Toronado and Aurora Chapter
Oldsmobile Club of America
The Oldsmobile Toronado was the Motor Trend Car of the Year for 1966. It was the first front-drive automobile produced by an American manufacturer since the Cords of the 1930s. While it would retain the distinction of being the only domestic front-drive car for only one model year (the Cadillac Eldorado became front-drive in 1967), the Toronado has maintained the distinction as the original leader in modern American front-drive automobiles.
There were four distinct generations of Toronado over its 27 model years of production (1966 through 1992). All Toronados were two-door coupes, and there was never a factory-built convertible.
1966 to 1970. The original, personal luxury coupe and the style (pictured above) most people think of, if they're familiar with the model at all nowadays, when they hear the word “Toronado."
1971 to 1978. The stately, “living room on wheels” style that actually saw the highest model year production of any of the four generations.
1979 to 1985. The combination of the above two, a sort of stately, but smaller and more personal, luxury coupe. While it maintained the basic look of the second generation, Toronado was downsized for 1979 following GM’s corporate-wide downsizing that began with the other full-size cars (Delta 88, Ninety-Eight) in 1977 and the intermediates in 1978.
1986 to 1992. A completely redesigned, smaller luxury coupe. By this time, the novelty of front-drive was gone as most American and foreign-built cars had begun to or had already made the move to front-wheel drive. Thus, the Toronado became just another small luxury coupe, sales fell precipitously, and the model was discontinued after the 1992 model year.
1971 Toronado
1979 Toronado
1986 Toronado
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The Aurora was introduced as an “import fighter” in January 1994 as a 1995 model. It has been treated more or less as the successor to the Toronado as an Oldsmobile personal luxury car through its recognition by the Toronado Chapter of the OCA, which became the Toronado/Aurora Chapter.
There are two generations of Aurora, 1995 to 1999 and 2001 to 2003. There was no 2000 Aurora, and the second generation was introduced in February 2000 as a 2001 model. Production of the 2001 Aurora began on November 1, 1999.
A little over a year later, on December 12, 2000, came that historic and fateful announcement by GM that the Oldsmobile brand would be phased out by 2004. The last Aurora was built on March 13, 2003. Get one while you can.
1995 Aurora
2001 Aurora
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