General Motors’ head of style, Bill Mitchell, envisioned an improved version of the successful Oldsmobile Toronado, thinking it would benefit from a larger size akin to a Camaro. He brought this vision to life by building a two-seater Toronado.
Launched in October 1965, the original Toronado became a hit for GM, boasting front-wheel drive and a striking new design. Despite its impressive reception, some individuals within GM expressed a mild sense of disappointment with the outcome.
GM design vice president Bill Mitchell and Toronado designer David North, to name a few, would have liked to see the car’s beautiful exterior design put on a sporty Camaro-size package instead of the big E-body base that the Toronado and the Buick Riviera share. Mitchell was in charge of the GM styling offices and had all the power to make that happen, at least on one prototype car.
Don Longberer of the GM X Studio initiated the project by creating detailed renderings. Subsequently, the focus shifted to developing full-size studio plans, as can be seen in the image above, dated March 20, 1967.
The two-seater, which was given the internal GM studio number XP-866, started out as a ’66-’67 model but later turned into a ’69 model, as seen below, with the heavy chrome bumper/grille surround from the ’68-’69 Toronado.
It is said that the two-seater was a fully functional road car. It was a production of the Toronado with about a foot of space taken out from the middle of the body and chassis.
Two things about the prototype, though, give it its own look: a duckbill spoiler added to the pretty squared-off tail and a rear quarter window that curves up. Both of these things help to make the otherwise short body longer.
It looks like there wasn’t much chance that the shorter Toronado would be made because GM already had the Camaro and Firebird for pony cars. Anyway, it’s fun to think about what-ifs.
