Like the jock making it to the end of a teen horror movie, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Dodge Omni is an unlikely survivor. It’s also offered at a price ill-reflective of that status. Let’s see if it’s worth even that.
Lexus, the fancy-pants Toyota division, has a covenant by which it purports to operate. This covenant straightforwardly says that Lexus competes in the luxury automobile industry but next oddly avers this competition to be the “most prestigious race in the world.” Ahem, I beg to differ. They’ve obviously never witnessed an Octoberfest Wiener-Dog race.
Regardless of such puffery, Lexus does make some pretty solid cars and crossovers, notably evidenced by the 2018 Lexus LC 500 we looked at yesterday. That halo coupe looked like it was in as-new condition and came with a $48,999 price tag, which is about half what it went for when it was new. That combination led to some praise in the comments and a solid 63 percent Nice Price win in the voting.
Lexus isn’t the only automaker with a mission statement. Stellantis, the automotive world’s Island of Misfit Toys, also offers a credo by which the company claims to do business:
As stated in our purpose, it is the energy, passion and diversity of our people and brands that power us to do great things, exceeding expectations and setting the highest standards for our future.
For many years, the mission of many brands that would eventually make up Stellantis was just staying afloat. That was certainly the case for Chrysler, which in the 1970s was near bankruptcy and in need of a federal loan just to keep the lights on and the furnace stoked. The company offered the government two critical models as evidence that it was worth saving for the jobs it provided and its ability to fight import encroachment. One of those models was the yet-to-be-introduced K Car that would define the company throughout the ’80s and ’90s.
The other was the L Car, a smaller model already on the market, sold as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon. These cars were perhaps more important in swaying opinions about Chrysler’s value and viability since they proved the company could, in fact, build import fighters and not just offer the vapid promise of doing so. In the end, Chrysler got the government loan, staved off financial ruin for another couple of decades, and continued to produce the Omni/Horizon twins as the company’s entry-level domestic product.
This 1988 Dodge Omni comes from near the end of the model’s lengthy 1978—1990 run. And while it may say “GLH” in the stick-on decal on the side, the presence of a party-pooper A413 three-speed automatic and a later model year prove that to be wishful hyperbole at best.
Aside from that disappointment, the car seems to be an amazing time capsule from the ’80s. According to the ad, the car rocks a mere 19,883 miles and shows little to no wear and tear for its age. Paired with the three-speed automatic is Chrysler’s 96-horsepower 2.2-liter SOHC four. That’s burdened by an A/C compressor and power steering pump, and, oddly, everything in the engine bay seems to have been painted black.
The dealer offering the car describes the A/C as the car’s only notable “Luxury Feature.” They do note the factory AM/FM stereo, but that’s pretty much it for the description. The pictures show the cabin to be in amazing shape, as well as a body that’s free of rust, significant marring, or interesting wheel covers. A deep front air dam and the aforementioned decals do offer some aesthetic interest but don’t stand out as relevant. The car comes with a clean title and a $3,800 price tag.
What do you think about this Omni and that $3,800 deal price? Does that make this classic compact a deal? Or is that too much for an Omni, no matter how nice?
You decide!
Savannah, New Mexico, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Mario Maldonado for the hookup!
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