In hindsight, it’s easy to criticize General Motors for taking so long to recognize the shift in customer tastes signaled by the runaway success of the groundbreaking 1958 Ford Thunderbird. But there’s no faulting the General’s response once it put its considerable resources into creating its own premium four-seaters that married Jet Age style with high performance.
At Buick, the entry was the Wildcat Sport Coupe, launched in 1962 as part of the Invicta line. In the same year, Pontiac unveiled its Grand Prix, also available only as a coupe. Oldsmobile beat both of its in-house rivals to the punch with the January 1961 introduction of its Starfire convertible, joined by a hardtop coupe for the 1962 model year.
Photo: Hemmings Archives
The Starfire was both the most muscular and the most expensive Oldsmobile produced in 1962, yet it was not the biggest. Built on the 123-inch chassis of the Super Eighty-Eight, 3 inches shorter than the Ninety-Eight’s, the Starfire was offered with just one engine, a 345-hp version of the division’s 394-cu.in., OHV V-8 that featured a high 10.5:1 compression ratio—a quarter point higher than the Ninety-Eight’s—and four-barrel carburetion. Its lineage traces back to the 303 of 1949, the industry’s first mass-produced, high-compression, OHV V-8.
Though it shared its basic body shell with other Oldsmobile models, the Starfire glittered with show-car detailing. A brushed-aluminum strip dressed up the car’s long flanks, marked by a distinctive block of narrow chrome ribs mounted at the leading edge of the doors. Hardtop coupes featured GM’s popular new convertible-look steel roof, with two-tone paint available to heighten the illusion.
Photo: Mecum Auctions
Inside, there was plenty of Jet Age wizardry, with buttons, switches, and brightwork galore. A center console, soon to become an essential component of all personal luxury coupes, divided the leather-faced bucket seats. The console contained the automatic transmission’s shift lever, one of the first times that design had been used in an American car. One true dream-car detail was the mounting of a tachometer at the front of the console; though it was hard for the driver to see, it looked like something you might find in a Boeing 707, and that was the point. Seats and door panels were two-toned, and liberally dressed up with chrome and polished aluminum.
The engine wore chrome trim, too, and came with a dual exhaust system and glasspack mufflers for a muscular rumble. Starfire owners weren’t allowed to shift for themselves, though—the only transmission offered was the three-speed 4-S Hydra-Matic, also known as the Roto Hydra-Matic, which used a torque multiplier to provide an additional ratio between first and second gears. A 3.42:1 rear axle ratio provided for snappy off-the-line performance, with a 0-60 mph time in the 9-second range.
Photo: Mecum Auctions
Oldsmobile built 34,839 Starfire coupes during that first year, in addition to 7,149 convertibles. That gave it bragging rights over Pontiac and Buick, though the Thunderbird soared on in the number one spot, with more than 78,000 sold.
Nineteen sixty two would be the high-water mark for Starfire sales. The model was discontinued after 1965, ending three years of falling demand, with the lower-priced Jetstar I taking its place in the lineup. By then, the market was shifting once more, and this time it was GM that was breaking new ground. With a pair of two-doors, the Buick Riviera of 1963 and Pontiac GTO of 1964, the corporation sharpened the line between luxury and performance.
Photo: Mecum Auctions
Though it’s far from common at car shows, the 1962 Starfire is still admired by collectors, with convertibles in excellent condition changing hands in the $45,000 to $60,000 bracket. Hardtop coupes can be found for considerably less, such as the example shown here, which sold for $18,150 at Mecum’s Kissimmee Summer Special 2020 auction. We found three 1962 Starfire convertibles for sale on the Hemmings Marketplace (Hemmings.com), with asking prices ranging from $32,000 to 89,995.
Specifications
Engine
- OHV V-8, 394-cu.in., Rochester four-barrel carburetor
- Horsepower: 345 hp at 4,600 rpm
- Torque: 440 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm
Transmission
- Three-speed 4-S Hydra-Matic Drive
Suspension
- Front: unequal-length control arms, coil springs, telescopic shocks, anti-sway bar;
- Rear: live axle, upper and lower trailing arms, coil springs, telescopic shocks, anti-sway bar
Brakes
- Four-wheel drum
Wheelbase
- 123 inches
Curb Weight:
- 4,203 pounds
Price when new
- $4,131 (equivalent to $42,102 in 2023 dollars)
Value Today:
- $29,184
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