Not a fan of the color, but otherwise a very nice car. Well-optioned, with rear defog, cruise control, nite-watch, AM/FM/8-track, top-line Comfortron A/C, trip odometer with speed sentinel, remote trunk release. Odometer says about 34,000, but I'm guessing that's 134,000. The seats look great, but there are enough scratches on the cruise control stalk and around the ignition key slot plus a worn steering wheel to suggest the larger mileages. Also, the headliner is sagging on the passenger side. Plus, this little attachment helper on the passenger door courtesy light is certainly not factory. On the other hand, the engine compartment looks great, and the "Toronado" air cleaner decal is in remarkably good shape. These are almost always worn to nothing or gone altogether on these cars, and I know that they are not available in the aftermarket because I have looked. You can find "Oldsmobile 455" or "Oldsmobile 403" decals all day long, but the blue, Toronado-specific decal is not available. So this must be the original one. There is just enough minor wear around the edges to suggest that it is. A couple of other interesting tidbits. The build date on the cowl tag of 09C says it was built in the third week of September, which would be September 1971. This is consistent with the blue sticker on the drive's door edge showing an assembly date of 9-71. The VIN also suggests a very early build. The last six digits are the sequential production number at the assembly plant. All Toronados through 1978 were built solely at Lansing, and their serial numbers always began at 700001. The last six digits on this car are 705885, suggesting that this was the 5885th Toro built that year. Total Toro production for 1972 was just under 50,000, so this car was, roughly, among the first ten percent of 1972 Toros produced. The full VIN decodes as 3 = Oldsmobile division Y = model, Toronado 57 = body style, 2-door hardtop coupe W = engine, 455 4-bbl with dual exhaust 2 = model year, 1972 M = assembly plant, Lansing 705885 = production sequence number Regardless of mileage and the minor issues here and there, it looks like a very nice car.
That's an astonishing price given that the book value on that car is about half that. Judging from the last pieces of the conversation at the end of the bidding process, the buyer is someone who spends all his time buying (and selling?) old cars. One commenter said this: Old Cars Report Price Guide for #2 car is $25K, good buy. No. The latest edition of the Old Cars Price Guide that carries values for 1972 model year cars, which is the May/June 2022 issue, puts the value of a #2 condition 1972 Toronado at $21,000. But #2 condition is showroom condition, and this car is most certainly not that with the hanging headliner and other issues here and there. In #3 condition, which is "car show" condition, and I think this car is perhaps at the low end of this range, the value shown is $13,500. #4 condition, which is needs complete restoration, is $6,000. I think this car is between 3 and 4, so perhaps in the $8,000 to $12,000 range.
