28,919 Miles: 1988 Buick LeSabre

The low mileage survivors just keep on coming! This 1988 Buick LeSabre is reported to have just under 29K miles, or just 1,000 per year since it rolled off the showroom floor. The story goes that the car was purchased by a woman who loved to pamper her wagon and would take it to woody car shows where it was well received. She sold it to another enthusiast who maintained the wagon to high standards as well. Found on Ebay in Redmond, Washington, there was plenty of interest with the reserve already met in the first few days of the auction.
For some odd reason the previous owner refused to pass along the maintenance records of the big Buick so there’s very little paperwork to go with the car but it’s very clear that this car has been extremely well maintained from day one and there’s no reason not to believe the low mileage claim.

It’s interesting to me that the popularity of woody wagons (well, faux wood in this case) extended into the 90’s. One of the first things to crack, fade or peel, the wood applique looks absolutely fantastic.

The interior of the LeSabre looks just as nice as the outside. Big cushy seats for comfort and a cavernous rear cargo space that could easily carry a nice supply of 4’x8′ plywood although we don’t think much has ever been hauled in this beauty! The seller does describe some minor blemishes in the carpet but thinks that a good cleaning will remedy this. All the cabin controls work well with the exception of the heater controls that are finicky and the mirror controls which don’t seem to be working. Unfortunately the original radio was replaced with a CD player.

More durable vinyl is used in the third row seat which makes sense considering this is where the kiddies are likely to reside.

The car is said to start right up, throttle quietly and run and drive smoothly. The suspension and steering is described as tight and the brakes are also said to work well. All in all you’d be hard pressed to find an original 1988 Buick survivor wagon as nice as this one. These big Buicks and the other GM wagons that shared the same platform seemed like throwbacks even when they were new. Styling hadn’t really changed much since the 70’s but the golden age of station wagon was coming to an end as mini vans and SUV’s were taking over. With the reserve met early in the auction it will be interesting how high it will go.