The Oldsmobile Toronado had been a revolutionary car for General Motors, the first mass-produced front-wheel-drive American car since 1937. Bill Mitchell, GM’s styling chief, wanted a more personal, aggressive, and nimble 2-seat version. The Oldsmobile Toronado XP-866 was designed by Roy Lonberger during 1968 in Mitchell’s secret Studio-X, taking 12 inches out of the wheelbase of the production Toronado. It features an ear window tinted to perfectly match the dark blue body paint that gave the illusion of a smooth, uninterrupted fastback roofline without a window. There was also a "duckbill" spoiler, but GM leadership decided it was unnecessary and would steal sales from the Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird.