By Christopher Tracy
As the LA Auto Show approaches, this is the reminder that concept cars can be great. The best concepts make it to production. It’s even better if there are few to no changes between the concept and the production vehicle. The 1990 Oldsmobile Expression is a great concept car example.
The concept debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in 1990 before the height of minivan sales or the consumer move to SUVs. It was more like a wedge than the Ford Taurus and seemed to share the almost-wedge nose of the F-Body Camaros. Body panels were made out of fiberglass. The blade-like wheel covers look like they were ready for takeoff.
The car’s seat layout was 2+2+2. The last row of seats was rear-facing. It looks like the greenhouse would be open and airy. Even the rear-facing seats look comfortable.
Other before their time features included four-wheel steering, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and an onboard vacuum cleaner. That’s like 20 years before Honda ever put one in the Odyssey.
The pièce de résistance of the Expression wagon was an onboard TV/VCR setup for the rear-facing third row. In the raddest fashion, the TV was also connected to a Nintendo Entertainment System located in the rear gate.
The Research team wasn’t able to track down which GM powerplant was used in the Expression. It makes sense that it would be LS-powered, but the V6 from the Astro/Safari van probably makes more sense for the overall size of the Expression.
If you feel yourself pining for the lost days of the Expression, you should probably go buy a Buick Regal TourX wagon before they go the way of Oldsmobile as well.
Jeff Glucker
Surely too early for an LS V8? Seems like a fairly pointless concept – the seating position looks very low so the high roof has no purpose. Forward facing third row would be better too.
https://www.allcarindex.com/auto-car-model/United-States-Oldsmobile-Expression/
This claims it used a Quad 4, which I guess is as likely as anything. As outback_ute mentions, this predates the LS by seven years (and even the LT by two or three). I would have guessed 3400 V6 otherwise, but I’m honestly not sure which brand could claim original ownership of that, and I assume the concept cars sort of had to keep it in the brand after the Roger Smith era fiasco of putting Chevy or Pontiac engines in just about everything.
Also, while the specific detailing is very early 90s, with a bit of black cladding, that could be something they’re trying to sell today. You know, just not as an Olds.
Tesla Model S sits down uncomfortably with Model X:
“Son, it’s time you knew about your real father.”
I detect some styling cues of the Aurora, wouldn’t it more likely be the 4.0 version of the Northstar?
Looks like Ford took a page from that book in rounding out the Taurus wagon for ’96.
https://consumerguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/96113331990002.jpg