Thanks to reader Mark v. for sending us a link to this one family owned 1965 Oldsmobile Starfire, for sale in Bellingham, Washington here on craigslist with a reasonable asking price of $5,000.

The Starfire name first appeared on a concept car in 1953 and then was applied to an upscale 98 convertible in 1954. Starfire became a separate model in 1961 when it was offered only as a convertible outfitted with a four-barrel-carbureted, 394 cid engine that made 330 hp. In 1962 Olds division added a two-door hardtop and its 394 got a compression boost that added another 15 horses to the output.

In the early through mid-sixties, the Starfire competed for customers with full size cars like Chrysler’s 300, Ford’s Galaxie 500 XL and Mercury’s S-55. Successful and attractive as these cars were, the performance market was moving toward younger buyers. Full-size performance cars remained on the market through the end of the sixties, but even by 1965 when Olds offered the new 425 big-block engine and completely restyled Starfires, sales were beginning a steady decline.

By 1966, with the advent of the newly offered and highly attractive Toronado, the Starfire no longer made sense as a luxury performance offering, and the model was quietly dropped from the Olds line. The Starfire name finally reappeared as a fairly pedestrian sub-compact variant of the Chevy Monza in 1975. In fact for many Olds fans this later Starfire was a sign that the brand was losing its way.

In 1965 Oldsmobile manufactured 13,024 Starfires in the Holiday hardtop configuration and only 2,236 convertibles. As a full size luxury performance car, the Starfire filled a niche in the Olds model lineup slotted just below the top of the line luxo-barge 98 and above the various 88s that along with the then relatively new medium size F-85 line were the bread and butter for this longstanding GM division.

These cars were fast, smooth running and despite their size, with upgraded suspension, they could handle a bit as well. They came well equipped, with power steering brakes, and windows. The smooth Olds hydramatic transmission was standard.

The seller of the car for sale here does not provide very much description, but does offer lots of photos. This Starfire is said to be “ALL ORIGINAL.” It has been stored since 1983, and has newly added points, plug, cap, rotor. The car runs, and apparently the brakes work, but nothing else is said about the car’s mechanical condition.

As you can see in the photos, it has red leather upholstery that looks really good, carpets also appear to be in surprisingly condition, and that floor shift and tach are really great to see. The seller says the car has 93,000 miles, and it seems likely it was well cared for when it was driven.

I can’t understand why sellers don’t spend just a little time cleaning up their cars after pulling them from storage. The rust on the front of the hood does not look great, and while there does not seem to be rust showing in the quarters or doglegs, I’d want to spend some time underneath this car and checking for previous bodywork and bondo.

The snow tires will need to go right away. I do think the wire wheel hupcaps were a factory option. The trunk appears to be remarkably rust free, which is a good indication that the rest of the floors and the frame may be in decent shape too.

I really like these big Starfires, especially the 1961-4 versions. The two door design works well, and even though this is a really long, wide car, its proportions are good. The car looks like it is going fast even when standing still. While white is by far not my favorite color, this body color is set off nicely by the red interior.

Mechanical parts are readily available for these cars; body parts, especially interior and trim pieces, not so much, and they can be pricey. This particular example is extremely well priced. If there is not too much hidden rust, it would not take much to make this a reliable cruiser, and the continuing strong values of all Starfires will protect your investment. As with any car, I think you should buy it because you love it, not because it’s an investment, but it is nice when you can buy a car you really like and not end up losing your shirt to do it. If you like these cars, the Oldsmobile Club of America website is worth a visit, and there is a good piece about these cars on Oldsmobiles Forever here.