If you’re a car enthusiast and you lived through the 1990s, you surely remember the original Oldsmobile Aurora, which was a full-size luxury sedan manufactured by Oldsmobile from 1995 to 1999. It was a complete departure from anything the brand had done before, with exciting styling, a new V8 engine and a modern interior — a futuristic Oldsmobile designed to bring Oldsmobile into the future.
Of course, things didn’t turn out so well. Sales were only so-so, and Oldsmobile was probably doomed even before the Aurora came out. A lackluster second-generation model came out in 2001, but it was never as weird or distinctive as the original, and then we know the rest: the Oldsmobile brand was shuttered entirely soon after.
But if you want to relive the car that intended to save Oldsmobile, here’s your chance. This 1999 Aurora is in unusually nice condition, finished in white with a gray leather interior and boasting just under 63,000 original miles. Even today, the styling looks surprisingly futuristic, with no front grille and a very slippery shape you might expect to see from a modern electric car. The interior, also, is unusual, with its driver-focused controls and vertical climate control vent for the passenger.
If all that sounds appealing — and, be honest, it does just a little — this Aurora is offered by Bob’s Auto Ranch in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, a Minneapolis suburb, for just $3,495 — a small price to pay for one of GM’s finest, albeit failed, 1990s efforts.
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I always thought the old Aurora was gorgeous and if I remember correctly it was even advertised with some mockup of the Aurora aircraft of aviation myth.
You found it Doug! I said if you found me a nice 1998-1999 Aurora I’d buy it, guess I have to live up to it!
I think the pinnacle of the Aurora V8 was the Shelby Series 1, and that isn’t saying much.