leroycjr

So last friday I take my car up to a local car show hang out here in south suburban Chicago (Steak N Shake parking lot Tinley Park). And its about a good 30 something cars that are in the lot all shined up looking good.

What I dont understand is and maybe its just my naivete but I NEVER EVER see any Olds out there. I take that back any late 60 to mid 70 olds. A 50something may pop up but I never see any F-85s, Cutlass/442, etc. This is kind of the same at most shows that I roll around at. Its very odd.

So I ask are we (olds owners) as unique breed? I know I was always the guy that wanted a Cutlass and "that was it" where all my buddies looked at Chevells, Mustangs, Impalas, etc as their dream cars.

Is our group of owners in a secret society where others Chevy, Pontiac, Mopar, Ford, etc are flooded with inventory?

Its just very odd that with a manufacturer like Olds that is no longer here you would see either an influx of cars or at least more on the streets, garages, and shows/auctions.

Any one like to comment?

1970cs

Well it's slightly different up in Lansing! Quite a few show up around here but don't seem to get the respect that they should IMO. When my dad first started living in Lansing circa 1967 he said you could not swing a dead cat with out hitting an Olds!

I was down at the Woodward dream cruise and it seemed to be alot of Mustangs, Camaros and Corvettes. No offence to those owners here, but IMO they like A$$holes everybody has one!

Pat

leroycjr

OOOH I forgot about the Camaros and Corvettes, but that's how it feels like all the Olds get sh8tted on like we are chop liver.

ah64pilot

Our weekly car show, the "Niftee Fifties", usually turns up 150 - 250 cars depending on the weather. Out of those cars, there are usually 3 Olds "Cutlass" models. Mine is one, joesw31 is another, and there is one other.

The most we have seen at one show is 5, when 2 additional people had brought "for sale" cars up there.

joe_padavano

Why does anyone think that Olds going out of business is suddenly going to increase the popularity or value of these cars? Sorry, but you're kidding yourself. Keep in mind that there were roughly 10 times as many Chevelle SS and GTOs built in the musclecar years as there were 442s. Oldsmobiles were more expensive and thus fewer were sold. When musclecars were new, the target market was young males who were only interested in the lowest cost versions. By the way, this is also why most muslcecars had few options when they were new, unlike nearly every restored musclecar you find today.

leroycjr

I guess my point is that as you say "fewer were sold" then the whole supply and demand idea should fall into play. I'm not saying popularity should sky rocket but with most things if its rare then people look for it. I guess that doesnt apply to cars. And even with them being expensive that in some term would make some folks look at it now like "hey i couldn't afford it back then" but they are available now.

tru-blue 442

The gentleman's hot rod.
Cost ya a few bucks more.
Would you like the torque
monster with that order? Ha ha.

joe_padavano

Pontiac Azteks are rare...

Limited supply does not equate to demand. There must be BOTH demand and limited supply.

w-30dreamin

I can say in my area (NW Indiana) it also seems as though Oldsmobiles are far and few between.

oldcutlass

Olds Cutlass's were upscale grocery getters and family haulers. They were marketed as a step/s up from Chevrolet. Mostly people who were a little more affluent and wanted creature comforts and social status. The 442 was marketed to the husbands of the wives who bought Cutlass's, also more affluent than your typical Chevrolet owner that wanted some power and creature comforts!

Sorry guys, but to find a bunch of Oldsmbiles at car shows ain't never gonna happen in most parts of the country. I like the orphan cars, because there are only a few of them at car shows. You can meet a lot of people and make someones day by seeing something different. When I had my 63 Plymouth Fury, mine was usually the only Mopar there!

Opinions of competing cars are like a$$holes, everyone has one. This hobby is about respect and recognition of individuals and their cars.

70olds455

There is a big car show they have once a year where I live and out of 700 cars in the show only 3 were Oldsmobiles. I always see quite a few of the same year camaros and chevelles at the car shows though.

oldstata

"Im going to go out on a limb here and say that I think the majority of Olds muscle cars were sold to guys that were from an Olds family. "
I would have to agree tk-65 my cars were Chevelle and impala and of corse camaros intell I was 20 my truck broke down and I barrowed my uncles 72 olds supream I kept finding reasons why I couldn't fix my truck " no time , no money , ect- intell my uncle said just buy it
Been a olds lover ever since !!!
Here in Utah I know of about 15 olds 75 and older but only about four of us go to the local shows including my self

Jaybird

I am very pleased to report to you that the current issue of Old Autos (Canada) August 20th, 2012 issue, has three Oldsmobiles on it's front cover! Will wonders never cease? Here's the pic!
OldAutosAug2012.jpg
BTW: For some strange reason this August 20th, 2012 issue has many Oldsmobiles inside as well, including James Garner's 1970 Olds 442 Baja Rig.
http://www.oldautos.ca/

I know that I have seen the Green '72 Vista Cruiser before, here on www.classicoldsmobile.com

ah64pilot

Where did TK-65's posts go? That's odd...I was going to agree with him as well. My dad only ever got into Oldsmobile's because his dad and grandfather had them when he was a kid. He said they always had better quality than the Ford they owned. So as an adult he ended up buying Oldsmobiles new in '69, '71, and '73.

Because of his passion, when I was 10 I worked on my first car with him (the silver car in my signature) and I was hooked. Any chance I could work on one with him I did, and then my first car was a Cutlass and it's just stuck ever since. I've never owned anything else, and I don't have a desire to.

Lady72nRob71

In Dallas, Olds are rare in shows. Sometimes out of 200 cars, there will be 0 or 1. Another time there might be 2 or 3 at the most.
Just not as common... But like in Dallas, to be "cool" means you should try to be like everone else. Does not work for me.

Up north I hear about more of them being in shows, like in the N central and NE areas.

W70442

There are apparently a few more around here (Louisville, KY) than in other areas for some reason but I actually like the fact that my car isn't just like 4 other cars at the cruise or in the show.

Lady72nRob71

Exactly - they stand out from a crowd of look-a-likes.
One of these days I am going to enter my survivor Pinto in a show and see what it stirs up!

Napoleon Solo

I'm with you guys - I'm happy to NOT have a chevelle or a gto or whatever. The aftermarket is limited for us so guess what - we rely on EACH OTHER for parts and info.

Works for me.

ah64pilot

Although the aftermarket is coming around, I have had more fun getting to know the Olds guys around me and in Dallas and San Antonio than easily accessible parts are worth. I've had parts given to me, and I've given parts away...and to me that friendship is worth every bit of it.

chrisneu68olds

Chevelle *YAWN*. GTO...Hmmm...well I would take one, but would choose the Olds first.

RAMBOW

I love the double and triple takes as I drive by while people are trying to figure out exactly what the car is.

Funny thing... I was out cruising a month or so ago, and I see this car coming towards me the other way- i can see its a classic.. I'm looking trying to figure out what it is- Mopar? Satelite? GTX? A little closer and LOL- Its a guy i know with a twin of my car- burgandy mist 66 442. I didn't even recognize my own car driving toward me!

One interesting coincidence, I have had a bunch of people over the last couple years stop and tell me that they learned to drive in a car just like this one. Their parents all owned olds's. My wifes Mom & uncle both learned to drive in a butternut yellow 67 cutlass. I've owned a bunch of muscle cars, and had never heard that specific story until I got this one, and now i've heard it a bunch. Weird.

lazy394

Here in Adelaide there is a regular summer cruises every month for just American cars and on a 'good' night over 350 cars turn up. There are some amazing cars and if you throw a rock in any direction chances are you will hit a Mustang or Camaro or Vette.
At the last cruise night more convertible Edsels turned up than Olds of any vintage.
There is a really nice 66 Delta, an early F85 and my '59 98 are the only regular Oldsmobiles there.
I often wonder why the survival rate for the Olds is so low, Cadillac made twice as many '59 coupes but on any night at least 3or 4 turn up.Im aware of only 3 '59 98 coupes in Australia and mine the only one on the Oldsmobile register!

Scott

Seff

I have seen maybe 10 Oldsmobiles for sale over here in the two years I've had mine. Probably a hundred Mustangs.

Bunser

On Sunday nights they have a get together at the local A&W. I went last Sunday and they had about 30 cars. There were 6 Oldsmobiles...a 72 Cutlass,70 Cutlass, 69 Cutlass, 68 Cutlass, 66 Cutlass and a 57 Oldsmobile.

TK-65

I deleted it. Thought I may be called out as bashing Oldsmobiles. I posted that I think most Olds muscle cars were bought by people from Oldsmobile families. Guys that knew the brand and grew up with a father or neighbor who owned them. The kids on the street, with no brand alliegance, did not look at Oldsmobiles as a viable muscle car. HEMI, SS, and Cobra Jet was the way to go. Or even further back, 409, 427 and 421 were the hot tickets. Olds didnt have anything to offer and by the time the 442 came out the GTO had already exploded. Factor in Oldsmobiles terrible ads for the 442 and really no street or strip presence, kids just didnt think to go to the Olds dealer to sate their speed desires.

Today, its pretty much the same. Those that had them, have them. Or like me, have them because their fathers had them. Other than that, people gravitate towards the more popular cars that the auctions, TV shows and magazine cover. The Chevys, Fords, and Mopars.

Olds will never ever be a car you see in mass, and since GM stopped making them you will see even less of them.

It is funny that the Olds Cutlass was the car that the kids bought when they matured (73-77s). Since those cars are not the speed oriented cars of the 60s, they do not get attention either.

car_designer

Used to be only a couple of Olds that would show up at shows around. I remember a show a few years ago with over 1000 cars and only about 7 Oldsmobile.

Things are changing this year though. This weekend I was at 2 show with at least half a dozen Olds each, and 250 or less cars at each show.

lshlsh2

A little better around here. Our spring show had 5olds out of 200 cars. I went to a cruse-in in june there were 3 out 35 cars including a 69 hurst. Although the show I went to this weekend I was the only one. However there was a 73 opel gt, when was the last time anyone saw one of those.

Larry

rcorrigan5

I was at Hot August Nights in Reno a couple of weeks ago and didn't see many Oldsmobiles at that huge car show. And I only saw one '68 with the fender stripes.

Randy C.

rustyroger

It seems we have a similar situation over here.
I make it to several national American car shows every year, roughly half the field might be Mustangs, Vettes and F Bodies.
Roughly in descending order the the other cars would be Chevrolets, Mopar muscle (I won't break it down more than that), Fords, Buicks, Cadillacs then a scattering of Mercurys, Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Lincolns, Mopar 4 doors, and a few AMCs, Hudsons, Imperials, De Sotos, Edsels and other long gone makes.
Seems strange that Oldsmobile (and Mercury and Pontiac too) don't make bigger numbers, and judging by the origins of some of the posters it's a worldwide phenomenon.

Weather permitting I will be going to the last major UK American show in a couple of weeks, I'll see if I can get a count of the various makes on display and report back to you guys.

Roger.

redoldsman

I imagine the guys with Buicks feel the same way. Start looking for Buicks at car shows and compare them to the number of Oldsmobiles. I bet it will be pretty close.

oldcutlass

Same with Pontiacs, Mopars, and AMC's here in Texas. This is Chevy n Ford country.

I would like to see an Orphan Owners group. These would be owners of anything no longer manufactured. Although the Plymouth and AMC folks would most likely run with the Mopar Clubs.

cutlassjoe

I was at the Woodward Dream Cruise with my 442 and my friend's 72' Buick GSX. Of all the cars we saw there were only a handful of Olds' and fewer Buicks. Both beautiful and different cars. Tons of Chevelles, Camaros, Mustangs....oh and Vettes.

joe_padavano

And THIS is why I have Oldsmobiles - because they aren't 69 Camaros.

By the way, our All GM show last weekend (co-hosted by the Olds and Buick clubs) had 19 Oldsmobiles out of 95 cars - Olds was the most represented marque. And of the Chebbies, not one Camaro! There WERE three very nice corvairs, however, and a blue 76 Cosworth Vega. There were also two of the nicest stock Chevy pickups you've ever seen, a 50 and a 72.

D. Yaros

Don't know where you are, but I was born/raised in Gary, IN. Am no longer there, but if I were, I would be more than hesitant to make it known I owned a classic for fear I would not own if for long after divulging this fact!

Fakser

LOL those always remind me of 90's movie future cars, man were they ugly

radioburningchrome

Ugly, yes!

Cheap all wheel drive- yes.

TRW

It must be a little different here in MA. The car shows/cruise nights I typically go to always seem to have a fair amount of Olds. The 70-72 Cutlass/442 seem the most common. I'm usually lucky if I see another 68.

I went to the Bass Pro cruise about a month ago. There were ~1500 cars there, but if you subtracted all the new Camaro's, Corvettes, Challengers, Mustangs, Imports and 4wd's, there were maybe 250 classic cars. To my surprise, there were 6 68 Cutlass' there, 4 of them were convertibles. That was very unusual. There were quite a few other years, as well.

Highwayman

I grew up in SW Kansas and worked at the local Chevy-Olds dealer in 1972-73. Just didn't see many Olds being sold and most were the big cars. I remember the secretary had a blue Cutlass 2 door hardtop and drove it into the shop one day. Everyone stopped what they were doing to go over and drool over it because we hardly ever saw a Cutlass. And we were the dealership!

slantflat

When I lived up by you in the 80s, I drove a teal Cutlass 4door sedan. Even though it was rusty and a 4door, people commented because there just weren't any other cars like that around, and I kept it cleaned up and presentable. Of course what car over 5 years old wasn't rusty?

I don't think the Olds place in Matteson opened until 75 or 76, and before that the closest one was Lansing or Orland.

Intragration

Last Friday there were 3-4 Cutlasses or 442s (6-7 Oldsmobiles total) at a show of about 50 cars, outnumbering Chevelles and Camaros combined. This was not a group effort. Then last Sunday there were two Plymouths at a show of 5 cars ha ha. So I guess the orphan brands are pretty popular here in Chicago at the smaller shows...which is interesting, because I like Oldsmobile and Plymouth and I prefer the smaller shows.