You did an excellent job. I first wanted to thank you the mention at the beginning of the video. The information is correct. The footage was good also. You told the story exactly how it was. Oldsmobile may be gone, but it is not forgotten. Aurora took on a big role, but it was not successful in the end. The mistake they made with the second generation is it was too close to the other Oldsmobiles in appearance as the second generation was supposed to replace Eighty Eight. The issue with new Oldsmobile was the marketing was off and not correct and the new brand names did not resonate with buyers. There was the issue of Oldsmobile's image too. The Ciera signified what was the issue. Thank you.
I think about 1985 was the high water mark for sales for Oldsmobile. I swear those Cieras were everywhere. Then when everyone was driving around in a Grand Am I was driving my 1994 Achieva. I tried to hang on to that as long as I could. Now I can't remember when I've even seen one on the road in the last 10 years.
I remember first time I drove this car. Was amazed at the build quality and feel - very unlike other GM cars of the time. Had a very Japanese feel. Sad that they couldn’t save the division.
Yeah...That was my plan all along..LOL. Ive got to do some pressure washing tommorow, so wanted to get this out first. Thanks for watching again, and I hope you liked it!
Good video. I loved the frameless doors of the 1995. Too bad those didn’t carry over to the 2001. The design language of the 1995 was excellent. A shame it didn’t have the reliability built in with it.
Hate to say the sequel was made on a lower budget....But it was! I see you just put up a Fiero video. Going to check it out in a few. Thanks for popping by!
Never has such a major car brand fallen so quickly. They were selling 1 million cars as a division in the mid 80s, only to be completely gone less than 20 years later. Inept GM management is to blame, much like the other troubles the company has faced over the years. They failed to make Olds as unique as it once was, and by the mid 90s ended up with a strange hodgepodge of models from the super cheap economy Achieva to the German-fighting Aurora, with more traditional models like the 88 and 98 holding on. It just wasn't a good strategy, and the brand started getting a negative "grandma" car reputation as a result. I always found it strange that Buick had/has the same old person car stigma to it, but it was even able to survive the 2009 bankruptcy unlike Pontiac and Olds earlier in the decade. China sales are the only reason Buick is still around, even though all they sell is crossovers now, I really wish Buick still made nice cushy sedans but I guess that market is dead. I was very sad to see Oldsmobile die, I'm a huge fan. My first car was an Olds. At least they live on in the hearts of car enthusiasts as they had so many cool and unique models over the years. Great Chatter as always.
Well I was never a fan of 'the blob look' cars, but otherwise the Aurora was reputed to be a most excellent car, perhaps GM's best effort in those times. One local morning radio host here was a dyed-in-the-wool Ford/Mercury fan but the local Olds dealer got him to test drive an Aurora for a month and at the end he said he would have bought one if he hadn't just bought a new car. And he did buy one for his daughter's graduation present. But by then those who saw clearly saw that Olds was on the ropes, and might not last till the bell. That was not Oldsmobiles fault, but the fault of GM in forcing the division to make cars aimed for lower than it's traditional market which put them competing for sales with Buick and even high-end Chevy's. The ploy got the short-term profits GM wanted it to but it killed Oldsmobile on the end which then cost them Pontiac in the later bankruptcy proceedings. GM should have pushed the Aurora harder, doing things like arranging for automotive press tests including equivalent Acura, Lexyus, and Infiniti models and performance driving these by well-known race drivers to show it wasn't just a pretty face on an under-performing chassis, but engineering equal to the others which younger buyers could appreciate and be proud of. Be it price or public perception I've seen few Aurora's on the roads ever, and that's a shame for such a good car. It wasn't the last car for Oldsmobile, but it was them standing proudly till the bitter end and I respect that.
GMs shrinking market share in the 80s and all the clones by the different Divisions, was dictating they eventually had too many to support. I admire their effort towards the end too...and Pontiacs as well.
@autochatter Distinctive, sure, but it was in a slot that didn't work. If the Seville (STS/SLS) was supposed to be duking it out with the best of the world, then what was Aurora doing? On top of GM's typically-bad and well-earned reputation for poor interior material quality and generally bad fit & finish, the Aurora was controversially styled for the demographic that was buying Acura RLs, Lexus GSs, Volvo 960s, Saab 9000s, etc. It made no sense, no matter how distinct it was. Oldsmobile wasn't ready to aim so high. They swung for the fences and got a lot of excitement from the crowd when they hit, but they hit a pop out. They did, however, successfully reset the brand's look. A toned-down look worked well for Alero & Intrigue. And that design language with the 2nd generation Aurora's trimmed dimensions placed it more in line with a good competitive set (i35, S60, ES, TL, A6, 9⁵, Lincoln LS6/LS8, etc.) The 2nd Aurora was overall a better car for Oldsmobile than the 1st Aurora was.
the Aurora was a nice car that came a bit late that was supposed to replace the 98 and 88 though the first gen ran concurrent with those the 98 for the first two model years 98 was discontinued in 1996 after 56.5 yrs. due to the Moratorium on civilian cars during world war II and the 88 ran for 51 model years 49-99 and 5 of them concurrent with the 1st gen Aurora and the 2nd gen Aurora ran for 3 years 2001-2003 the second gen car was 40% shorter than the first the Aurora only managed to sell 208,000 units over two generations while in that same time period for ex the Lexus ES sold 465,000 units in the US
@@autochatter what you didn't know that the Aurora was intended to replace the 88 & 98 which were being discontinued after many millions of each sold over their production runs my mom got her license in a 1978 Delta 88 in March 1979
Oldsmobile was never a competitor to true luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Infiniti. It was supposed to be a challenger to Acura, Audi, Mercury, and Chrysler. Unfortunately, Buick ended up taking over that market and was better at it. By 2000, Oldsmobile had no real identity. This, it was gone by 2004.
Not a direct competitor to some of them persay, but they did offer some cheaper models in the Olds price range. Oldsmobiles advertising would try and target BMW and Lexus in some of their Aurora ads.
@autochatter If Oldsmobile was trying to compete with the true luxury brands, they were going to fail miserably(and actually did). No one was going to take Oldsmobile that seriously. Just like no one is going to take Mazda seriously if they continue this ridiculous idea of going upscale.
@johnnymason2460 Oldsmobile making a power move in the 90s wasn't in the cards. The brand was already hurt too badly to save. Mazdas attempt to be more at a Acura level is actually working.
@autochatter Not to me. Long term, this will eventually fail. Mazda is not an upscale brand and will never be considered one. I consider Mazda in the same category as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. That's where they belong.
CHATTER... oh it HURTS every time you do the "$35,000 is the 2024 Equivalent of $75,000" because HOLY HELL BROTHER... holy hell it wasn't THAT long ago. Now think about the fact that standard median salary is now only sitting at $86,000 annually.... DO THE MATH! Help... (sorry I am getting political!)
Olds milked the 1978 Cutlass Supreme 2-door for 10 years….and the Ciera for 15 years. The w-body Cutlass replacement wasn’t relevant - too expensive and the 4-door also late and ugly. That killed olds. No investment or innovation for their volume models. The 1985 Olds 98 and 1986 Olds 88 were too alike - and reskinned with retiree style. Aurora was too late, too expensive, too large. Other than realtors in the Midwest zero Aurora interest by the time it launched in 1995. Brand was already dead person walking. Buick at least was developing the Rendezvous yet Olds was still chasing a shrinking sedan market.
You did an excellent job. I first wanted to thank you the mention at the beginning of the video. The information is correct. The footage was good also. You told the story exactly how it was. Oldsmobile may be gone, but it is not forgotten. Aurora took on a big role, but it was not successful in the end. The mistake they made with the second generation is it was too close to the other Oldsmobiles in appearance as the second generation was supposed to replace Eighty Eight. The issue with new Oldsmobile was the marketing was off and not correct and the new brand names did not resonate with buyers. There was the issue of Oldsmobile's image too. The Ciera signified what was the issue. Thank you.
I'm glad you enjoyed it Olds! 😊 Thank you!
Excellent video. I had the privilege of owning an Oldsmobile. My dad owned two of them. Really nice. 😊
@Hobotraveler82 Glad you enjoyed it and thank you!
I think about 1985 was the high water mark for sales for Oldsmobile. I swear those Cieras were everywhere. Then when everyone was driving around in a Grand Am I was driving my 1994 Achieva. I tried to hang on to that as long as I could. Now I can't remember when I've even seen one on the road in the last 10 years.
Funny how the 1980s was their high mark...and also the beginning of the end.
Had a 2000 Alero for many years. Best car ever. 👍
@petestaint8312 Haven't done them on here yet, but did the Grand Am.
I had a 2001 Aurora 4.0....white with chrome wheels. Loved it...very reliable, comfortable, and fast!
@beaversareinsane726 Awesome! I haven't seen a second gen Aurora in some time.
You didn't have any engine problems out of it?
Back in the late 1970's the Olds Cutlass was THE car.
Crazy you only have 5k subs and you put alot of time and effort into these...excellent work!
Thanks! Being a car nut, I don't mind. Now making videos about basket weaving not so much.
I remember first time I drove this car. Was amazed at the build quality and feel - very unlike other GM cars of the time. Had a very Japanese feel. Sad that they couldn’t save the division.
They did put alot of thought into them..If only Oldsmobile started 5 years sooner.
Listening to Auto Chatter got me through todays work day. Now I get to see a new one home relaxing. Thank you for helping me survive Friday the 13th 😂
Yeah...That was my plan all along..LOL. Ive got to do some pressure washing tommorow, so wanted to get this out first. Thanks for watching again, and I hope you liked it!
@@autochatter always enjoy them! Love your channel and your unique style for these videos. "Chatter out" 😎
@@mbaer5 Thanks...Just trying to make them a little more...fun I guess. But I love watching total nerdy, all info type car vids too.
Very good review.
I’m surprised this channel is still as undiscovered as it is. Keep up the great work and the subs will come.
Thank you! The channel has had slow but steady growth.
I'll leave the headlights on for ya..... love the reference. I subscribed just for that.
Thank you! Started because I was said to sound like the Motel 6 guy LOL.
I had a Olds 98 1984 full size was a nice car had the pillow back seat and me and all my friends could fit with no problem
@@mikeisaacs2314 I'm sure!
9:41 - The humble Cutlass replaced the Achieva until the Alero arrived.
@@doug6191 Humble was the word..Official car of the Bingo Parlor.
@@autochatter 🤣
Good video. I loved the frameless doors of the 1995. Too bad those didn’t carry over to the 2001. The design language of the 1995 was excellent. A shame it didn’t have the reliability built in with it.
Hate to say the sequel was made on a lower budget....But it was! I see you just put up a Fiero video. Going to check it out in a few. Thanks for popping by!
🎶this is NOT your father's Oldsmobile 🎶
Haha....That was their plan.
Never has such a major car brand fallen so quickly. They were selling 1 million cars as a division in the mid 80s, only to be completely gone less than 20 years later. Inept GM management is to blame, much like the other troubles the company has faced over the years. They failed to make Olds as unique as it once was, and by the mid 90s ended up with a strange hodgepodge of models from the super cheap economy Achieva to the German-fighting Aurora, with more traditional models like the 88 and 98 holding on. It just wasn't a good strategy, and the brand started getting a negative "grandma" car reputation as a result. I always found it strange that Buick had/has the same old person car stigma to it, but it was even able to survive the 2009 bankruptcy unlike Pontiac and Olds earlier in the decade. China sales are the only reason Buick is still around, even though all they sell is crossovers now, I really wish Buick still made nice cushy sedans but I guess that market is dead. I was very sad to see Oldsmobile die, I'm a huge fan. My first car was an Olds. At least they live on in the hearts of car enthusiasts as they had so many cool and unique models over the years. Great Chatter as always.
Great assessment about Oldsmobile, and thanks for the continued support!
The Aurora was a beautiful car that really was an equal to a Lexus. Wishing that GM kept it instead of Buick.
@@trainglen22 If China was as Oldsmobile obsessed as they were with Buick, you probably would have got your wish.
Minus the reliability
@@Nothingtoya Good point
Never liked the Aurora. Odd looking. If they tweaked it more, would have been nicer.
@@petestaint8312 Sometimes going crazy with the styling works..Other times you get a 96 Taurus.
4:46 - GAH! Grotesque image jump scare!
What? You got somthing against 3500lb bars of soap?
@autochatter I was thinking more Jumba Jookiba. (You may have to Google that one.)
@@doug6191 Jokes on you..I have a daughter who liked Lilo and Stich.
Always kinda reminded me of a beluga whale.
@@Jordi7174 I could see that.
Aurora - When an almost 30 year old car still looks more modern and futuristic then all that stuff on todays roads...
@@Romiman1 Makes me wonder if the car would have done better with a Buick badge.
Well I was never a fan of 'the blob look' cars, but otherwise the Aurora was reputed to be a most excellent car, perhaps GM's best effort in those times. One local morning radio host here was a dyed-in-the-wool Ford/Mercury fan but the local Olds dealer got him to test drive an Aurora for a month and at the end he said he would have bought one if he hadn't just bought a new car. And he did buy one for his daughter's graduation present. But by then those who saw clearly saw that Olds was on the ropes, and might not last till the bell. That was not Oldsmobiles fault, but the fault of GM in forcing the division to make cars aimed for lower than it's traditional market which put them competing for sales with Buick and even high-end Chevy's.
The ploy got the short-term profits GM wanted it to but it killed Oldsmobile on the end which then cost them Pontiac in the later bankruptcy proceedings. GM should have pushed the Aurora harder, doing things like arranging for automotive press tests including equivalent Acura, Lexyus, and Infiniti models and performance driving these by well-known race drivers to show it wasn't just a pretty face on an under-performing chassis, but engineering equal to the others which younger buyers could appreciate and be proud of. Be it price or public perception I've seen few Aurora's on the roads ever, and that's a shame for such a good car. It wasn't the last car for Oldsmobile, but it was them standing proudly till the bitter end and I respect that.
GMs shrinking market share in the 80s and all the clones by the different Divisions, was dictating they eventually had too many to support. I admire their effort towards the end too...and Pontiacs as well.
@@autochatter They should have kept Pontiac instead of Buick, but that couldn't happen because of the Chinese market money Buick was getting.
You are right!
What a interesting story and car. Thank you for doing this as always! You da poop!
Haha, I appreciate that!
@ we appreciate you!
@robl7532 Now your making me blush!
@ it makes your skin look youthful!
@@robl7532 Maybe a future sponsor will notice that LOL.
A very good video. Good job 👍
@Scottj2011 I appreciate that thank you!
@autochatter you're welcome 😁
Nice 😊
Thanks for checking it out!
A buddy of mine had a black on black Aurora in the late aughts. I thought it was a great car. He paid peanuts for it too, in really nice shape.
I suspect resale value on them fell.
This car didn't make sense in 1995, but the 2nd generation was a great alternative to Acura TLs or Lexus ESs.
I liked the first gen ones myself. More distinctive.
@autochatter Distinctive, sure, but it was in a slot that didn't work. If the Seville (STS/SLS) was supposed to be duking it out with the best of the world, then what was Aurora doing? On top of GM's typically-bad and well-earned reputation for poor interior material quality and generally bad fit & finish, the Aurora was controversially styled for the demographic that was buying Acura RLs, Lexus GSs, Volvo 960s, Saab 9000s, etc. It made no sense, no matter how distinct it was.
Oldsmobile wasn't ready to aim so high. They swung for the fences and got a lot of excitement from the crowd when they hit, but they hit a pop out. They did, however, successfully reset the brand's look. A toned-down look worked well for Alero & Intrigue. And that design language with the 2nd generation Aurora's trimmed dimensions placed it more in line with a good competitive set (i35, S60, ES, TL, A6, 9⁵, Lincoln LS6/LS8, etc.) The 2nd Aurora was overall a better car for Oldsmobile than the 1st Aurora was.
So where do you find these ads?
Same place your at now.
I want you to do oldsmobile bravada
I intend to.
Owned a 98 Aurora. Beautiful car, total POS. Blew head gasket at only 72k
@@michaelbuzzee1964 Guess they may have inherited some Northstar issues.
the Aurora was a nice car that came a bit late that was supposed to replace the 98 and 88 though the first gen ran concurrent with those the 98 for the first two model years 98 was discontinued in 1996 after 56.5 yrs. due to the Moratorium on civilian cars during world war II and the 88 ran for 51 model years 49-99 and 5 of them concurrent with the 1st gen Aurora and the 2nd gen Aurora ran for 3 years 2001-2003 the second gen car was 40% shorter than the first the Aurora only managed to sell 208,000 units over two generations while in that same time period for ex the Lexus ES sold 465,000 units in the US
@@courtneypuzzo2502 Loving the Olds Trivia! Thank you!
@@autochatter what you didn't know that the Aurora was intended to replace the 88 & 98 which were being discontinued after many millions of each sold over their production runs my mom got her license in a 1978 Delta 88 in March 1979
@courtneypuzzo2502 Well yeah the Aurora was the 98 successor, but the second gen one was supposed to carry the 88 torch originally
Oldsmobile was never a competitor to true luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Infiniti. It was supposed to be a challenger to Acura, Audi, Mercury, and Chrysler. Unfortunately, Buick ended up taking over that market and was better at it. By 2000, Oldsmobile had no real identity. This, it was gone by 2004.
Not a direct competitor to some of them persay, but they did offer some cheaper models in the Olds price range. Oldsmobiles advertising would try and target BMW and Lexus in some of their Aurora ads.
@autochatter If Oldsmobile was trying to compete with the true luxury brands, they were going to fail miserably(and actually did). No one was going to take Oldsmobile that seriously. Just like no one is going to take Mazda seriously if they continue this ridiculous idea of going upscale.
@johnnymason2460 Oldsmobile making a power move in the 90s wasn't in the cards. The brand was already hurt too badly to save. Mazdas attempt to be more at a Acura level is actually working.
@autochatter Not to me. Long term, this will eventually fail. Mazda is not an upscale brand and will never be considered one. I consider Mazda in the same category as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. That's where they belong.
Acura compared to this. Wow. Legends are still wanted. And ya I know it's a v6. It's too bad gm couldn't fix their ways
The Legend was a nice package then.
CHATTER... oh it HURTS every time you do the "$35,000 is the 2024 Equivalent of $75,000" because HOLY HELL BROTHER... holy hell it wasn't THAT long ago. Now think about the fact that standard median salary is now only sitting at $86,000 annually.... DO THE MATH!
Help... (sorry I am getting political!)
Inlfation...Shes a female dog isn't she?
Olds milked the 1978 Cutlass Supreme 2-door for 10 years….and the Ciera for 15 years. The w-body Cutlass replacement wasn’t relevant - too expensive and the 4-door also late and ugly. That killed olds. No investment or innovation for their volume models.
The 1985 Olds 98 and 1986 Olds 88 were too alike - and reskinned with retiree style. Aurora was too late, too expensive, too large. Other than realtors in the Midwest zero Aurora interest by the time it launched in 1995. Brand was already dead person walking. Buick at least was developing the Rendezvous yet Olds was still chasing a shrinking sedan market.
All good points IMO!