The Oldsmobile Starfire is an automobile nameplate used by Oldsmobile, produced in three non-contiguous generations beginning in 1954. The Starfire nameplate made its debut as a convertible concept car in 1953 followed with the 1954–1956 Ninety-Eight series convertibles that shared a "halo status" with the Buick Skylark and Cadillac Eldorado. For 1957 only, all Ninety-Eight series models were named "98 Starfire".
Oldsmobile during this time period was one of the most popular brands selling, and the company saw an opportunity to benefit from the Space Race of the 1960s. The "rocket" terminology was already a benefit with their Rocket V8.
After a two-year hiatus the Starfire name returned for 1961 as a separate model, offered in a single convertible body style. Intended to compete in the growing personal luxury car market, from 1961 to 1965 the Starfire Convertible was the highest-priced model offered by Oldsmobile. While it shared most of its sheet metal with other full-sized Oldsmobile models, the Starfire wore unique trim and luxurious interiors. The Starfire Coupe hardtop joined the convertible for the 1962 model year. For the final 1966 model year, the convertible was dropped.
The Starfire nameplate returned for the 1975 model year as Oldsmobile's first subcompact, powered by a Buick V6 engine. The 1977 Starfire featured a four-cylinder engine as standard equipment, for the first time since the 1922 Model 43. Production. The name was then used for the 1954–1956 model years to designate the luxury convertible models of the 98 DeLuxe line in much the same way that the Holiday name was used to designate hardtop body-styles. The 1954–1956 Oldsmobile 98 Starfire convertibles were the most expensive Oldsmobiles offered during those years with a retail price of US$3,249 ($38,042 in 2024 dollars ) and production records show 6,800 rolled off the assembly line for 1954. The 1955 model benefited from a 200bhp engine offering dual exhausts. Optional equipment included tinted glass, power adjustable front seat, signal seeking AM radio, leather upholstery, electric window lifts, power steering and power brakes. The price remained the most expensive at US$3,276 ($38,453 in 2024 dollars) and production showed 9,149 were manufactured. The 1956 models were updated to the appearance offered on the concept car, with the most noticeable aspect of the appearance being the large gaping grille with minimal adornment and bumper guard elements. The automatic transmission became standard with the inclusion of a "park" position on the transmission gear selector. During the 1957 model year, all 98 models were referred to as Starfire 98, sharing the standard features with the coupes and sedans. The name was dropped from the 98 series beginning with the 1958 model year.