The Toronado was as luxurious and innovative as it was unreliable and dangerous. The controversial oldsmobile attracted buyers who took the time to react before the severe intervention of the concern.
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Sign Oldsmobile was founded in August 1897, during its 107 years of independent and subsidiary existence, the automobile company has produced over 35 million vehicles. For the name of the company and also for the parent company General Motors, the Toronado was probably the worst model, offering dangerously expensive luxury. The end of the Oldsmobile came in 2004, the decline accelerated by the controversial 2 + 2 coupe presented with a premium ride then characterized as a death trap.
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Originally an over-the-top Oldsmobile launched in 1966, the grand ambitions matched a desire to occupy top positions in the GM lineup attributed to the Ford Thunderbird, Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Riviera. The competition felt threatened for a few months from the start of production of the Toronado, until the true qualities of the vaunted novelty were revealed.
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Initially, the Toronado was presented as an elegant performance result of the development of the front-wheel drive wrapped in a David North design. The drive axle under the engine wasn’t the only preview, the publicity also attracted a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission. The transmission flanked the eight-cylinder Rocket V8, from the start of production the volume was kept at seven liters, enough to produce 287 kW (390 hp) and 644 Nm. The bulky unit allowed acceleration from 0 to 97 km / h in 7.5 seconds with an achievable maximum of 217 km / h, which held its own against some of the best sports cars of the 1960s.
The luxury coupe shared chassis parts with the Buick Riviera, which is said to have undergone millions of tests before mass production. The tough test cycle befits Oldsmobile’s pride in their engineering and innovative ideas, but the Toronado has been progressive to the point of self-defeating. The tendency to excel in equipment and driving performance has caused a host of problems in the form of endless recalls.
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Repeated service interventions, complemented by the recall of cars from the market, led to the end of production in 1992, when the Toronado resembled a life-threatening walking trap with numerous shortcomings:
- Airbag: In the 1990s, parts equipped with TRW airbag modules were recalled. The defect manifested itself, among other things, in the escape of gas from the passenger side.
- Seat belts: The front shoulder strap was glued to the winding mechanism. The incident has caused many free repaired cars to be recalled.
- ABDOMINAL MUSCLES: Brake assist may have failed completely. At best, the affected driver was surprised by a system leak, a worse situation occurred after the once premium coupe lost its braking ability.
- Fire: The automaker has recorded spontaneous combustion of some cars caused by a defect in the power steering pump hose.
- Management: Another big problem could be management. People have reported an unpredictable loss of control over the direction of the wheels and the entire car.
- Sudden acceleration: Automatic acceleration was added to the list of problems in the 1980s. The unwanted phenomenon was caused by the accelerator pedal being blocked or the gas cable disconnected.
The overview of the six largest scarecrows consists of one shortage after another. These aren’t exaggerated details, but the Toronado is a sought after veteran. In February, a well-preserved piece from 1970 was auctioned for a staggering $ 41,500 (CZK 1,000,000).
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