In 1970, the Detroit wars were ravaging the automotive industry like there was no tomorrow (and there really wasn’t). Displacement and horsepower were literally flooding every dealer’s showroom floor, and luxury cars were also thrown into the fray. In the midst of this piston pandemonium, a car that only appeared for a year unfairly flew under the radar, leaving fewer than 5,500 descendants for collectors today.
As far as GM products go, “1970” and “One Year Limited” are most closely associated with the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6, so we’ll set that aside by pointing out the “luxury” trait mentioned above. The Chevrolet Terror can tick all the other boxes thanks to its unmatched horsepower and torque figures, but it falls short in the luxury department, being superseded by its siblings from General Motors’ higher-up divisions.
Additionally, production numbers for the LS6 V8 were slightly lower, at just 4,475 units. So it’s clear we’re not talking about the bow-tie icon. Instead, we’ll focus on a less talked about car from the same year: the Oldsmobile Toronado GT. We know that the golden age of Olds performance cars is the 4-4-2 W-30, but the Toronado beat it not once, not twice, but three times over.
The mid-size Olds 4-4-2 had been the segment’s flagship muscle car since its spectacularly off-kilter debut at the New York World’s Fair in April 1964. (Needless to say, the debut of the Mustang caused the Olds 4-4-2 to be completely forgotten.) But when the front-wheel-drive Toronado appeared two years later, Oldsmobile played its personal luxury card and featured the new model in the full-size section of its brochures.
Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile
By 1970, the Toronado was powered by Oldsmobile’s largest engine, the 455 Rocket V8, with a massive 455 cubic feet of displacement (7.5 liters) and an equally massive torque rating (500 pound-feet, or 678 Nm). horsepowerThe engine “only” produced 400 horsepower, but that was more than enough for a car that only steered and drove through the front wheels – this figure only applied to the GT version, as other 1970 Toronados had to make do with just 375 horsepower.
Being a luxury car, the old Stronado GT came with an automatic transmission. It’s not the most tire-threatening gearbox on the planet, but it’s still an absolute unit. Don’t just take my word for it; ask someone who actually owns one. Or, if you can’t find such a respectable gentleman right away, play the video below to hear Steve Plunkett experience what it’s like behind the tilt steering wheel of his car.
The Viking Blue Toronado GT from his collection is his favorite car to take on long drives. He’s not spoilt for choice: this Canadian car enthusiast has one of the most impressive collections of GM classics (if not the most impressive cars overall). His Cadillac assemblies are renowned around the world, so he’s right when he says of his 1970 Toronado GT, “Sensational. Very stable on the road, plenty of power. It’s a great car to drive.”
Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile
And, despite being front-wheel drive, with a 3.07 final gear ratio, and air conditioning, it feels like a muscle car. The 26,067 miles on the odometer are said to be original (41,951 km). Still, I have one question for all you Toronado GT experts out there: There’s a slight mismatch between the cowl tag and the door plate.
The series number on this car (in the engine bay) is 9687, which indicates a Custom Toronado; however, it has 9487 written on the door, which indicates the base model. The interior features a nice bench with a center armrest (Strato bucket), which is common on entry-level GTs. Speaking of which, back in 1970, Oldsmobile’s Personal Luxury Offer was $5,023 for the entry-level model and $5,216 for the Custom.
The high-performance GT package (labeled W-34 on the options list) added just $47.39 to the final price, and it included larger intake valves (with positive rotators that rotate every time the valves open), a high-performance camshaft with 0.0472-inch lift, special transmission tuning for quicker acceleration, and a dual exhaust system (with tailpipes protruding from the rear bumper).
Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile
Overall, the big Olds was the most powerful of the 29 models in the division’s lineup for 1970, yet it always maintained a composed demeanor. A high-stall torque converter propelled the 4,400-pound Toronado (2 tons) to a top speed of 135 mph (217 km/h), and the luxury muscle boat could hit 60 mph (97 km/h) from a standstill in 7.5 seconds.
Returning to the strange number mismatch on this Canadian car featured in Lou Costabile’s video, if this is the base version, it’s one of just 331 ever built (the GT first appeared in 1970, but the W-34 option was available starting in 1968). The date codes also don’t match: the cowl says October 1970, but the doors say November.
There aren’t many indications that this 1970 Toronado is significantly different from the 20,112 non-GT models produced during that model year. Aside from a small GT badge on the driver’s side hood, dual bumper cutouts for the exhaust, and wheel arch trim, there’s nothing to indicate “this is not a regular Oldsmobile Toronado,” and we accept the notion that such a thing exists.
After 1970, as the performance orientation waned, the Toronado fully embraced the luxury side of its personality and spent the rest of its days as a luxury car. However, the GT is ungratefully forgotten today. The market price for a car like this in pristine condition is under $50,000 (some have sold for $15,000). If you love classic unicorns like this rare Oldsmobile, subscribe to Lou’s YouTube channel. You’ll be amazed.
