1968 Oldsmobile Mini-Toronado – Need A Push?

Oldsmobile Mini-Toronado_1968

BigOldChryslers posted this picture of the 1968 Olds Mini-Toronado in a comment, and I just had to share it, as it graphically shows how much unnecessary front end space there was in the production car, as well as just being all-round crazy. Oddly, perhaps, its story is written up in a German site (zwischengas.com) , so I’ll give a Cliff’s Notes translation:

Oldsmobile _Mini_Toronado_2s

In the frigid winter of 1967-1968, two Lansing, MI employees at Oldsmobile who drove FWD Toronados were repeatedly asked to help push fellow workers’ cars stuck in the snowy parking lots. Some engineers and technicians saw this, and were inspired to cut down a new 1968 Toro, give it solid rubber bumpers fornt and rear, and turn it into an official “Pusher”. Not only was the front end cut, but a big chunk out of the middle too, turning it into a three-seater.

Oldsmobile Mini_Toronado_im_R_E_Olds_Museum

The Mini-Toro did duty for a few years, and then was cleaned up a bit and sent off to the Ransom Olds Museum, where presumably it still rests, except when needed to help move other cars around. Maybe.

zwischengas.com