The first generation Toronado, which was sold from 1966 to 1970, is my personal favorite. It had a bizarre design that usually gets left on the concept room floor, and it had front wheel drive. Oldsmobile worked a long time on this car, and they wanted to make sure it was not a failure. The Rocket V8 and 3 speed TH 425 3 speed transmission combined as part of the most reliable drivetrain in American automotive history. The same drivetrain powered the GMC Motorhome, another bizarre RV vehicle that was about three times the size of the Toronado.

The second generation Toronado was sold from 1971 to 1978. It was a complete redesign, and it may have looked better than most other cars of the era, but it still looked like garbage compared to the earlier Toronado models. Some Toronados from this generation featured the first airbags used by General Motors. These were also the first GM cars to feature auxilary brake lights in the rear.

By the third and fourth generations the Toronado had become a very small car compared to the early models. A V6 engine was now standard.

One of Jay Leno's favorite cars (and he has a HUGE collection of cars) is his restored and modified 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. It has twin turbochargers and makes over 1,000 horsepower.

These cars are slowly disappearing from the used car marker. Later models can still be found out there, but the classics are all but gone. If you want to buy one of those classic Toronados from the 1960's the best place to buy one is on eBay, where you can also find some very rare parts.