Younger folks may remember now-defunct Oldsmobile as the brand that, in spite of advertising itself as “not your father’s Oldsmobile”, was the epitome of that tagline. Towards the end, they were having some success building good cars to try to compete with the Japanese luxury brands with cars such as the Aurora, Intrigue, and Alero. But what many people may not remember is that Olds used to have a reputation for innovation, beating other GM divisions to the punch with the first production turbocharged engine, an early aluminum V8 engine, and the comeback of front-wheel drive in a luxury car. Find today’s innovative 215 Rockette-powered 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 with bidding at $3000 and only 6 hours left in Liberty, KS.
Archive for September, 2013
American Innovation – 1962 Oldsmobile F-85
September 24, 2013Accessible Design Icon – 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado
September 23, 2013Even though they haven’t always had the lifelong recognition some instant classics like the Jaguar E-type have, partly due to going in and out of fashion, there are quite a few design icons in the post-war repertoire of American manufacturers. While many of the cars Americans love and remember from their childhoods are, with hindsight, oversize, cluttered, and overwrought. That said, there was a golden period for design minimalism in the mid-1960s, and one of the cars to benefit from this fashion is the Oldsmobile Toronado. You can find today’s 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado for $3995 in Malvern, OH.
Overexposed – 1988 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma
September 23, 2013One of the great themes of 1970s and 1980s design that has yet to be repeated is the wedge, and perhaps it will never come back due to pedestrian safety rules. Great expressions of the wedge include the Lamborghini Countach and Lotus Esprit. Less great, but equally interesting wedge design cars include the Subaru XT sports coupe and the 1988-90 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. In fact, having those two parked in your garage would make an interesting picture. In the US market, the Galant Sigma was available with a 3-liter V6 and 4-speed automatic, and had limited sales success. You can find have your own Japanese rarity, today’s 1988 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma, for $2250 in East Elmhurst, NY.


