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\nColumbia Station, Ohio\u2014In the annals of American automotive history, few vehicles stand as tall\u2014or as long\u2014as the Oldsmobile Toronado-based Jetway 707, a 28-foot stretch limousine engineered not for Hollywood glamour but for airport shuttles. Built by the Arkansas-based American Quality Coach (AQC) Company between 1968 and 1970, this behemoth of a vehicle, with its nine doors, six wheels, and 455 cubic-inch V-8, has captured the imagination of car enthusiasts and historians alike. But what\u2019s the story behind this rolling relic, and why is it making headlines again in 2025?<\/p>\nA Quirky Beginnings: From Toronado to Jetway<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Jetway 707\u2019s origin traces back to the flashy, front-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Toronado, a car celebrated for its bold design in the late 1960s. According to Hagerty Media, AQC\u2019s founders, Waldo J. Cotner and Robert Bevington, broke away from Divco-Wayne Corp. to create their own stretch limousine after their parent company rejected the idea of a Toronado-based coach. The result was the Jetway 707, dubbed \u201cappropriately named, considering it is almost as large as a Boeing 707,\u201d per Hagerty\u2019s reporting.<\/p>\nStretching the Toronado\u2019s 119-inch wheelbase to a staggering 185 inches, AQC added dual rear beam axles, a custom-built roof, and eight doors to accommodate 12\u201315 passengers\u2014perfect for ferrying travelers to and from airports in style. Only 52 Jetways were ever produced, making it one of the rarest custom vehicles in automotive history, as noted by Cleveland Power & Performance. But its grandeur came at a cost: AQC folded in the early 1970s, leaving the Jetway as a quirky footnote\u2014until now.<\/p>\n
Resurrection in Ohio: Cleveland Power & Performance Steps In<\/strong><\/span>
\nFast forward to 2025, and the Jetway 707 is staging a comeback, thanks to Cleveland Power & Performance, a multifaceted speed shop in Columbia Station, Ohio. The shop, now owner #4 of a Jetway (the 12th of the 52 built), acquired the vehicle from an estate in 2023, where it had sat dormant and non-drivable since roughly 2004, per their blog. \u201cIt\u2019s a magnificent, curious creature whose evolutionary traits were arrested in development,\u201d Hagerty wrote in January 2024, describing the battleship-gray behemoth as a \u201cforgotten time in American automotive history.\u201d<\/p>\nCleveland Power & Performance is undertaking what they call their \u201clargest and perhaps most complex, involved restoration to date,\u201d according to Hagerty. The process involves preserving the Jetway\u2019s original features\u2014its elongated chassis, custom roof, and dual axles\u2014while addressing decades of decay. The shop\u2019s blog hints at a passion for \u201call aspects of automotive past and present,\u201d but the Jetway\u2019s rarity and Detroit roots make it a labor of love. \u201cWe look forward to hearing and learning more about the other Jetways in existence and their history,\u201d they wrote, signaling an intent to connect with collectors and historians.<\/p>\n
Questions of Authenticity and Value<\/strong><\/span>
\nYet, the Jetway\u2019s resurrection raises questions. How many of the original 52 still exist, and in what condition? Hagerty\u2019s 2023 report suggests the Jetway\u2019s \u201cjaw-dropping\u201d design made it a standout, but its practical use as an airport shuttle\u2014rather than a luxury limo\u2014limited its appeal. Cleveland Power & Performance claims this is one of the last \u201ctruly custom-built automotive pieces of history,\u201d but without a full registry of surviving Jetways, verifying its uniqueness is tricky.<\/p>\nFastestLaps.com offers sparse technical specs\u20141968 Oldsmobile Toronado base, 455 cubic-inch V-8, front-wheel drive\u2014but lacks production numbers or restoration data. This reporter reached out to Cleveland Power & Performance for details on the restoration cost, timeline, and plans for the Jetway (e.g., museum display, private sale, or operational use), but received no response by press time. Industry experts like Dave Kinney of the Hagerty Price Guide told Hagerty in 2023, \u201cThey\u2019re so outrageous\u2014they really stood out,\u201d but cautioned that restoring such a niche vehicle could be financially risky without a clear market.<\/p>\n
Cultural and Historical Significance<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Jetway 707 isn\u2019t just a car\u2014it\u2019s a cultural artifact. Built during an era when airport travel was a \u201cmomentous occasion\u201d, it reflects 1960s American optimism, excess, and innovation. Its cartoonish proportions and custom features\u2014nine doors, six wheels\u2014evoke a time when Detroit pushed boundaries, even for utilitarian vehicles. But its obscurity, compared to iconic limos like the Cadillac Fleetwood, raises questions: Was it a commercial flop, a visionary misstep, or simply ahead of its time?<\/p>\nHagerty\u2019s 2024 report notes the Jetway\u2019s appeal to collectors who \u201clove these things\u201d for their \u201coutrageous\u201d nature. Yet, with only 52 ever made and AQC\u2019s collapse, its legacy hangs by a thread. Cleveland Power & Performance\u2019s efforts could elevate it to cult status, but the lack of public documentation\u2014production records, owner registries, or AQC archives\u2014leaves gaps. This reporter is investigating whether the National Automotive History Collection or automotive historians have untapped data on AQC\u2019s operations.<\/p>\n
Potential Challenges and Future<\/strong><\/span>
\nRestoring a 28-foot, six-wheeled vehicle with a 455 V-8 isn\u2019t cheap or easy. Cleveland Power & Performance faces challenges sourcing parts for a discontinued model, addressing rust and mechanical decay, and navigating the legalities of historic vehicle registration in Ohio. The shop\u2019s blog mentions the Jetway\u2019s non-drivable state since 2004, hinting at significant engine and structural work ahead. If successful, the restoration could fetch a high price\u2014Hagerty estimates similar rare limos can command six figures among collectors\u2014but the niche market for airport shuttles-turned-collector\u2019s items is untested.<\/p>\nMoreover, the Jetway\u2019s future use is unclear. Will it return to the road, join a museum, or become a private collector\u2019s pride? Cleveland Power & Performance\u2019s silence on these plans fuels speculation. This reporter will continue to monitor the restoration, seeking interviews with the shop, AQC historians, and Jetway owners to uncover the full story.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe Oldsmobile Jetway 707 is more than a curiosity\u2014it\u2019s a piece of Americana teetering on obscurity. Cleveland Power & Performance\u2019s 2025 restoration effort could revive its legacy, but questions linger: How many survive? What\u2019s its true value? And why did AQC\u2019s bold vision fade so quickly? As this investigation unfolds, the Jetway remains a rolling mystery, its oversized frame carrying the weight of a forgotten era\u2014and the promise of a quirky comeback.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Columbia Station, Ohio\u2014In the annals of American automotive history, few vehicles stand as tall\u2014or as long\u2014as the Oldsmobile Toronado-based Jetway 707, a 28-foot stretch limousine engineered not for Hollywood glamour but for airport shuttles. Built by the Arkansas-based American Quality Coach (AQC) Company between 1968 and 1970, this behemoth of a vehicle, with its nine…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[176],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-auto-industry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3420\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novus2.com\/righteouscause\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}