1961 Oldsmobile Resources

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1961 Oldsmobile Service Manual Covers Full Size Cars – Includes Starfire
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1961 Oldsmobile Service Manual

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• Starfire
• Series 98
• Super 88
• Dynamic 88

1961 Oldsmobile Facts – Body Paint Color Codes

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1961 Oldsmobile 

1961 Oldsmobile Facts and Specifications

General Year Information – 1961 Oldsmobile

In the last year of the great recession, Oldsmobile was battered but better – with a new “mid-size compact” the F-85 and the Starfire Convertible adding excitement and sales to the Division. Those two entries would pay off in the future,  with a 150 thousand unit increase in sales. But the future was defined with the 1961 car line – showing ever increasing ales well into the 70s.

An all-new body and chassis with perimeter “Guard Beam” frame and all-coil suspension replaced the previous leaf springs. All full-sized Oldsmobiles were now powered by the 394 CID Rocket V-8 with the Dynamic 88 getting a low compression two-barrel, 250 HP version, while the Super 88 and 98 were powered by a four-barrel “Ultra High Compression Skyrocket” V-8 rated at 325 HP. This “Skyrocket” engine was available as an extra-cost option on the Dynamic 88. A new three-speed “Roto-Hydramatic” transmission was introduced.

While wheelbases remained the same as in 1960, the overall length and width were reduced slightly – a trend seen throughout all of GM’s marques. At the bottom of the rear quarters, a downward fin called a “skeg” – jutted outboard to counterbalance the rearward point of the quarter panel. Round tail lights, one on each side, were set into the rear cove. GM retired the compound curve windshields that it introduced in 1954 this year, eliminating the much hated body dogleg resulting from the shape of the windshield.

88 and Super 88
Like for the previous model year, in the 88 and S-88 lines there were five body styles: the Celebrity Sedan 4-door sedan, the Holiday Sedan 4-door hardtop, the Holiday Coupe 2-door hardtop, and the Convertible, as well as the Fiesta station wagon, that was available in both 2- and 3-seat models. The 2-door sedan, considered the price leader, was offered in the Dynamic 88 line only. The Holiday Coupe 2-door hardtop continued with the “bubble top” look. The 1961 Holiday Sedan 4-door hardtop had thicker, parallelogram-shaped rear pillar than its predecessor. The “floating roof”, sometimes called “Vista” look of the 1959–1960 4-door hardtop, with wrap-around panoramic rear window and overhanging roof, was now used on the pillared Celebrity Sedan, now switched from the previous year six-window to a four-window configuration. Six-window sedans continued to be offered in the 98 line.

98
For 1961 only, the Oldsmobile 98 was renamed “Classic 98” with some factory literature referring to the line as the “Ninety-Eight”. A fifth body style was added to the four offered previously: a 4-door 6-window hardtop, previously exclusive to Cadillac and the Buick Electra. The “Holiday Sedan” name was transferred to it, and the 4-door 4-window hardtop body style was instead called the “Sport Sedan”. This was the first time not all Oldsmobile hardtops were called Holidays. The sedan, which like in the two previous two years was a 6-window body style, was now called the “Town Sedan”. With the exception of the convertible, no 98 body styles shared their roofline with the 88 line.

Starfire
At mid-year, the sport-luxury convertible Starfire was introduced. It was based on the Super 88 body and featured leather bucket seats, center console with floor shifter for the Hydra-Matic transmission. It was the first U.S. full-sized production car to feature an automatic transmission with a console-mounted floor shifter. Many other standard items were included, such as power steering, power brakes, power windows and power adjustable driver’s seat. The Starfire was powered by an even higher-performance version of the “Ultra High Compression” 394 CID V-8 rated at 330 HP.

1961 Oldsmobile Facts – Powertrain Options

• • A three-standard manual transmission was standard on the Dynamic & S88.
  • Hydra-Matic was optional on the Dynamic & S88 and Standard on the 98 & Starfire.
  • The base Dynamic 88t motor was a 250-horsepower V-8.
  • A 275 horsepower, 10.00:1 compression ratio V-8 as a no-cost option on the Dynamic 88.
  • The standard powerplant on the Super 88 and 98 was the 325 horsepower V-8. It was optional on the Dynamic 88.
  • The 330 horsepower V-8 was standard on the Starfire and NOT available on the 88 and 98 models.

1961 Oldsmobile Facts – Significant Options

• • Air conditioning ($430).
  • Backup lights ($9).
  • Courtesy lamps ($5).
  • DeLuxe radio ($65).
  • Electric clock ($19).
  • Fiesta luggage carrier ($98).
  • Heater/defroster ($97).
  • Outside mirror ($4).
  • Padded dash ($12).
  • Power antenna ($23).
  • Power brakes ($43).
  • Power steering ($107).
  • Power windows ($106).
  • Radio ($88).
  • Radio, Super DeLuxe signal seeking ($124).
  • Rear window defroster ($21).
  • Windshield washer ($12).