The Oldsmobile Starfire moniker originated with the 1953 General Motors Motorama show car. Alongside the Buick Wildcat, Pontiac La Parisienne, and the Chevy Corvette, the Oldsmobile Starfire was a fiberglass-bodied four passenger special that took its Jet Age name from the Lockheed F-94B, the first afterburner-equipped US Air Force fighter jet.
For the 1954 through 1956 model years, the Oldsmobile Starfire was the top trim level for the Olds Ninety-Eight convertible. For 1957, the trim level was called the Starfire 98. The Starfire name would disappear until 1961, when it was reborn as a standalone model.
The 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire, powered by the 394 cubic-inch Rocket V8, was a personal-luxury convertible with unique body trim aimed at Ford Thunderbird customers. It was chock full of fantastic equipment, including a power convertible top, power steering and brakes, power windows, leather bucket seats (the driver’s seat was power operated) that were separated by a console that housed the tachometer and shifter. The Starfire was Oldsmobile’s most expensive model, listing for around $4,600 at a time when the Chevy Corvette base price was just over $3,400. Only 1,500 1961 Oldsmobile Starfires left the factory.
Our featured 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible, chassis number 616M04822, is highly original in shiny Garnett Mist over red leather. Its factory finish still presents well, with some light fading noted. Chrome front and rear bumpers appear to be free of pitting or patina. The red leather interior shows little wear, with only minor creasing observed. Extensive chrome and stainless trim is found throughout the interior, and shows little sign of age. Gauge lenses show none of the cracking usually present on cars of this age. The Starfire is equipped with a white vinyl power convertible top, factory air conditioning, power driver’s seat, power windows, clock, power steering, and power brakes. The odometer shows 4,444 miles.
The 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire is powered by the original 394 cubic-inch, 330 horsepower Rocket V8 mated to a three-speed Roto Hydramatic automatic transmission. Some chrome dressing is noted in the tidy engine bay. Steel wheels are dressed with wire wheel covers and wrapped in bias-ply whitewalls.
This beautiful 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire will be crossing the auction block at the Mecum Auctions Summer Special in Kissimmee, Florida July 6th through 8th.
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Comments
It’s a rare beauty that opened a door that others would follow in. The Buick Wildcat; the Pontiac Grand Prix. All with touches of luxury, sportiness, performance.
There is one just like this at neighborhood garage! Amazing.
The convertible top boot should be red, not white. There was no white color available.
My best friend’s father was an Oldsmobile dealer. His father gave him a ’61, then a ’62 and finally a ’63 all of course with dealer tags and were then sold as “demo” units. Beautiful cars, all convertibles, and attracted a lot of attention wherever they went.
Just gorgeous! The 61 thru 64 are beyond words. Beautiful early 60s style in and out.
Very cool car!
Oldsmobile produced 7,604 Starfires in 1961, all convertibles. In 1961 my older brother bought a new black one, red interior and a white top. All the convertible had a 2 inch silver material sewed to the bottom of the top giving a halo effect to the car.
I currently have a modified 1961 Starfire with LS power, 4L60E transmission, red exterior, white top with the halo and a full
leather interior and trunk. It grabs your eyeballs, but most people do not know what it is!
The Starfires that I remember did not have a tachometer on the console, but a vacuum gauge.