1997 Oldsmobile Aurora The beauty of luxury. By Daniel Charles Ross, New Car Test Drive .com

There's no question that the influx and

popularity of imported luxury cars made an indelible mark on American car

makers--and the mark was a bruise. It took a wholesale retooling of classical

Detroit mindsets to confront this formidable offshore challenge, and in

these upscale car wars the domestics emerged from their foxholes loaded

for bear. The simple fact that the Aurora even exists is ample proof that

the message of luxo-imports has been intercepted, decoded, and implemented.

Briefly recapping the now familiar narrative, the Olds product line

was in dire need of fresh blood when the sleek Aurora sedan was introduced

in the fall of 1994 as a '95 model. It immediately became something of

a heartthrob for the normally jaded motor press, who embraced the Lansing

automaker's new grasp of the subtle characteristics of luxury and performance.

It was obvious that the Infinitis and Lexuses of the world had provided

the template for Aurora. What we said last year in these pages is still

true--Olds sought to rebuild its image, starting from the top, and it's

worked.