At $7,998, Is This 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass A Supreme Deal?

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Today's Nice Price or No Dice Cutlass is old enough—and Olds enough—to actually have been your father's Oldsmobile. Let's see if this comprehensively equipped convertible is priced to interest any generation.

It's a simple fact that the least expensive Ferrari will very likely turn out to be the most expensive Ferrari one could buy. A rule of thumb for any classic car purchase is to latch onto the best-sorted example you can find, even if it costs more than those that "need a little work."

The 1980 Ferrari 308 GTS we saw yesterday needed a little work. Admittedly, most of the heavy lifting had already been done, with a recent timing belt update and a number of other bits and bobs having been refreshed. Still on the honey-do list, however, were a brake caliper rebuild, a low-pressure tire issue, and whatever the heck was going on with the prolapsed wiring harness under the dash. In the end, that all sounded like an expensive proposition in repairs on top of the seller's $58,500 asking price. Not many of you felt like going there at such an outlay, earning the Ferrari a fail in a 68% 'No Dice' loss.

Oldsmobile's Cutlass model has a storied history as the carmaker's main muscle, beginning with the 4-4-2 option package in 1964 and continuing through various iterations, such as the Hurst Olds, well into the 1980s. Of course, as with any car line during the 1970s and '80s, performance became a subjective target as technology struggled to catch up with emissions and fuel-economy standards.

The Cutlass lineup wasn't only about brawn, either. Around the same time that the 4-4-2 was making a name for the brand, Olds introduced a luxury variant of the Cutlass line, the Supreme. Any connection to the phenomenal Motown musical trio, 'The Supremes,' in that model's naming decision is pure conjecture.

With its 3.4-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 and heavily-optioned interior, today's 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme convertible bridges the gap between those two branches of the Cutlass family tree. Plus, the top goes up and down, a notable feature, as this generation—the 1990s GM10 edition—was the first convertible Cutlass in over a quarter-century.

As noted, power for this Cutlass comes from the DOHC LQ1 V6, something Olds thought was enough of an enticement to advertise on the front fenders. In the Cutlass, that engine made a reasonable 210 horsepower and 215 pound-feet of torque, which was pretty good for the time. As befitting the country club cruiser persona of this car, that's paired with a four-speed automatic driving the front wheels. Disc brakes are featured at each corner, fitted behind clean factory alloys with the Olds Rocket logo at their centers. The tires appear to be perfectly serviceable, but the ad makes no mention of their age.

The ad claims that this clean-title car runs well, starts every time, and has only 75,000 miles on the clock. These weren't the dragstrip kings like the old 4-4-2s, but with the DOHC mill under its hood, it should be able to keep up with modern-day traffic just fine. It also offers open-air motoring in something with a little more panache than a contemporary Mustang or Sebring.

It's also pretty swank on the inside. Before we even get there, though, we need to acknowledge the easter basket hoop that serves as both a mount for the seatbelts, stiffens the car, and allows the convertible to use the same cool beer tap door handles as the coupe. That's a win, win, win.

Once you get in, there are a number of pluses and minuses to this being a GM product of the 1990s. First off, there are the seats. I mean, just look at them! Not only is the leather seating surface still holding up across the board, but those front buckets look as comfortable as an old pair of jeans. I want to buy this car solely for napping in it.

eBay Motors

On the downside, everything else in the cabin is a reminder that GM at the time was pinching every penny it could find. The dashboard is a great example of this, with lots of chintzy hard plastics and grotesquely large gaps between the panels. It's at least a new enough car to offer airbags for both the driver and front seat passenger, albeit old enough to still have a cassette deck in the dash. Another plus, the convertible top is said to have been recently replaced. This, uniquely, is one of the rare cars that looks good with the top up or down.

While it's offered on eBay, famous for its auctions and cutthroat last-second bidding wars, this dealer-presented Cutlass comes with a Buy It Now option, so we don't have to bother with any of that falderal. Clicking that blue button conscripts the buyer to a $7,998 payment, and it's now our duty to decide whether it's a good idea to make that click.

What's your take on this nicely-presented Cutlass convertible and that $7,998 price tag? Does that seem like a worthwhile purchase for someone looking for some Olds love or just a quirky, comfortable drop-top experience? Or is that too much for an old Olds from a long-dead brand?

You decide!

eBay Motors out of Escondido, California, or go here if the ad disappears.

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