Oldsmobile may be gone, but it certainly isn’t forgotten. It produced some memorable vehicles that offered performance but were capable of providing customers with a luxurious motoring experience. Nowhere is that more evident than with this 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora. It presents well as an unmolested survivor. If long-distance journeys are on your radar or you seek a practical daily driver, this classic would fulfill both roles admirably, while cocooning its occupants in supreme comfort. The seller feels it needs a new home, so they have listed it exclusively at Barn Finds Auctions.
Oldsmobile introduced the Aurora for the 1995 model year, with the Second Generation arriving in showrooms in 2001 after a year’s break. Our feature car is from that year and is a genuine survivor. Its Galaxy Silver paint looks remarkably good for its age. This is significant because the Nevada sun has a reputation for baking paint. However, this car retains an impressive shine and shows no signs of patchiness. There are a few minor marks and imperfections, mainly on the bumpers. However, a reputable shop could address these to lift the presentation to a higher level without breaking the bank. Nothing requires urgent attention, meaning any touch-up work would be at the buyer’s discretion. The panels are as straight as an arrow, and the gaps are tight and consistent. I’m unsurprised that this classic remains rust-free because the Aurora wasn’t renowned for any weakness in that area. Its cause has been aided by its geographic location, which is ideal for classic steel preservation. The glass is crystal clear, the lights and lenses are excellent, and the factory alloy wheels show no signs of stains or curb strike.
This Aurora’s engine bay might house the entry-level V6, but this is an impressive piece of equipment. The 3.5-liter DOHC Northstar engine features all-alloy construction and fuel injection. It produces 215hp and 230 ft/lbs of torque. Those figures were the domain of V8 powerplants only a few years earlier, demonstrating how rapidly engine technology had evolved. The power feeds to the front wheels via a 4T65-E four-speed automatic transmission. The company focused more on luxury than outright performance, although the engine’s power and torque combined perfectly with the Aurora’s sleek body shape to produce a top speed of 143mph. However, this car’s ace could be its fuel consumption figures. It tips the scales at 3,686 lbs courtesy of its high equipment levels. That is not an issue, because it will still return a figure of nearly 20mpg in the city and can comfortably top 28mpg on the highway. This Aurora’s odometer shows a genuine 74,520 miles, meaning it should offer its new owner years of faithful service. It runs and drives perfectly, with no vices or problems.
Aurora owners never felt neglected, because the interior was designed to cater for safety and comfort. It features front and side airbags, climate-control air conditioning, power windows, power locks with keyless entry, a power trunk release, power mirrors, power front seats, cruise control, and an AM/FM stereo radio/cassette/CD player. That brings all the comforts of home to the inside of this classic. The leather seat upholstery shows no issues beyond the wrinkles and creases that are part of this material’s character. The matching door trim inserts are equally impressive, as are the remaining upholstered surfaces and the carpet. There are no signs of adverse impact from the harsh Nevada UV rays, and no evidence of abuse or neglect. Interiors often tell the story of a car’s life, with this one indicating it has been treated respectfully from Day 1.
It was no secret that the writing was on the wall for Oldsmobile by the time this Aurora rolled off the line. However, that didn’t prevent buyers from handing over their cash to park one in their driveway. The Second Generation remained in production from 2001 until 2003, with 53,640 buyers giving one a new home in 2001. That proved the high point for the badge, with sales figures plummeting significantly in 2002, and the end coming in 2003. General Motors retired the Oldsmobile brand in 2004, ending a production run of over a century. With no evidence that GM will revive the marque, it falls to cars like this Aurora to bravely carry the company’s torch. It will continue doing so with style, and you could be the person to guarantee that by submitting a bid on this classic. If you crave a vehicle that perfectly combines comfort, luxury, and impressive economy, this Aurora could be the perfect car for you.
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Mileage: 74,520 Shown
- Engine: 3.5-Liter V6
- Transmission: 4-Speed Automatic
- VIN: 1G3GR64H714142816
- Title Status: Clean
Bid On This Auction
- Jim T bid $4,000.00 2023-07-10 16:23:50
- Tekaboo5006 bid $3,600.00 2023-07-10 10:18:22
- Jim T bid $3,500.00 2023-07-09 16:59:38
- RoadTripRevivals bid $3,100.00 2023-07-09 01:08:55
- Jim T bid $3,000.00 2023-07-06 13:57:05
- RoadTripRevivals bid $2,400.00 2023-07-06 13:25:49
- Jim T bid $2,200.00 2023-07-06 03:35:19
- Iceman bid $2,000.00 2023-07-05 21:05:41
- Jim T bid $1,800.00 2023-07-05 13:24:08
- RoadTripRevivals bid $1,500.00 2023-07-05 11:59:13
- Tekaboo5006 bid $1,200.00 2023-07-04 16:46:20
- HwbJr bid $900.00 2023-07-04 15:09:42
- Tekaboo5006 bid $800.00 2023-07-04 12:41:18
- HwbJr bid $700.00 2023-07-04 11:07:53
- Tekaboo5006 bid $600.00 2023-07-04 10:46:11
- RoadTripRevivals bid $500.00 2023-07-03 12:04:29
Tge Aurora was a great car from Oldsmobile.
I had the 96 model with the
250-horse 4-liter version of Cadillac’s Northstar V8 and lines .
It was a great cruise car for traveling.
It actually got 26 mpg. I used to cruise from Midwest to Florida at lets say 90 to keep it slow for reading.
The leather with heated seats plus sun roof couldn’t be beat.
When GM closed down some lines which was needed .. I always felt they should have kept the nice models and closed low production with all labeled GM. 😉
Okay can see this has nice interior and paint.
Good luck on sale.
OLDS was like the experimental division of GM. I miss this division of GM. TORONADO, a CRAZY COOL CAR!
The first generation were so special looking, absolutely great looking cars this one is rather generic looking from the second generation. Supposedly conservative Americans didn’t care for the wonderful styling of the first generation. Really spectacular cars that given the chance, would have possibly been able to also be able to stick around around.
If you think gas prices are high check out what they get for qt of oil,not the time to own a Northstar..
This is not a northstar V8; it’s a 3.5 V6.
This originally was going to be the Olds 88’s successor, called the Antares. But by then, the SUV/CUV craze was in full swing. So the new Buick Riviera, on which the new Aurora was going to be based, got canned. So Olds just basically rebadged this as the Aurora.
This is the same FWD chassis as the Buick LeSabre/Park Avenue, Cadillac DeVille, and Pontiac Bonneville, which isn’t bad, albeit not exciting. And unfortunately, this car has the 4.0 liter Deathstar V-8, which has a lot of well known problems with head bolts.
Due to that poor reliability perception, these can be very hard to sell. There was a very nice Bonneville GXP that a dealer near me had forever.
Actually if you read the article closely it does seem to say this car has the wonderful spectacular cruise all day at 100 MPH+ beloved Northstar. But it doesn’t. This has GM’s replacement for the excellent 3800 V6 which has much less power and top end speed.
Yes you are correct. I apologized below. It has the orphaned Shortstar 3.5 liter V6.
This engine may have been intended as a replacement for the 3800, but it didn’t pan out that way. The Shortstar was only offered from 1999-02 in the Olds Intrigue and this car before both it and the 3800 were supplanted by the “High Feature” V-6 that debuted in the 2004 Cadillac CTS. The HF is produced in updated form to date and powers various current GM vehicles, including the Camaro, Chevy Traverse, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevy Blazer, GMC Acadia, and so on.
I’ve not heard anything commonly terrible about the Shortstar. But as with any oddball engine, I would be leery. There isn’t a huge sample size, and I’d be concerned about parts availability and finding a mechanic who understands it.
If I were going to go with a GM of this ilk and vintage, I probably would be looking at a Bonneville SSEi with the reliable and common 3800 supercharged V-6 or step up tona 2005-08 Grand Prix GXP or 2006-09 Impala SS with the LS4 V-8.
Why do peoples take photos of Dash where it’s obvious there’s only fumes in the gas tank?? Makes me think this is a dealer.
I own a 2001 Aurora 4.0 -which has been a good car. The combination of very comfortable leather seats, Bose stereo, 32 valves providing power, climate control, good handling, nice ride, and decent gas mileage, have made my car enjoyable to own. GM should have dumped Buick and kept either Oldsmobile or Pontiac. I’d bet GM exec’s now agree.
Nope. As much as I like Olds, Buick is the big seller in China.
I think the word “Buick” in Chinese translates to “Buy this car or your family will be cursed”.
My apologies. This one does not have the Deathstar V-8. It has the Shortstar V-6. My bad. This oddball was short lived and also had its issues, so you’ll want to research that.
Why is it that every time GM built a great and unique car they always canned it just when it was perfected? I thought the Aurora was a great niche vehicle that was right for Olds and right for the times. I hope this one finds a great new home that will love it forever.
I don’t know if I would call this one “perfection.” That argument fits the ’88 Fiero but not this. This car was going to become the next Olds 88 before the real next gen Aurora was scrapped and they hastily turned this into the Aurora.
Beyond the oddball motor, it is really just a Buick LeSabre/Park Avenue and Cadillac DeVille underneath. Nothing wrong with that, but most Oldsmobile Aurora enthusiast consider this generation to be inferior to the first.
I owned a 1996 Aurora … beautiful car lots of power nice ride BUT, BUT, BUT extremely poor quality from the plastic centre caps on the wheels to window seals, dash pad, paint fade, air conditioning heat exchanger, AC clutch, sensors, light switch, power sensing modual, head gasket, head bolts, and the list goes on. As a result of this car I will NEVER own another GM. I have always taken very good care of my vehicles but this one was a money pit. When they tore the engine down to replace the head gaskets, the Dealer said with 180,000 KMs it met factory specs… that was a testimony to the care it got. I did not mention all the times (at least 8) that it was in the shop under warranty which was 80,000 KM.
The Oldsmobile Aurora was a luxury automobile made by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors and launched in 1995 to replace the discontinued Toronado 2-door personal luxury coupe. It was introduced to bring new life to Oldsmobile, but the first few years of Aurora did not even feature the Oldsmobile name. I don’t think these cars had ‘Oldsmobile’ script anywhere on the car.
John Rock purposely took the Olds name off the car, as he thought it would have a better chance of success without the “ my father’s “ tag line.
As we now know, John Rock along with Oldsmobile and General Motors in total were on their way down in a death spiral.
This design is beautiful in it’s own way. Others have correctly mentioned this was to be the new Antares with the 2nd Gen Aurora a grade above it. But with the 4 litre V8 these were excellent. Yet it never fails to amaze me how a great engine like the real Northstar can get a truly undeserved reputation for issues when every supposed issue was down to idiot drivers failing to properly read the owner’s manual and follow the correct maintenance schedule. And then this nonsense gets parroted here and elsewhere as fact.
The Autobhan Edition is the Aurora to get
Compare to anything on a used car lot for a decent sedan for a little highway commute. If you’re in stop and go driving, maybe skip it. If you’re commute and have kids with not much traffic, these are good cars. Not easy to work on when things start running afoul. But if it can be had $5k range, it’s a good buy. Dad had one exactly like it. He liked it but was usually alone driving and didn’t need the wasted doors and back seat wasting fuel dragging that 700 extra pounds of sedan around. It was smooth and rode nicely.
I miss Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, Imperial, Studebaker, Mercury, all of American Motors, and the list goes on and on. (and sadly, it increases yearly).