Spark 1968 Oldsmobile

Spark 1968 Oldsmobile

Terrific Toronado

1:43 | $75

Oldsmobile’s Toronado, the first American front-wheel-drive car since the 1937 Cord, was everybody’s “Car of the Year” when it was introduced in 1966. But sales slumped in ’67, so for 1968 the Toronado got a whole new front end with Harley Earl’s “Hi-Low” bumper surrounding a mesh grille with hidden headlights and flanked by big wraparound signal/parking lights. Adding to the appeal was the W34 option; a 400-horse, 455cid V8 driving the front tires. Spark’s new resincast ’68 Toronado is simply gorgeous with a crisply detailed flawless body and excellent red paint which, while it doesn’t match actual color chips for that year, is attractive. If you want to talk about scale fidelity — the legible photo-etched Toronado scripts are only 0.14 inch long and the door key cylinders are even smaller! Window surrounds, rocker panel moldings, and wheel arch trim are all printed in bright chrome while everything else, including the door handles, is done with separate plated pieces. Upholstery patterns match photos, as do the fully detailed rectangular instrument cluster and the wood-grain panel below it. Narrow whitewalls were “in” by ’68 and Spark has those and the rather massive wheels right, too. Underneath, Spark has included decent relief-cast chassis detail in the baseplate. The big body “looks right” from all angles and dimensions are right on the money. Thanks to Wild About Wheels for this look at Spark’s terrific Toronado. — Wayne Moyer

spark-models.com

Updated: December 19, 2014 — 11:41 AM
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