Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

Grandma’s Survivor: 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

This 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is a clean, stock example with low miles and has all the hallmarks of being a gently-driven, Grandma-owned survivor. It shows under 70,000 original miles and is a final year rear-wheel-drive G-body wearing Brougham trim. The seller notes that it’s pretty well loaded up, with the 5.0L V8, automatic transmission, cruise control, AM/FM cassette stereo, and more. The Oldsmobile has had just two owners since new, and the second owner barely drove it, according to the seller. The Cutlass Supreme is listed here on eBay with bidding up to $9,000 and no reserve.

The old-school California license plates and dealer plate frame tell you a little bit about how long this Oldsmobile has been in California, and the bodywork and interior condition certainly seem like that of a car that’s lived in a fair-weather climate since new. Olds sold a ton of these G-bodies when they were new, and I’m willing to bet most of us had a grandparent (or aunt, or uncle) that owned one of these. The platform spawned numerous vehicles that today remain perennial favorites among GM fans, and it’s a great bet for an entry-level classic car that will always be appreciated.

You could spec one of these with optional power features, but this one retains manual windows and presumably locks and mirrors, too. The seats, front and rear, are the greatest indication that this Cutlass has seen the minimal use suggested by the listing, as they appear to be in excellent shape front and rear. The ample padding should make even the longest road trip a pleasure, and the fake woodgrain dash and door panel inserts still look surprisingly upscale – credit the first and second owners for always keeping it garaged. The headliner is sagging a bit, which is to be expected in a car of this vintage.

The 5.0L V8 presents well, especially for a car that’s not purported to be a show car or time-capsule grade survivor. The second owners are either heirs or simply grabbed the car when they saw it come up for sale at auction or a corner used car lot for the sake of preventing a survivor like this from being scrapped; they haven’t reached the point yet that you’d buy one solely for investment purposes. The Cutlass is apparently mechanically healthy, too, since it passed California’s stringent smog testing. The bidding is stronger than I’d expect at the moment, but as I mentioned earlier, these G-bodies have a lot of fans. Are you one of them?

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve R

    While not common, older cars on this condition can be found on a regular basis in many parts of the Bay Area, it’s just that most aren’t desirable makes or models. Someone is going to get a nice car when this auction is over.

    Steve R

    Like 8
  2. Avatar Steve

    6.2 LS with a big turbo ready….

    Like 7
    • Avatar Jason

      Then after the 6.2 Ls Swap sell it in the South East for 50K as clean as this is.💪🏿

      Like 0
  3. Avatar JW454

    Back when new, I would have passed on the pillow back seats. They seem nice at first but, the ’77 Cutlass I drove had them and they got to be more of a pain than a pleasure.
    Other than that, this is a very nice looking car. Also, that headliner is very easy to replace. I’ve done many of them. A Saturday morning of your time, twenty bucks and, it will look like new.

    Like 1
  4. Avatar CJinSD

    I worked at an Oldsmobile dealer in 1989. These run-out G-bodies created a long checklist for pre-purchase inspections of items that had previously been taken for granted. They were legendarily horribly built even by GM standards.

    Like 6
  5. Avatar jerry hw brentnell

    my next door neighbor bought a pontiac grand prix 1989 the seat were like sitting on a piece of wood his spent more time at the dealer getting fixed than driving it!

    Like 4
  6. Avatar Jcs

    I find Jeff Avery’s assessment to be incredibly spot on from start to finish. All in all cool car.

    Like 2

Leave a Reply to Jcs Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.