The Lumina was Chevy’s first front-wheel-drive mid-size car, produced over five generations from 1989-13. Its Euro edition had sportier accommodations, a V6 engine, and some suspension upgrades. We’re told this is 1992 Euro is a one-prior owner car whose 92-year-old driver put just 47,000 miles on it. Located in Arcadia, Arizona, this Chevy is available here on craigslist for $4,500. Thanks for the Bow-Tie tip, Pat L.!
Euro buyers got a fuel-injected, side-mounted V6 with a 4-speed automatic transmission and some special chassis and appearance features. Anti-lock brakes on all four wheels were standard on the 1992 models. Although the Lumina was popular at 220,000 overall copies in ’92, only about 5,600 of the Euro 4-door sedan were built, like the seller’s auto. This one came with the 140 hp, 3.1-liter motor although a peppier 3.4-liter version was available.
This ’92 Euro looks to be in exceptional condition except for some possible faded paint on the front bumper and a little worn trim on the driver’s side of the front seat. We’re told that everything works properly on this car and that it has never been exposed to accidents, pets, or even children. A search online for info on the Lumina Euro revealed another listing from two months earlier for what appears to be the same car. Color and mileage are the same. But that listing shows the car as being located in California at that time.
In the prior listing, that seller indicates some sort of trouble with the fuel system resulted in a towing and prompted the sale. Given the increase in price and its recent passage of the Arizona State Emissions Code, we assume that the seller has resolved the problem. So hopefully it’s a turnkey automobile that would serve nicely as a sporty daily driver for not a ton of money.
If a Chevy Lumina is your cup of tea, this looks to be pretty nice for the price. I drove a lot of these when I worked for GM in the 90’s, and they were actually decent for the day. The only real issue that I remember with the W-Body is that the rear calipers would seize on a regular basis.
Notta bad deal for a daily driver if you live someplace it won’t rust.
If I were in Arizona already, I would certainly consider it for a daily driver.
Not real collectible, buy would still get noticed at a cars & coffee event.
Comfortable cruisers
My local Rent a Wreck always had these in stock.
One of the best colors of the 90’s! Too bad it’s not a Z34 with the TDC V6!
Or even a Euro 3.4 sedan with a 5-speed!
The coolant overflow tank appears holds 75 gallons.
@Russ – There were ~5600 Lumina Euro 3.4 sedans built. The less powerful Euro 3.1 was far more popular. I remember seeing more Euros than base Luminas.
I had a similar 1990 euro lumina in coupe form, a rare car now. The 3.1 was great and it was a fun car. I loved it.
I had a darker blue 1990 version in coupe form to me its stock exaust sounded close to a nascar and it was comfortable, as well as fun to drive.
Posting already deleted – that didn’t last long.
And there isn’t an Arcadia, AZ. That’s just the name for a particular neighborhood in Phoenix (a very nice one, I might add).
I have to imagine the take rate was much higher for the Euro model than 5,600 units in 1992. My uncle worked in Chevrolet sales for a number of years and told me the Euro far outsold the base model during the entire 1989/1990-1994 first-gen model run.
If anything, I’ll guess 5,600 might represent the Euro 3.4 sales.
“The Lumina was Chevy’s first front-wheel drive midsize car…” That distinction would seem to belong to the Chevrolet Celebrity launched in 1982.
Wouldn’t that be the Citation?
Yup. I had a Citation and it was junk. Always liked the Lumina Eurosport though…
And the Lumina only had two generations (not 5) until the badge went away in 2001. The W-platform carried on past 2013 too.
Fall of 1994 I was an exchange student at UMass and my roommate was a Grad student who was an officer in the Singapore military. He was a nice guy, but had to put it mildly a quite conservative world view.
He wanted to buy a car and I helped him look for something American, reliable and good value for the money. I found a -91 Lumina in very good shape sold by a lady in some village outside of Amherst which he bought and was very proud of (large cars were hideously expensive in Singapore so I got to take many pictures of him with that car which he then sent to friends and family back home as proof of the glamorous life in the US!)
It took a few weeks until I explained the meaning of the pink triangle sticker on the trunk lid, and I got a good laugh at his panic over having driven around with a message so far from his own views..!
As for the Lumina, I remember it as quite nice for its era. Quiet, comfy and decent torque from that V6.
We bought a1992 3.4 Euro brand new. Red with a gray interior. It was a great car! Only sold it to buy a full size conversion van as the kids got older.
I think you’ve forgotten the Celebrity, a mid-size, FWD Chevy that was introduced as a 1982 model.
AZ emissions are only in certain Counties, not the whole State
FWIW…
I had a ‘92 Z-34 in 94/95
Good running and handling car, but had a very “tin can” sounding exhaust note that the Stealership could never fix!
Ex got it in the divorce and backed into a large dumpster…
Traded it in for a “buck tooth” front end mid 90’s GP.
She hated GM products after that turd, and. Me to some extent…
Lol
This one would need to pass emissions since it’s in Maricopa County.
My dad has a dark blue one exactly like this! The 3.1 got 31mpg at 73mph on the Highway trips we took- very nice ride!
gone.
Yup. Pretty quickly too. Granted, it wasn’t like buying a blue chip Hemi Cuda from Mecum, but good to see these Radwood cars getting interest.