1964 Oldsmobile Starfire

The 1964 Oldsmobile Starfire that came out in 1961 was a suburban cruiser that was quick, with a powerful 394 cid V8. It shared a 123 in wheelbase with the 1954-1956 Oldsmobile 98 series Starfire. Leather bucket seats, center console with tachometer, and floor shifter for the Hydramatic transmission were attractive features plus a base price of just $4,600.

The 1964 model came out at a time when Peyton Place was a hit on TV and when Coca-Cola first launched a low calorie soda called Tab. Bucket seats and center consoles would attract wives of suburbanites despite the car’s thirst for gas. After all, fuel was cheap and the Feds hadn’t invaded the automaker’s garages yet with restrictive laws.

Heavier than the ’61 model because of luxury add-ons, the ’64 models reached a not so light two tons of weight. But its lines were clean and assertive, and the suburnite housewives were attracted by features like Guide-Matic headlights that automatically dimmed when oncoming cars approached. Unlike the fifties’ cars, the fins where almost gone. By 1965, these features were completely absent.

The interior standard features included Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, bucket seats, safety padded dash, center console, tachometer, leather trim, power steering brakes, and windows. Its V8 has 345 bhp but the extra weight of the 1964 models made the car slower than the lighter 1961 Starfire.

The 1964 model reached an overall length of 215.3 inches. With competition coming from the Pontic Grand Prix, the 1964 Starfire now share a bodyshell with Olds’ new and lower-priced Jetstar 1.