1962 Oldsmobile Starfire Convertible
Named after Lockheed’s F-94 Starfire jet interceptor, the Starfire was Oldsmobile’s entry into the personal luxury market positioned directly against Ford’s Thunderbird, and for 1962 it continued on the Super Eighty-Eight’s 123‑inch wheelbase with the addition of a two-door hardtop to the existing convertible body style.
Distinctive brushed aluminum side moldings and sleek, straight body lines gave the Starfire its jet-age flavor.
The interior featured leather bucket seats and a floor-mounted center console with tachometer, and the Starfire is widely noted as the first U.S. full-size production car to pair an automatic transmission with a console-mounted floor shifter.
Under the hood, a 394 cubic-inch Rocket V8 produced 345 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and 440 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm, fed by a Rochester 4GC four-barrel carburetor and backed by a three-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. A 3-speed manual was technically available but rarely ordered.
Power steering and power brakes were standard, and power windows were also standard Starfire equipment for 1962, reinforcing its top-of-the-line status in the Oldsmobile lineup.
Oldsmobile built 7,149 Starfire convertibles and 34,839 Starfire hardtop coupes for the 1962 model year, which marked the sales peak for this generation.
Just 7,149 convertibles were produced for 1962 compared to 34,839 hardtops. Starting at around $4,100, the Starfire stood as Oldsmobile’s most expensive offering, exceeding even the larger Ninety-Eight models.
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