This beautiful 1940 Oldsmobile has been off the road since 2004 (based on the license plates) but is said to be in excellent condition. A prior eBay sale has fallen through and now you have the opportunity to be the next owner. It’s up for sale here on eBay where bidding hasn’t met the reserve yet. The car is located in Portland, Oregon despite the Idaho license plates.
The seller tells us that prior to them, this was the owner of the car for the previous 25 years. I hope the gentleman got a lot of fun out of the car before he took it off the road! This car just somehow looks like it’s been loved. The ad describes it as running and driving well and that it’s “all original.” I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I’ll say it certainly looks the part. I would be surprised that it hasn’t been restored, but I could be convinced.
As best as I can tell, this is a Series 70 60 two door sedan (please correct me if you know I’m wrong thanks, Anthony!), which would mean it has a 230 cubic inch, 95 horsepower “Economaster” engine. Unfortunately, especially since the previous sale was invalidated when the seller thought there was something wrong with the engine, they have not shown us any under hood pictures.
The interior, however, is beautiful, and certainly looks like it could be original. The odometer shows 20,413.5 miles and I wonder if it might actually be correct. Regardless, the car is in stellar condition cosmetically, not over-restored and seems to present itself very nicely.
There’s even a useful trunk in the back. It looks like some paint has been touched up here, as well as some that needs touching up. The chrome is certainly presentable for a driver, and that’s exactly what I’d like to do with this car–tour around on weekends just enjoying myself. What would you do with this pretty car?
I would want to know in detail what the “possible issue with the motor” was. That aside, new running board covers and a few touchups, and you are in business. Certainly has the look of a well preserved original or older accurate restoration.
Nice car. I’m wondering about the motor problem. Is it serious or just an excuse?
Green and gorgeous indeed! Like Fred said, every word.
We’ve had several prewar cars come through the museum that were survivors like this Olds. It seems cars were put away during the war because of fuel rationing. After the war, when the 1949 cars were introduced, people bought new cars and never drove the prewar cars again. The 1949 Olds was a big leap in styling over the prewar Olds.
Nice car. Based on some research on the internet this morning i believe it is a series 60 car. The shape of the trunk differed between series 60 and series 70 cars and this looks like a series 60. According to the 1940 Olds service manual a series 60 2 door sedan would have a striped cloth imterior so possibly original inside
Thanks, Anthony!
I think its a 70 series look at the door hinges, the 60 was a smaller body similar to a 40 Chevrolet it would have an exposed hinge top and bottom, this car has a hidden hinge on the upper an a exposed on the bottom making it the larger 70 similar to a LaSalle, I owned one years ago,
Ah like those Oldsmobiles. Why would the guy say “No Reserve” in the listing but when you look at the current bid price, it says “reserve not met”? That is a flat out lie. Red flag number one. He also tells us that the car was back up for sale due to a possible buyer thinking the engine had problems and walked away? Then, he says the engine is fine? If the engine is fine like he says, why on Earth would he even put something like that in the listing?? There must be something wrong with it. That is red flag number 2. Now, anyone who is thinking about this car will have “engine problem” in the back of their mind. I know I would.. That statement will keep the bidding low. This guy does not know how to sell a car. He messed up his own sale using the wrong words. The listing is a turn off.
Honest disclosure is a red flag? If you were to read the add more closely you’d see that the seller was the concerned party not the buyer the seller was honest enough to tell the first buyer that there may be a problem. These engines are dirt simple and I can tell by your reaction that you don’t really understand that. I’d have no problem buying from this sell.
Who cares if there’s an engine problem. Where you gonna find an original like this? Besides, the next owner will most assuredly ditch the motor anyway. I’d believe the mileage. Neat car.
If the body and interior are as good in person as in the images, then a engine problem would not be a big deal. I would keep the car original if I was interested, which I am not. But, look at the wheel wells and the tires, something does not line up and I don’t think it is the camera angle. The ground is wet around the car, a trick everyone who wants the paint to look its best knows that trick, even if it only has one wiper. It could be that ethanol gas was used before it was parked and the fuel tank, lines, fuel pump and carburetor need to be replace, not just cleaned.
The rear tire looking too far forward is normal I have a 37 olds same way . Even old photos of these cars look like that. Maybe it was give it a wind swept effect who knows what they were thinking lol
Coeur d’Alene, ID no less. I wonder if Mitch Silver sold it? Wish it was closer, it has a certain charm…