With an exotic name and racy looks, this 1991 Oldsmobile Toronado Trofeo certainly seems like it could be a collector car. Sadly, it never quite lived up to the hype of being a legitimate competitor to European makes as GM had intended, and they’re more just a curious footnote from the early 90s fumbles of a brand trying to figure out how to build a better Mercedes. This example is loaded up, right down to the optional CRT touchscreen control center and it’s listed here on eBay for $2,900 and the option to submit a best offer.
I will openly admit to having a major infatuation with these as a youngster and still finding them attractive today. Had I been of driving age when these were new, I would have likely sampled a few different iterations of GM’s compact cars, from the Oldsmobile Calais 442 to the Grand Am GT. Tons of aero enhancements and powerful V6 engines were some of my favorite ingredients in 1980s and early 90s cars, and this Trofeo certainly over-indexed on the latter. The 3.8L V6 dolled out respectable performance, even if refinement was lacking compared to the European brands.
The Trofeo was a well-packaged car from an equipment standpoint, with leather buckets, power moonroof, and the respectable FE3 suspension package, which firmed things up nicely. The CRT system was also fairly Jetsons-like compared to other offerings of cars in similar price points, as it even enabled basic navigational functions. When you think about how integral the touch screen design is to modern vehicles, the fact that this system likely blew a few minds when new tells you how far we’ve come. The interior on this example is far from mint, and the carpets look dingy.
The 3800 made an appearance in numerous GM vehicles from this era, and is certainly far from exotic. But it did the job, and gave the Trofeo a respectable amount of thrust. The problem, however, like so many other GM products, was that the drivetrain came no where near what companies like Mercedes was sticking in its low-end models like the 190E. Combined with life expectancy that wasn’t exactly exceptional and you have a car that looked great but under-whelmed in real world performance. Still, driver-quality examples are hard to find today, and this one is cheap enough to take a chance on.
Again…. Watch out for subframe mount issues. The rusted hardware in the engine compartment has me concerned that this car spent some time in a very humid climate.
Not sure what was the weakness, but all of the gray leather seats from GM cars in this era have fully fallen apart/shredded/split.
“Not sure what was the weakness, but all of the gray leather seats from GM cars in this era have fully fallen apart/shredded/split.”
Mad Cow Disease.
Ugly as sin and it looks trashed. Throw your money out your window on this garbage can.
Ike nails it 🤣
“like so many other GM products, was that the drivetrain came no where near what companies like Mercedes was sticking in its low-end models like the 190E.”
Yes, wow, now way this could ever match the powerhouse 130hp 4 cylinder in base 190 or the monster 158hp 6 cylinder. The cool thing is you also got to pay a lot more for a 190 too…..and they were more unreliable too AND you got worse MPG…uber alles doucheland!
“Combined with life expectancy that wasn’t exactly exceptional”
Yeah, thats one thing 3800’s are known for…..short life expectancy…..
If you’re going to have a negative slant to the whole car and fill your article with half truths and your own misguided opinions, pick a different car, I’m sure there’s a 2CV or a electric cheese wedge you can rave about……
Ralph, I’m pretty sure modern-day auction results speak for themselves that even nicely preserved base model 190Es are snagging $10K or better, and more so for the 2.6. While you may find my opinions unfavorable, real world results back them up. Find me a well-preserved Trofeo that’s pulling five figures at an auction.
The four-cylinder 190E will cruise all day in the triple digits without breaking a sweat, and most of the ones still running around today will do the same. Pure horsepower numbers are a foolish measurement device when arguing which one holds up better to long-term, daily use.
And please, do me a favor and list all of the 2CVs and “electric cheese wedges” I’ve written about. Pretty sure I do a bang-up job of covering all makes and models at about the same rate.
End of the day, GM wanted to compete with the imports but bad management, poor product development, lackluster (or non-existent) quality control, and a disenfranchised workforce put them years behind their peers, and they are still playing catch-up (see Cadillac). Numerous books speak to this phenomenon, most of which I’ve read – maybe you should, too.
I’m trying to think of anywhere besides your mind where a 190 and a Tronado Trofeo were ever cross shopped. Yes you can cherrypick one cherry 190 that someone way over paid for on BAT but in reality a Costworth struggles to break 10. At a local cruise someone has be been begging to try to sell a 50,000 85 on for $2500…..seen it, in person.
I noticed your snark is selective too, your Aspen RT post makes no mention of them being reskinned early 60’s Valiants with poor quality control that almost put Chrysler in the grave.
I’ll put up $$ that there are more running 3800’s from the same era than 190 4 or 6 cylinders despite how many can “run at triple digit speeds all day”…..
You are right, Cadillac does have to catch up, someday they will hopefully be as unreliable as an Audi or BMW and then the car buffs will really love them……
Yeah buddy! I heard that slap all the way over here on the East Coast.
The Aspen and Volare would have been better cars had they been reskinned Valiants.
Watch out for external (oil) head gasket leaks on any 190Es left around, both the 4 cyl and the 6 cyl have them. I had a 1993 (last year made) 190E 2.3 a few years ago that had begun to leak oil but I was fastidious in keeping the level up. One day going over an overpass the engine locked up tight without warning (my mother was driving.) Watching the tow truck leave with it for the junkyard ended my enchantment with the “Baby Benz.”
Was she running at “high triple digit speeds” while taking in all that luxurious MB Tex vinyl when this happened?
My mom’s been pulled over for driving too slow…
Settle down, Beavis.
I’ve been watching this one on ebay. I love the style, but what I really want is a coupe deville from this era.
Nothing wrong with this as a trim, hard to find trim pieces. Just a Buick Reatta with different clothes..
CRT is fine if working but if any problems stay away. Few work on these anymore and no diagnostic tools around.
I think the screen had “Sony-guts” as they discount TV guys used to say…..
At least unlike today, it’s still a 2 door, has hidden headlites/hidden wipers(not even avail today on multi million dollar cars!!) & is futuristic looking, has good protective/well integrated bumpers & good headroom for a coupe & good visiblity especially out the BACK, & not stupid looking like too many “cars” today.
If the CRT fails, are there backup dash controls?
I imagine the CRT draws a lot of power & if it’s on with the engine off for say 1/2 hour, that could kill the battery?
IMO the CRT should not come on at ALL until after the car starts.
There are a few basic radio and a/c controls on the dash, the “2nd gen” of the dash mounted CRT improved some of the functions over the original Buick GCC from 1986-1989. The added color was one thing, the 2nd was adding a set of basic controls like volume and temp etc along side the CRT for improved ergonomics, these also had steering wheel radio and climate controls too, its no 190E but then again what is……
short life expectancy? I ran a 3.8L in an 1990 Olds Touring Sedan (4dr version of this) and then later in a 1988 Buick Park Avenue – both of them to around 250,000 miles and they both were still running great when I sold them. I also seem to remember the 3.8 as one of Wards 10 best engines of all time somewhere. Loved the Touring Sedan – could have been peppier but it handled well, was roomy inside in comparison to its outside dimensions, and was very comfortable.
As an ASE Certified Master Automotive Technician, I can concur that the 3800 was probably THE BEST engine GM every made if not the best engine ever made by any manufacturer. I have seen many well over 200,000 and several over 300,000. Hardly short life expectancy. While not the greatest power or performance, they had very respectable power and I heard from at least a dozen Park Avenue owners report better than 30 mpg on the expressway. My ex-wife drove a 1992 Olds 88 Royale with all of the toys that became the LSS package. We would calculate MPG of over 30 mpg on the weekends my son visited us and we spent a lot of time on the highway. These were EXCELLENT engines with outstanding reliability.
Jeff, I don’t think so. The car just looking at the pictures needs a lot of interior help and body parts are practically nonexistant. I’ve had two Buicks with 3800 engines and have had no trouble. Both were sold. I would pass on this and ask Ralph to take his hostility elsewhere.
Awful lot of anger and bickering on these boards lately. I think some barn finds readers are suffering from cabin fever this winter…relax people.
I’m in FL, so its not cabin fever…..just a well calibrated BS detector.
who you calling angry??? bicker? you wanna bicker? i got yer bicker right here buddy!!!
Article authors should stick to the facts and not push their unfounded and clearly WRONG opinions (3800’s being unreliable, short lived engines) on the readers. If challenging LIES is being angry and bickering, then yeah, but it has nothing to do with winter.
There is a cleaner VIC Trofeo on FB marketplace with only 87K…..$4500.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/980054132383393/
This sold for about $50,000 in today’s dollars when new. These were much better looking than this squished, boxy mid-1980s versions but weren’t all that great from a performance perspective with only 170 HP to move a fairly large car around. Unfortunately, these never got the supercharged V6 before their cancellation in 1992. It was replaced for the 1994 model year by the much better Aurora.
I would agree with Ralph that suggesting the 3800 V6 is not a durable powerplant is unfair. My impression is that they are can be very long-lived engines, they had a very long production life and certainly by the end GM had got them well debugged. True, my opinion based on anecdotal evidence, I’ve driven them in both normally aspirated and super-charged form but never owned one long-term.
I think the point being made though, is that this car as a yet another attempted “import fighter” from GM wouldn’t measure up to the equivalent European competition. Not talking about horsepower, but overall build quality, design and brand appeal. The lack of sales success for these cars would tend to support that view. I doubt this model took many sales away from BMW or Mercedes buyers.
I’d also agree with Ralph that the Mercedes 190 is not necessarily a real high demand classic like many earlier generation Mercedes.
3800 was a good motor.
But these Buicks from late 80s early 90s were not very good.
Screens failed early. Ones like this are worn out and resto not worth doing