In mid-1961, with the Jet Age in full swing, Oldsmobile introduced the Starfire, a high-style, high-performance luxury car that recaptured Oldsmobile’s rich performance heritage. Sharing a name with the Lockheed F-94 Starfire, a pioneering American jetfighter, this Oldsmobile aimed squarely at the personal luxury sports car market dominated by the Ford Thunderbird. The Starfire was built on a 123-inch wheelbase shared with the Eighty-Eight line, and it offered a host of distinctive features with outlandish modern styling drawn directly from fighter plane runways around the world.

Initially offered solely as a convertible, the Starfire was equipped with a high-compression 394-cubic-inch V-8 producing 330 horsepower and paired with a three-speed automatic transmission; a large tachometer, prominently placed on the center console, underscored the model’s performance intent. Still, the Starfire placed an equal emphasis on comfort, featuring power steering and brakes, power windows and top, and an AM radio. Air conditioning was offered, though its $378 price tag made it quite the luxurious add-on—and that was on top of the Starfire’s formidable starting price that, at $4,647, made it the most expensive car in Oldsmobile’s lineup for 1961.

Finished in factory-correct Garnet Mist Metallic over a red leather interior, this Oldsmobile Starfire is one of 7,800 produced for the model’s first year. Importantly, it is equipped with the factory air conditioning system—sure to be welcome on hot summer drives. The car wears a previous restoration that still shows well today, with the exterior trim, cabin, and under-hood area exhibiting only minor signs of wear from gentle use. It is accompanied by a spare tire and jack; a selection of invoices spanning 2010 to 2019 is on file, illustrating routine maintenance items as well as larger tasks like the replacement of weatherstripping.

Exclusive, powerful, and packed with Jet Age style from nose to tail, this 1961 Oldsmobile Starfire Convertible is one of the great mid-century American drop-top cruisers.