1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass Salon 455 No A/c With 4300 Original Miles!!! on 2040-cars

“THE LAST MUSCLE CARS”

With a simple glance at this stunningly beautiful automobile, it is abundantly clear no finer example could exist. When the original owner of 39 years ordered this car on May 22, 1975 from Columbiana Buick-Olds in Columbiana, Ohio, his careful thought was dutifully clear when it came to the option list. His intent was how to order the best performing mid-size muscle car, knowing the following year the big block 455 would no longer be available. 

His name was Ron and he could have made the obvious choice and checked the Hurst Olds W-30 box, but he had a more sophisticated palette, which required not only maximum performance, but also a sleek and distinguished look unencumbered by the temporary fad of gold sticker packages. 

Ron’s careful thought not only led to a landmark representation of Oldsmobile’s last mid-size muscle car, his careful preservation of this near perfect example allows future generations to view a 40 year old car like this in almost 100% original condition. 

I drive my Cutlass short distances on regular basis just like Ron did. This car is no garage queen. It gets the regular exercise it needs to be “well sorted” and well maintained. When old cars aren’t used they rot and get neglected. Ron drove this car 50 to 100 miles a year and kept a log the last ten years citing how much fuel it took and how it was running. 

Almost everyone who sees the car asks if I restored it myself. Of course they’re flabbergasted when I offer to show them the odometer. They look inside and see the “as new” Salon bucket seats, perfect dash, no wear steering wheel, un-fettered headliner, perfect gas and brake pedals and carpeting and then usually stand in disbelief. They smell the “new car” aroma which still wafts from the interior and say “I remember that!” 

Members from the OCA have told me they believe less than 91 similarly equipped 1975 Olds Cutlass Salons with a matching numbers 455, Turbo 400 transmission, Super Stock III wheels, raised white letter tires, performance gauges, power disc brakes and a 3:08 rear axle with anti-spin differential were produced. The fact that it was ordered for pure performance without air conditioning makes it even more of anomaly and extremely rare. 

If this weren’t enough, the fact it has only 4300 original miles makes it beyond the pale. When I was the Service Manager for Ray Oldsmobile in 1976, part of my daily duties at the second largest Olds Dealer in the country was to audit the fleet “demonstrator” mileage. It was my job to pull the sales “demo’s” out of service when they hit 5000 miles. I then had them serviced and safety checked for retail sale. The “demos” are then sold off as “NEW” titled cars. By that standard, this car could still be in demo service if an Olds dealer still existed! This car is NOT a barn find. It has been lovingly attended to it's entire life. It is a survivor and probably serve as the definition as such….

By 1975 to 1976 the “original” American performance car was considered extinct, but these "forgotten years" had some performance left.

•               1973 Pontiac LeMans with the GTO option and the Pontiac Grand Am — Available with a 400 cid 230 hp (170 kW) V8 which was available with a 3-speed (LeMans, GTO) or 4-speed manual (LeMans, GTO, Grand Am) transmission or an automatic (LeMans, GTO, Grand Am), or a 250 hp (190 kW) 455 with an automatic transmission only. Also announced for the '73 GTO and Grand Am was the Super Duty 455 V8, which was rated at 310 hp (230 kW). Cars magazine tested an SD-455-equipped 1973 Pontiac GTO and chose it as Car Of The Year, yet that engine never made it to production in a GTO or other Pontiac A-body, but would be limited to the Firebird Formula and Trans Am.

•               1973 Chevrolet Chevelle SS and 1974-1976 Chevelle Laguna S-3 — Offered with 350 small block or 454 big block V8 with up to 245 hp (183 kW) with manual or automatic transmissions. The SS was replaced for 1974 by the Laguna Type S-3 which offered the same engine/transmission offerings as the '73 SS plus the addition of a 400 small block V8, along with a urethane front end surrounding the grillework. The 1975-76 Laguna S-3 featured a more aerodynamic slanted front end but engines were further detuned due to emission requirements and the advent of the catalytic converter, leaving the big 454 V8 unavailable for California cars in 1975 and discontinued altogether for 1976, when the 180 horsepower (130 kW) small block 400 V8 was the top engine.

•               1973-1974 Buick Century GS — Still available with the Stage 1 455 cid V8 rated at 270 net horsepower, mated to either a Turbo 400 or four-speed manual transmission, the latter transmission reportedly only installed in seven cars that year. The '74 Stage 1 455 was only available with the Turbo 400 automatic and detuned to 245 hp (183 kW). This engine was also offered on other Buicks in 1974 including the Riviera, LeSabre and Electra.

•               1973-1975 Oldsmobile Cutlass and Hurst/Olds W-30 — These were built using 455 cid V8 engines in the W-30 trim. This engine was also available as an option on the Olds 442 of those years along with other Cutlass models.

•               1976 Buick Century Turbo — These were originally built as Indianapolis Pace Car replicas with a turbocharged and carbureted 3.8 L V6, and were faster than the 455 V8 version of that year. There were only a little over 1,200 built.

1977 Pontiac Can-Am — This car was basically a LeMans Sport Coupe with a Grand Prix interior and a Trans Am "Shaker" hood, a one-off wing and a 400 cid V8 rated at 200 hp (150 kW) with federal emissions, or an Oldsmobile 403 with California emissions. Only 1,100 or so of these were made and are getting quite collectible. 

Now you can own one of the most exquisite “Last Muscle Cars” in existence. The best Hemi Cuda, GS, W-30, Z28, LS6, ZO6, 409 or GTO may be out reach for the average “car guy”, this one is not! Similar cars in far less condition have sold and are currently offered in the modest $14K to $20K range. Clearly still affordable, but Cutlass futures are on the rise. Every baby boomer has a Cutlass story, because everyone had one or knew someone who did. Bid with confidence on this fine example. I LOVE to show the car to anyone who’s interested in collectible automobiles. Contact me through EBAY mail if you’re in the Chicago area and want to inspect this car close up. There are several “completed sale” ’73-75” Cutlass comparables on EBAY and other auction sites. All I could find were small blocks, but they will give you a good idea as to the value. 

Everyone has his or her own opinions, as how to rate car conditions this is mine:

Paint: 100% original and nearly flawless. It shows like a brand new 6-month-old car with 4300 miles.

Body: 100% original. The body panels are perfectly straight as they were when new. The factory landau roof is flawless. Glass is perfect with no scratches or cracks.

Interior: 100% original and perfect with the exception of non-factory (dealer installed) carpeted floor mats.

Mechanical: Numbers matching (see photo) 455 CI engine, and 400 trans, which runs as new. 99% original parts, excluding 2 1/2 ” dual exhaust (no cats) from the manifold back with Flowmaster style mufflers, new radiator cap, new radiator hoses, new water pump, new air filter flex hose, new tires (original spare in trunk) and of course new oil, filters, fluids etcetera.

Documentation: Original bill of sale, original dealer order form, original dealer invoice, original owners manual, original warranty book with corresponding factory VIN stamped on the booklet, the original warranty card, original factory brochure and the original Ziebart receipt.

The car was rust proofed by Ziebart when new. 

If you do not have a minimum of 10 positive feedbacks and/or less than 1 year on EBAY I will cancel your bid. This is only fair to other bidders, who work hard on their EBAY feedback and reputations. If your interested, have a friend with a reputation they want to preserve place bids on your behalf or contact me through EBAY mail for an in person cash sale. Cash offers must be made in person, cash in hand. The car may be offered locally and I reserve the right to cancel the auction.