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40k-Mile Survivor: 1973 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

1973 was an important year for GM during the seventies decade, as that was when the company debuted its revised intermediate line-up that came to be known as the Colonnade, aptly named because of the pillared body styling.  Among others, some of these cars included the Chevy Malibu and Monte Carlo, Buick’s Regal, the Pontiac LeMans, and of course the Oldsmobile Cutlass such as this one for sale here on Facebook Marketplace.  The A-Body is located in Hudsonville, Michigan, and can be yours for what seems like a reasonable price tag of $9,500.  Mike Kolodziej, we appreciate your excellent tip here!

While the body lines got sleeker as the years went on, the fourth-generation Cutlass only had the sunken tail lights incorporated into the rear for just this one year, and there’s just something about the car’s rear appearance that makes it my favorite on the outside of the five years this model stayed in production.  The seller obtained the car from the son of the original owner and says it’s still wearing the original paint, which remains quite decent for five decades of element exposure with the exception of the doors that have gotten some touching up by the first caretaker.

There’s not too much to find fault with inside either, with an all-red interior that was popular during the sixties and seventies.  There’s just minor wear on the front seat and armrest, and I’d like to have found buckets with a console up front but even without these options things still look inviting in there.  The dash appears to be in fine shape, but this one’s fairly basic with no power windows, door locks, or tilt column.

The 350 is numbers-matching and I like that the engine compartment is being presented honestly, without a steam cleaning or detailing so we get to see what the bay really looks like after 50 years.  Some of the hood insulation has fallen off, but other than that it appears to be in good order under there.  The Turbo 350 is also stated as the original transmission.

Autos in The Wolverine State sometimes succumb to rust issues if they’re exposed to excessive winter driving, but we get to view several photos from the underside which all seem to show a solid foundation here.  The seller ends by calling his Olds a beauty, and for under ten grand, this one’s tempting.  What are your thoughts on this ’73 Cutlass Supreme?

Comments

  1. George Mattar

    My uncle, who just passed at age 87, bought a new 73 Cutlass with buckets in Oct. 1972. I got to drive it when it was new. IMO, GM hit a grand slam with the Colonnades. I have owned four of them and now looking for a 75 Hurst Olds.

    Like 10
  2. Dewey Barichio

    Reminds me of my love of vehicles you tell what it was in a single glance ,today not so much

    Like 8
  3. Casey

    A beautiful car for under $10 K. I really like the color. 👍👍

    Like 15
  4. Stan

    Sweet Colonade Cutlass. Dr Olds had an eye for good lines. Love that front-end.

    Like 15
  5. CommentMan

    Where are all the comments today?

    Like 2
  6. princeofprussia

    A ’73 Cutlass with no body cancer? From MICHIGAN, no less?!! Nothing short of a miracle! Beautiful sample, and well worth the asking price, as the horrible inferior steel GM used then will make this a rare car one day!

    Like 14
  7. Ashtray

    I owned a 1974 Cutlass Supreme. It was one of the most reliable vehicles that I ever owned.
    This is a straight looking car. All of the body panels line up well and it doesn’t look a
    ” Bondo buggy”.
    The passenger side front fender appears to have been repainted, because it is much darker in color than the rest of the vehicle.
    That really wouldn’t matter much if I was the buyer? I would give it a weekend paint job and drive it for the next several years. It’s a beautiful original color car to start with. At $9500.00, it appears to be a good deal, compared to the price of a new vehicle.
    I really don’t care anymore about whether I’m driving a 1973 or a 2023? I just want something that is reliable and no car payments.
    Just my oponion!

    Like 14
  8. Davey Boy

    Definitely wrecked on the driver’s side. Look at the inner fender well. You can tell it’s new not that it mattered to whoever already bought it. Do like the color and always liked this body style.

    Like 5
    • sixone

      I don’t know about the car being “wrecked”. It literally could be anything a reason to repaint the door. EVEN how the paint lays down originally right out of the spray nozzle. If the paint comes from the opposite direction, the risk with metallic paint is it won’t fall onto the surface the same way. The metallic “stands up” and falls down differently sometimes and makes it appear different even though it’s not. I heard this on a show – I believe the one from the Northwest where the guy restored mostly Challengers and Cudas…

      Like 3
  9. sixone

    It looks like a straight car, I’d go for it. The non-greedy price I’m liking too, but of course I’d have to inspect it… It’s like this car was plucked out of somewhere 40 years ago. I’m impressed by it.

    Like 7
  10. HoA Howard A Member

    These were undeniably “chick” cars then. GM wasn’t dumb, and knew an entire group of newly professional people, women, were being missed. The Cutlass Supreme fit a wide range of single,( divorced) professional women. Like the Poncho wagon, you almost never saw a car like this with a 4 speed. Women back then, weren’t into that and had a shred of class and this car was dripping with it. I think we can all agree on this one, these were some of the best, most universal Oldsmobiles made.

    Like 5
    • sixone

      I don’t agree it being a “chick” car at all. In HS 1978/79 I had a 75 Salon, my friend had a 73. Trust me, I’d know if it was a chick car at the the time. The thing about them was, they were pretty much ALL over the place. I don’t think we realized how permeated the US was with American cars because the change happened somewhat slowly (as opposed to overnight). Anyway, just my opinion after all. You want to know what a “chick car” is? A Ford Escape. At least when they first came out 22 years ago. I had a weak moment and bought a 2003 – actually BOUGHT it, put a down payment, and financed it through Ford. A month into it I realized what I bought – truth be told I was uneasy about the whole purchase I talked myself into. I got through a snowy Long Island winter and the 4×4 worked great in the snow, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I just didn’t like the vehicle. So, I traded it in (luckily a relative owned the dealership) and bought a 2004 F150 extra cab. I had to. Not that I needed a dick-extension vehicle, but that Escape was downright emasculating. Even with the deal they gave me, I still probably lost two or three thousand bucks. I think, if there’s a moral to the story,, go with your first impressions or feelings on something major like this.

      Like 4
  11. Thomas Taylor

    Mine was a 73 Cutlass s with the triangle rear window I’ll just hides. I believe it has about 150,000 miles on it now. It’s still up on blocks out at my friend’s farm. The final top did cause some rust underneath. I love that car but something else came along. It was a 77 Cutlass. I love that car too. Those 350s were just a beautiful engine with that four barrel on top. Sitting next to my 73 up on blocks is my 70 Olds Delta 88 two barrel. That one got parked because of the 7 to 10 mi per gallon. Now I’m into Ford f-150s and Pontiacs Grand gram and G6 which are also a lot of fun.

    Like 4
  12. Mark Newton

    Newt720
    Beautiful, we had a navy blue with black buckets, I loved this car had the rocket 350 and actually got up and hauled, this has been a rarity to find and may have to go look at this one being I live in Michigan
    Thanks for the post

    Like 3
  13. S

    My friend from high school’s parents drove a burgundy 73 Cutlass almost exactly like this, except it did not have a vinyl roof. It was the only car they had for a while. I believe they owned it until 1987. It’s amazing how popular these cars were (especially in 1976 when it was the #1 selling car in America), and in general how popular Oldsmobiles in general were in the 70s and 80s.

    Like 5
  14. Bj

    Sold, well bought

    Like 2
  15. Fogline

    OH! My first car exactly except for the wheels, which I always wanted to swap out to these. Got T boned in it and my dad sold it for more than we paid for it to a guy that wanted the engine and tranny for his stock car.

    Like 2
  16. Rtdreep Member

    Gorgeous car, reasonably priced! That interior is especially sweet.

    Like 1
  17. GTO MAN

    I had the same car and color in 79 I bought for 800 bucks that 350 was fast IT needed a radiator.

    Like 0

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