page_title: Oldsmobile Toronado
section_title: Second generation (1971–1978)
hierarchical_section_title: Oldsmobile Toronado / Second generation (1971–1978)
caption_attribution_description: 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado
context_page_description: The Oldsmobile Toronado is a personal luxury car manufactured and marketed by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors from 1966 to 1992 over four generations. The Toronado was noted for its transaxle version of GM's Turbo-Hydramatic transmission, making it the first U.S.-produced front-wheel drive automobile since the demise of the Cord in 1937.
  The Toronado placed third in the 1966 European Car of the Year competition and won the 1966 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S.
  Sharing the GM E platform introduced by the rear-wheel drive Buick Riviera in 1963 and adopted for the front-wheel drive 1967 Cadillac Eldorado, the three models shared the E platform for most of the Toronado's 26-year history.
  The name "Toronado" had no prior meaning and was originally selected for a 1963 Chevrolet show car.
context_section_description: With heavily revised styling from the first generation, the Toronado transitioned from a "GT"-style car into a more traditional luxury car. It was now more similar to the Cadillac Eldorado than the Buick Riviera (which would be redesigned in 1974, then again in 1977), with styling taking several cues from the 1967–70 Eldorado. Sales increased dramatically. Front disc brakes became standard. The front end utilized a novel air induction system, splitting the airflow from below the headlights, in a "bottom breather" fashion. When United States Federal bumper standards were implemented, the front air intake was phased out for a conventional approach from below the bumper.
  All overall dimensions of the 1971 Toronado were larger than previous models with wheelbase increased from 119 to 122 in (3,100 mm), only 2 in (51 mm) less than the full-sized Delta 88. Also, the subframe design of first-generation Toronados was replaced by a separate body-on-frame similar to full-sized Delta 88 and Ninety-Eight models. The front torsion bar suspension was retained, but the multi-leaf springs in the rear were replaced by coil springs. In addition, the Toronado introduced as a novelty what later became a federal mandate in a modified form, two high-mounted taillights above the trunk and below the rear window, which was shared on its platform twin the Riviera. These taillights mirrored brake and turn functions of the normal taillights, but not the nighttime taillights. A rear-wheel ABS became optional.
  The 455 cubic-inch (7.46 L) Rocket V8 was carried over from previous models as the standard Toronado engine. The introduction of the second-generation Toronado coincided with the implementation of a GM corporate edict that took effect with the 1971 models; all engines had to run on lower-octane regular leaded, low lead or unleaded gasoline to meet increasing more stringent Federal (and California) emission control regulations, a goal that was reached by reducing compression ratios. This was a first step toward the introduction of catalytic converters in 1975, which mandated the use of unleaded fuel. The 1971 Toronado's 455 cubic-inch V8 (7.46 L) was rated at 350 hp (260 kW) (down from 375 in 1970) with a compression ratio of 8.5:1 (down from 10.5:1 in 1970).
  For 1972, the advertised rating for the 455 engine dropped to 250 hp (190 kW) thanks to a switch in power measurements from the gross ratings in which power was measured by a dynometer with no accessories attached to "net" ratings which were measured as installed in a vehicle with all accessories and emissions equipment attached. By 1976, the last year for the 455 engine in the Toronado, the net rating dropped to 215 hp (160 kW).
  The 1971–78 generation is mainly noted for the early use of two safety features that are now standard on all cars in the United States, the aforementioned high-mounted taillights (although a somewhat similar feature had appeared briefly as an option on the Ford Thunderbird in the late 1960s), and from 1974 through 1976, the Toronado was part of GM's first experimental production run of driver- and passenger-side airbags, which GM named the Air Cushion Restraint System. These Toronados used a unique steering wheel and were fitted with a knee blocker beneath the driver's portion of the dashboard.
  Styling/engineering highlights through the years included disc brakes with audible wear indicators for 1972, a federally mandated 5 mph (8 km/h) front bumper along with new vertical taillights in 1973, a stand-up hood ornament, 5 mph rear bumper and optional fixed rear side opera windows in 1974 and rectangular headlights in 1975.
  The 1973 Toronado went on sale in September 1972 and has a combined fuel economy of between 8.5 and 10.9 miles per gallon. The 1975 through 1978 Toronados had a fuel tank that could hold 26 gallons of gasoline, whereas the 1973 Toronado had a 25.9 gallon capacity fuel tank with 250 horsepower and an axle ratio of 2.73:1. The 1973 Toronado was made from September 1972 to September 1973.
  During most of the Toronado's second-generation run, two interi
caption: 1971 Oldsmobile Toronado
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