302,669! According to Auto-Catalogue, that’s how many Oldsmobile Cutlasses got cranked out in model year 1972 – it was a good year indeed! And Oldsmobile had the tiger by the tail with their Cutlass, in all of its incarnations for many years. It’s hard to believe what ultimately happened to GM’s middle division but I don’t want to lament that sad story today. What I do want to do is present this 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible. It’s actually a project that needs some reassembly but otherwise, it’s good to go. Calling Rancho Cucumanga, California home, this drop-top is available, here on eBay for a BIN price of $25,000.

Back to the numbers, of that 300K+ total, the Cutlass Supreme convertible accounted for about 11K units so it’s not a real commonly encountered body style – only 3.8% of the total. And it’s the end of the line as the redesigned “colonnade” flavored ’73 Cutlass cut the convertible from the line-up. Cutlasses came in multiple varieties in ’72 with the Supreme at the top, the Cutlass S following, and the standard Cutlass (two-door hardtop) and the F85 (four-door sedan) in the caboose position. Body styles varied with each trim line; the Supreme offered a convertible as well as two and four-door hardtops.

This Cutlass has decent-looking interior components but they’re outside and not inside where they belong. If you look at the vinyl upholstery up close it shows as a bit grungy but not terribly so, and none of seems ripped or excessively worn. The listing claims, “original interior is in good condition, new carpet & all floor hardware new in boxes“.

Also mentioned, is the need to replace the folding top’s cylinder hoses and bleed the system. What’s not mentioned is the floor pans – they appear to be replacements. OK, good that they have been replaced, assuming that they needed to be, but the fact that that item is not mentioned makes me wonder what else should be disclosed but isn’t. And that in turn begs another question, if you have all the inside stuff, why not just install it? I imagine that it would make the car easier to sell.

We’re told that the 350 CI V8 engine, “runs and drive excellent (sic)” and there is also the mention of a rebuild – I’d like to know a bit more about that as well. The VIN indicates that this 350 engine is a 180 net HP version (200 with optional dual exhaust according to Oldsmobile) and these are known to be tough, durable, long-lasting powerplants. The mileage recording is 68K miles but that may mean little in this case. A Turbo-Hydramatic 350, three-speed automatic transmission, as is usually the case in this version of the Cutlass, makes the rear wheel connection.

The seller tells us that this is a rust-free car and everything works. It looks fine, and I don’t see any obvious foibles with which to be concerned. I would have preferred some outside images, taken in sunlight, and more than what essentially amounts to only two, but from what can be seen, the finish (Placer Gold Metallic?) looks strong and there’s no obvious body panel damage. At least that’s the case with the passenger side, there are none of the driver’s side and barely one of the back end. That folding top looks rumpled but they do that when they’ve been in the down position for a long stretch. Putting it in the up position, and parking the car in the sun (not likely I guess) will iron those wrinkles away.

So, this is a popular, desirable model and it seems to be pretty good on the surface but the listing, at least to me, invites a lot of questions. What do you think about that price? Knowing its condition is it priced right, or not quite?