December 2, 2021 Update – The high bid of $8,900 did not meet the seller’s reserve price. The seller elected to try to sell his wagon elsewhere so we thank him for the opportunity to try and find a new caretaker on our website.

November 20, 2021 Update – We just received and posted the completed Lemon Squad Pre-Purchase Inspection you can review below.  Additionally, the gallery just above the comments section now contains over 350 still pictures of this 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser “Clamshell” station wagon.

GuysWithRides.com is pleased to have the opportunity to offer this 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser “Clamshell” Station Wagon in an online, reserve-style auction.

Bidding opened at Noon ET Wednesday, November 17, 2021, and continues for fourteen consecutive days ending at 8:00 PM ET Wednesday, December 1, 2021.

This 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Clamshell Wagon currently resides as part of a collection in Atlanta, Georgia.

(Note: To inspect all of the pictures provided, click on either the white space or the photograph below to enlarge it and then click on the gray “<” and “>” icons to navigate through all of the other stills in this carousel.)

Ending High Bid = $8,900

During the early 1970s, GM returned its mid-price divisions to the full-size station wagon segment after concentrating wagon production towards Chevrolet and Pontiac. In 1971, the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser was introduced alongside a redesign of the Buick Estate and Pontiac Safari/Grand Safari. While the Oldsmobile Delta 88 sedan was mechanically related to the Chevrolet Impala/Caprice, General Motors designed the Custom Cruiser slightly separate from the Chevrolet full-size station wagon lines.

Using the intermediate-segment Buick Sport Wagon and Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser as a predecessor, GM introduced a forward-facing third seat in a full-size station wagon for the first time (with the shorter-wheelbase Chevrolet wagon retaining a rear-facing third seat). With a total of eight-passenger accommodation, the Custom Cruiser would become among the largest vehicles ever built by Oldsmobile.

Technically derived from the GM B-body chassis, the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser shares its 127-inch wheelbase with the GM C-body chassis (though the Custom Cruiser was given a B-body serial number). Shared with the same-generation Oldsmobile Ninety Eight, the 1971-1976 Custom Cruiser is the longest-wheelbase Oldsmobile ever produced by General Motors.  In contrast to the rest of the GM B/C/D-platform vehicles of the time, GM 1971-1976 full-size station wagons used a truck-style rear suspension of multi-leaf springs (in lieu of rear coil springs).

At 5,186 pounds in woodgrain or about 5,400-pound curb weight, the three-seat 1976 Custom Cruiser wagons are easily the heaviest Oldsmobiles ever built. For 1976, alongside all GM full-size vehicles, the Custom Cruiser saw a redesign of its front fascia. Largely a preview of the 1977 Oldsmobile 98, the fascia was given four square headlights with outboard marker lights.

Along with all other 1971-1976, General Motors full-size station wagons built on the B-platform, Custom Cruiser wagons feature a “clamshell” tailgate design. A two-piece tailgate configuration, the tailgate slid into a recess under the cargo floor while the rear glass window slid up into the roof; the design operated either manually or with optional power assist.  The first powered tailgate in automotive history, the powered option ultimately became standard, as the manual tailgate required a degree of effort to lift out of storage. The system was operated from either an instrument panel switch or by key on the rear quarter panel. The clamshell tailgate was intended to aid the loading of the long station wagons (over 19 feet long) in tight parking spaces.

1976 marked the finale of a number of Oldsmobile features. Sadly, one oil embargo and ever-increasing emission regulations made it the final year of production for the brands’ famed 455 cubic-inch big-block V8. While this massive engine was only producing 190 horsepower by this time, people forget that it still produced 350 foot-pounds of torque. The heavy and complex clamshell tailgate design did not make the cut for the downsized 1977 Custom Cruiser.

Here are the seller’s comments about their 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Clamshell Station Wagon:

“This is the ride that we all had as a kid: the 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser wagon with a clamshell tailgate. the one that my mom drove was buckskin with the same wood side paneling. The Oldsmobile Rocket 455 motor delivered a ridiculous amount of power and the 9-seat interior provided ample space for long trips to the Jersey Shore. This car is guaranteed to bring back memories of your own.”

To help you make informed bids, we’re providing a link to Collector Car Market Review, here is a summary of that site’s recommended values based on a car’s condition:

If you have any questions about this 1976 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser Clamshell Station Wagon, please leave a comment below or feel free to call Rudy directly at 877-468-6497.  Thank you for looking and happy bidding!