To me, this generation of the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was one of the best designs GM penned in the early 90s. Full disclaimer: I am not a car designer, but in my experience, few vehicles can actually look better when re-imagined in drop top form, yet his generation of the Cutlass pulls it off. This is also one of those cases where a set of wheels can transform a car, as the Cutlass with the base hubcaps isn’t a looker but the final year models with the five spoke alloys look beyond slick. This example has just under 40,000 miles, and the seller notes it’s one of just 7,000 convertibles built in 1993. Find it here on craigslist in Lakeland, Florida for $10,900.
The Cutlass name was obviously familiar to Oldsmobile enthusiasts, but this modern interpretation of it was a bit of a poke in the eye considering the prestige the original nameplate carried. Now, it was a front-wheel drive mid-level offering that didn’t do any one thing particularly well, but the convertible did at least offer respectable power and a true four-seater arrangement to make it a drop-top that can accommodate a few of your friends while keeping 200 b.h.p. at the driver’s disposal. The other way the Cutlass drop-top stood out was for its roll bar, or “handle,” that extended over the mid-section of the car, giving it a decidedly sporty appearance with the roof down.
While GM interiors of this era were hardly worth writing home about, the Cutlass Supreme at least honored its forebears by incorporating acres of leather surfaces across the four-bucket seats and the door panels. Not every Cutlass was outfitted this way, but the top of the range models came fairly generously equipped. And unlike other models in the company’s lineup at the time, the interior of the Cutlass featured design elements intended to appeal to a younger demographic, like the smooth center console, futuristic shifter handle and gate, and wild contours of the leather bucket seats. The Cutlass came with a power top, power seats, and an upgraded OEM stereo for crystal clear tunes with the top down.
The DOHC V6 gave willing acceleration, routed through its front wheels, but the car was never known for its outright speed. The 3.4L mill certainly looks impressive when it takes up all available real estate under hood, but it wasn’t the lusty V8 many enthusiasts were probably pining for when new. The seller points out that the Cutlass has enjoyed a pampered existence, which is sort of ironic considering it’s never been a collector car, but it’s not the first Cutlass Supreme convertible of this generation that I recall being treated to this sort of lifestyle. While it will not likely be the kind of purchase that will appreciate, is a pristine 1993 Cutlass Supreme convertible a smart buy?
I actually thought these were nice even in sedan form is equipped properly.
Future collector car. Get it while affordable 👍🎅
I had a 1997 SL Cutlass 4 door with a 3.1 in 1999/ A very comfortable,quiet a efficient car. Mine had the same rims but I did not think these rims were available in 1993 but I could easily be wrong. Over the years I actually looked at buying a couple of these in convertible form but it just did not happen. A lot of them came with the,to me,expensive to maintain 3.4 engine. That turned me off the purchase. Prices of these have sure risen.Looks like a very nice one here
My brother in law collects Cars and had one of these. Impossible to find trim pieces for around the convertible top. After a year he gave up and sold the car. Was getting too much water intrusion so he dumped it before the tin worm came to town.
In the past one would of had to find an older an older upholstery shop to take the old top and craft a new one.
Thankfully now they make them.
https://www.carparts.com/details/Oldsmobile/Cutlass_Supreme/Kee_Auto_Top/
Kee Auto Top®
1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme – Convertible Top, Black
Part No: CD1165TO33SP
(0 Reviews)
$188.95
They should had made a trefeo convertible.
Looked at these when new. Compared it to a SAAB ( commemorative edition) 900 and a BMW 3 series at the time. Lots of flash but build quality seemed questionable at the time to us. Actually ended up with a 4Runner, which was a great truck with no regrets but that experience led me down the SAAB path later in life now. While GM owned them outright by then, it still seemed like a significantly nicer and more solid car than the Oldsmobile. The BMW was just too small. I do think if they had priced these right they could have sold a lot of them then. 4 real’ish seats. And the rollbar seamed like a good idea and probably added some structural integrity to the car. This is by far the nicest I have seen since they were new.
It’s funny that you mention that this car looks better in drop top form, yet the seller shows no pictures with the top down.
I’ll take your word for it.
I thought these convertibles were modified after the coupes came off the assembly line by an outside company and not GM?
They cane as convertibles straight from the factory, and they do look good with the top down.
I loved these when I was a kid in the 90s. I’d happily have one as an adult. Easily one of the best looking American cars of the 90s. The 93 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP which screamed to have a droptop, and the late 80s-early 90s Trans Ams.
Whoops, sent before finished. Anyway, the last cars mentioned are my other contenders for good looking American cars of the time.
The 3.4 is fine, just keep up with the timing belt changes.
And for those wanting a V8, this engine would take the V8 the cutlass came with previously with ease. I destroyed a V8 cutlass with my dad’s lumina with the 3.4 back in the late 90’s (sorry dad)
Sorry, but I believe the top chopping and engineering of the power-operated replacement was handled by Cars & Concepts of Brighton, Michigan.
Some of these came with the quad 4 motor I believe, I ordered a four door version from the factory in 94, the family sedan it was a great car