This 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera S has just over 36,000 miles from new and it shows. The condition is excellent, and the seller notes it is a genuine two-owner example. This is the sort of car that was driven hard and put away wet when new, so you don’t see them in sort of shape all that often. While there’s no major financial reward for keeping a car of this type in mint condition, the next owner will enjoy having a cheap car with plenty of miles left in its drivetrain and dirt-cheap annual operating costs. Throw in the fact that there’s a growing appreciation for survivors from the late 80s and early 80s, and it’s even more attractive. Find it here on craigslist for $3,700.
Don’t get me wrong: I know there is nothing particularly sporting or attractive about this platform. But at some point you have to acknowledge that GM sold a crap-ton of them, and it’s not uncommon to see them still on the road, providing dutiful service, even if they look liable to explode at any moment. The interior of this example backs up the seller’s claims on condition, as the seating surfaces show no issues and the dashboard and cluster both present quite well. You’ll have to love seeing acres of burgundy surfaces, but that’s a small price to pay for a cheap starter classic like this.
So, the engine was pretty miserable – I’ll grant you that. Essentially an Iron Duke with fuel injection, the “Tech 4” made a furious 90 b.h.p. and was nothing short of unremarkable. But it certainly seemed to take a lot of abuse, given how many of these Olds sedans were used as teen drivers’ first cars or subjected to years of flogging as a midsize rental vehicle. The engine bay on this example looks tidy, and I’m sure given the mileage and overall condition, this was owned by a grandma or grandpa who used it for short-distance drives in town. Still, maintenance records would be nice to have.
Out back, you can still see the dealer sticker loud and proud, and the black trim inside the rear bumper shows plenty of luster. The Olds followed a similar styling tactic to the Mustang of the same decor with the color-matched decor over the taillights, a trend we should be grateful has since moved on. The Cutlass looks sharp on its four matching hubcaps, whitewall tires, and paintwork that easily hides any defects. The seller says he would drive this car anywhere, and I can’t see any reason why you wouldn’t – especially with the opportunity to make a best offer on the $3,700 ask. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find.
My wife had one of these with a six when we met. Nice comfortable car but the tranny was junk.
“You bet- brand-new Burnt-Umber Cutlass Ciera”.
I’d take a Ciera, but would want one a little older and with the V6. An International edition would be good, nice wheels on those. I always felt like the quality of these went downhill after 1989.
Well, I can tell you that it didn’t. I have a 1990 Cutlass Ciera with this engine and transmission, and I’m still driving it. It has 362,000 miles on it. The 2.5L engine doesn’t have a lot of power, but it still gets over 30 mpg on the highway. I hardly ever had any problems with it. The engine and transmission have never been rebuilt. When it made it to 200,000 miles, I wondered if I could make it to 250,000. It did that, so I wanted to see if I could make it to 275,000, then 300,000. Well, it did that too, so I just kept driving it, and now it is 30 years old with 362,000 miles. It may be nothing special, but the interior still looks good in it, it’s still dependable, and it doesn’t use much gas. It’s easily the best car I’ve ever owned. If you bought this car with the idea that you’d take care of it and use it as dependable, if not very exciting, transportation, you wouldn’t be sorry.
I’ve had two Cutlass Cieras; an ’85 wagon and an ’89, both had a V6. These were good dependable cars that were reasonably fuel efficient. The ’85 was my first wagon which was very handy for trips and hauling the dogs. The ’89 was a 4-door sedan that again, was a great daily driver. Both were used primarily by the little woman and neither car ever broke down or gave us any trouble. While neither was a performance car by any means, they were peppy enough for passing. They were very comfortable, handled pretty well and were well-optioned (for the era). I’d love to have this Ciera, it’s cheap and the perfect daily driver but too far away from me. Whoever ends up with this car will be pleased with it; it’s a nice car for cheap money.
4 cylinder, burgundy wine interior, white body, chromed standard wheels… it’s a nice time capsule. Malaise beauties like these are quite common but most people don’t care about them. If I lived in the USA this would’ve been my daily driver for thousands of years. Not even Abraham Lincoln had a chariot like this, but I guess he would’ve loved to drive one.
The ‘Iron Duke’ 4 cyl is a strong motor, nd if taken care of, will last well over 100K miles. This is a clean car, but no collectible value due to volume of production and being a sedan. For $3700., this makes a great car for your college student in the family, or an A to B commuter car to get to work. Fairly clean, and free of damage. Simple yet straight forward.
This is screaming for a 3800 transplant (with a blower).
Not a fan of the 4 cylinder. During this time period I was traveling a ton for the bank where I worked. Typically rented from AVIS and I would almost always request one of these or the Buick Century. They were comfortable and had ok performance. They were also invisible, so you could fly along at well above the posted speed limit! The other advantage to always renting the same car was that I never had to re-learn where all the controls were located. Great memories of a decent workhorse.
A simpler time, when these and all the cars that looked like them were everywhere
I have an ’86 with the 2.5. Just keep the oil changed and keep them running cool and they’ll run like a swiss watch. Very slow, though. The transaxle drive ratio is 2.39, which is why the 30mph with a 3 speed automatic.
As a 20 year old, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these without a sagging headliner, missing trim, cracked window, worn out exhaust system, or all of the above. I’d offer $3500, drive it once a week to keep the fluids moving for the next 15-20 years, and then have an even more extraordinary survivor of a throwaway car.
There is no way the S stands for “sport”
I owned a 91, white but with the v6 and baby blue interior. It was a great car, super durable, reasonably quick, and comfortable. My only issue was that it ate brakes and rotors for breakfast. Every 10K I had to put on their front set on. There’s something to be said for simplicity!
Interesting comment about the brakes. I had a Calais, It ate front brakes also. The parts store finally recommended larger premium pads. That solved the issue.
This car screams ex rental car.
Never owned the Olds version, but had 2 GM A-bodies, an 86 6000STE and an 88 Celebrity Eurosport CL. Both with the FI 2.8L V6, the Chevy had the 4 speed automatic. The Pontiac was complete junk, returned to GMAC as soon as the lease allowed. The Celebrity was great, no issues, better driving and even more comfortable. Same with the dealers, the Pontiac dealer ignored all the issues the 6000 had, the Chevy dealer jumped on everything, even the peeling clear coat. These cars got better as they developed but GM was also decontenting them as fleet and loss leaders as the were getting ready to replace the entire lineup. A decent product marred by inconsistent quality and flawed marketing.
I’ve owned a bunch of these & their GM counterparts over the years, especially when I had the car lot. Boring, bland transportation but durable and reliable. Unless it is an earlier one with the 3.8, the 4 popper is generally the way to go. Later 4 cylinders than this used the Cavalier 2.2. I like both the 2.5 & 2.2, prefer the 2.5 this one has.
I would buy this in a heartbeat if I were looking for a reliable daily driver. It appears to have already sold. Too bad.
My 91 still runs great,the3.3 multiport is a great motor have 205.60.15 tires with liquid metal wheels and converter delete exhaust