, and Mustangs probably qualify, and some muscle cars had engines that weren't from big car lines, like the Boss 302), but, overall, those are the parameters.

For the most part, small cars (X-bodies in the GM lineup) were not "muscle cars" because very very few were equipped with significantly powerful engines when they were made, although many Novas, Venturas, and Ωmegas were made into hot rods by installing larger engines later on.

Also, note that the term "muscle car" was never used during the time that these cars were actually produced, but became popular about a decade later.

- Eric

 

Thank you.

Of course, today, any car from the 1960s (including 2bbl Cutlii) are called "muscle cars" in ebay ads.

 

If you want it to be a muscle car, it's a muscle car.

 

Thanks guys.
It's not that I want it to be a muscle car it's just like Joe said, they are advertised as 'muscle cars' but to me they don't fit the parameters of muscle. I think there beautiful cars and would have one tomorrow, I'm actually trying to do a deal on one but I find that as soon as someone thinks a car is a muscle car the price seems to go up.

 

Apparently, muscle car is a loose term. Dodge uses muscle car to refer to their new Challenger. IMHO, anything manufactured after 1971 probably isn't a muscle car. Especially when it has anti-lock brakes, traction control, air bags, 4 wheel disc brakes, etc.

http://www.dodge.com/en/challenger/

 

The other reason a Toronado can never be considered a muscle car is that it's front-wheel drive. There may be fast front-wheel drive cars, but there are no front-wheel drive muscle cars.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. A deal is done hopefully so il be a proud toronado owner soon ��. She's a rough old girl but a road legal runner (chrome work, body and paint) are her main issues. She will go nicely with my cutlass s and my roadrunner ��.

 

i used to have a 66 toro.beautiful cars.if it runs make sure the headlights open,if they don't drop your price.watch for rust around the rear leaf spring perches also.the 425 in these were factory balanced and are super smooth they also had bigger lifters then other 425 engines and a different cam angle.they were rated at like 385 h.p. and the later 70 toro gt was rated at 400 h.p. maybe this is why they think its a muscle car.which it would if it didn't weigh 5000 lbs.

 

Apparently it's a numbers matching 455. The car is a 69 toronado. I've seen the car but il see her again before money is handed over to check the leaf spring perches. I never thought about checking the headlights. Thankyou for that information. She's has very little rust in her but I suppose like any classic looking at them in a yard then looking at them on a ramp in a garage is two different things.

 

The Toronado was a sport luxury car, but it had plenty of muscle.

 

When you pick up the Toronado definitely post pics!

 

Pics will defiantly be posted. Like I said she is a bit ruff at the moment but come spring il start restoring her back to bring a beauty

 

Beg to differ. My own 69 Toro was fully capable of embarrassing cars it wasn't supposed to, in clouds of front tire smoke.

I then offer for your pleasure W41. Those could also embarrass cars they weren't supposed to.

But, musclecar is subjective.

 

Oh, I'm not disputing the performance capabilities of the Toronado at all, and I'd love to own one. I'm just saying that "muscle cars" by definition cannot be front-wheel drive.

 

Just a real nice luxo-barge with big block torque, 425/455 until the end of model year 1976. Like riding a couch with aloto torque.

 

I don't know about that. My 71 98 is definitely like riding down the road on a couch but I'm pretty cramped for space in a Toronado. Then again that is probably because I'm 7ft tall.

x2

I think you hit the nail on the head.