The Starfire name was first used by Oldsmobile on a one-of-a-kind dream car that was shown at the 1953 Motorama auto show. Named after a Lockheed jet fighter plane, the original Starfire was a 5-passenger convertible that had a fiberglass body, a 200 horsepower (150 kW) Rocket V8 engine, and a wraparound windshield like that used on the top-of-the-line and limited-production 1953 Fiesta 98 convertible.
The Starfire name was first used on a production car to designate the convertible models of the 98 line for the 1954 through 1956 model years in much the same way that the Holiday name was used to designate hardtop body-styles. The 1954 through 1956 Oldsmobile 98 Starfire convertibles were the most expensive Oldsmobiles offered during those years. During the 1957 model year, all 98 models were referred to as being "Starfire 98s". The name was dropped from the 98 series beginning with the 1958 model year.
1961-66
The first time the Starfire name was used to designate a full-fledged model all by itself was for 1961. With the new car, Oldsmobile was attempting to capture part of the growing personal-luxury car market as was typified by the 4-passenger Ford Thunderbird first introduced for the 1958 model year. However, the Starfire was based on other existing Oldsmobile models, shared most of its sheet metal with other models, and was considered part of the full-sized Oldsmobile line, unlike the Thunderbird which had unique body panels and was a model in its own right.
Introduced in January of 1961 as a convertible, the first Starfire shared its body and wheelbase with the Super 88 and the lower-priced Dynamic 88. It came with the most powerful version of any Oldsmobile engine offered in 1961, as well as brushed aluminum side panels, leather-upolstered bucket seats, center console, power seats, tachometer and dual exhausts. With a base price of $4,647, in 1961 it was the most expensive of all Oldsmobiles, even more than the larger 98 models. The standard 394 cubic inch V-8 engine used a 4-barrel Rochester carburetor and generated 330 horsepower (246 kW) at 4600 rpm. Sales of the 1961 model were 7,800.
For the 1962 model year, the convertible was joined by a two-door hardtop. Horsepower was up to 345. 1962 was the best sales year for the first generation Starfire with sales of the hardtop coupe being 34,839 and sales of the convertible being 7,149.
Styling changes for the 1963 model year included a move away from the sculpted sides of the previous years model, to a flatter, more conventional look. Sales of the coupe were down to 21,489 and the convertible was down to 4,401. The 1964 model appeared very similar to the 1963 model. Curb weight was down, but overall length was up to 215.3 inches (5,468.6 mm). Sales dropped further with coupe sales being 13,753 and convertible sales being 2,410.
For the 1965 model year, all Oldsmobiles would receive new styling, and the Starfire Hardtop Sports Coupe would receive a unique roofline with an inversely curved rear window. The Hardtop Sports Coupe body-style was shared with the Jetstar I. Other 88 models adopted a Holiday Hardtop Coupe body-style that featured more of a fastback roof design, while the Ninety-Eight featured a more squared-off formal roof-line.
A new version of the V-8 engine was offered for the 1965 model year, this one measuring 425 cubic inches in displacement, still using a Rochester 4-barrel carburetor and generating 375 horsepower (280 kW) at 4800 rpm. This was still the most powerful engine in the Oldsmobile lineup and used only in the Starfire and the Jetstar I. 1965 sales were 13,024 for the coupe and 2,236 for the convertible.
The Starfire convertible was no longer available for the 1966 model year, the last year the Starfire would be offered as a full-sized passenger car. Horsepower was up to 375, but the Starfire no longer had the most powerful engine offered for sale in an Oldsmobile. The new Toronado had a similar engine offering 385 horsepower (287 kW). Sales of the 1966 Starfire coupe were 13,019.
1975-80
The 1970s Starfire was a rear-wheel drive subcompact sporty hatchback coupe introduced in the fall of 1974 as a 1975 model, along with its corporate clones, the Chevrolet Monza 2+2 and the Buick Skyhawk.
Based on the same chassis as the Chevrolet Vega (and the Pontiac Astre), the Starfire was built on General Motors’ H-platform. It would be the smallest car bearing the Oldsmobile name since before World War II.
It used the Buick-designed 3.8 liter (231 cid) V6 engine using a 2-barrel carburetor that generated 110 horsepower (82 kW) at 4000 rpm and was available in base and SX trims. The Starfire GT option, introduced in the middle of 1975, included a variety of appearance options.
The 1975 Starfire, Monza, and Skyhawk, along with several General Motors full-size models, were the first cars to adopt the newly approved quad rectangular headlamps and had a strong resemblance to the Ferrari 365 GTC/4. This was the first GM product to incorporate a torque arm rear suspension (rear coil springs with 2 links) – its design was later incorporated into GM's third and fourth generation F-bodies.
The 1976 model added the option of a 5-speed manual transmission, while a 4-speed manual transmission remained standard and a 3-speed automatic was also an option.
For the 1977 model year, the 2.3 liter (140 cid) aluminum inline 4-cylinder engine with 2-barrel carburetor became standard, while the Buick 3.8 liter (231 cid) V-6 became an option.
For 1978 the Chevrolet 5.0 liter (305 cid) V-8 engine became an option, and the Pontiac 2.5 liter (151 cid) “Iron Duke” inline 4-cylinder engine with a 2-barrel carburetor was added, generating 85 horsepower (63 kW) at 4400 rpm. Late in the year, Oldsmobile added the Starfire Firenza package which included special rallye suspension, a front air dam, rear spoiler, flared wheel openings, sport wheels and special paint and trim.
The 1979 model year saw a face lift, with twin rectangular headlamps replacing the previous quad rectangular headlamp design.
The 1980 model year was the last one for the Starfire and its derivatives. The V-8 engine option was dropped, as was the 5-speed manual transmission.
The H-body cars were replaced in the spring of 1981 with the new front-wheel drive J-cars which were designated as early 1982 models including, the Chevrolet Cavalier, Oldsmobile Firenza, Buick Skyhawk, and the Pontiac J2000.
The 1982 Oldsmobile Firenza was a very different car from the 1975 through 1980 subcompacts. While the Starfire was a small sporty car, the Firenza was a complete line of compact cars that included 2 and 4-door sedans, a 2-door hatchback coupe, and even a 4-door station wagon.
Because the forthcoming J-body cars were to be sold as 1982 models, there was an unusually long production run of 1980 H-body models in order to provide sufficient inventory to carry dealers into the 1981 model year.