Model History: Oldsmobile Cutlass

[Music] oldsmobile introduced the cutlass as the top trim level for its new senior compact f-85 for 1961. the history of naming cars for weapons is long but the f-85 cutlass did it two-fold first being the cutlass as a curved short sword a name first used on an oldsmobile show car in 1954 but the f-85 cutlass designation was in homage to the f-86 sabre aircraft as part of oldsmobile's new jet age inspired naming structure the cutlass arrived as a mid-year hard top coupe addition to the f-85s existing sedan wagon and an also new club coupe like other f-85s it was 188 inches long on a 112 inch wheelbase and weighed in at around 2700 pounds they were unibody construction and used double wishbone front suspension and a four link coil spring live rear axle the only engine was a 3.5 liter 215 cubic inch p8 that would later become the rover v8 the cutlass used the high compression four barrel power pack version with 185 gross horsepower and 230 pound-feet of torque compared to the base 155 horsepower version in other f-85s it came with standard two-tone bucket seats and your choice of three-speed manual or three-speed roto-hydramatic with a three-speed manual the cutlass could hit 60 in the low 8 second range and a mid-16 second quarter mile the high dramatic version was a second slower less than 10 000 of the nearly eighty thousand f-eighty-fives were the cutlass although it was only three hundred dollars more than a base f-85s 2300 starting price 1962 saw minor trim changes and the addition of a convertible and a four-speed manual but the big news was the new jet fire package equipped with a garrett turbo charger making it the first turbocharged production car this turbo rocket version of the 215 v8 produced 215 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque the jet fire was a 300 dollar package on top of the cutlass and added hood fins and side stripes but the turbo was trouble prone requiring high maintenance that included adding turbo rocket fluid diluted methanol used to prevent overheating an engine knock a four-speed jet fire reduced the quarter mile to the mid-15s but like other cutlasses it was criticized for having too soft a suspension for a performance car and less than 4 000 were made for 1962 1963 saw a restyle that added four inches in overall length and like all oldsmobiles that year the delcotron alternator became standard but f-85 sales were disappointing in spite of being over 110 000 and with the introduction of the ford fairlane in 1962 gm decided to move into the mid-size market with the new rear wheel drive a-body back to a more traditional body-on-frame layout weight was up 400 pounds wheelbase was up to 115 and length to 203 both the 215 v8 and the turbo were gone base engines for the f-85 was 155 horsepower 3.7 liter 225 cubic inch buick v6 the first old mobile without a v8 since 1950 and the first to use an engine from another division while other models got a 5.4 liter 330 cubic inch jet fire v8 in various tunes from a base 230 horsepower to the optional 290 horsepower that was the standard cutlass version the three-speed automatic was replaced by a two-speed jet away automatic a new muscle car package was also added essentially just a four-speed f-85 police package called the 442 stood for four-barrel four-speed dual exhaust and it came providing 310 horsepower from the 330 v8 some wagons were also sold in cutlass trim and a special 120 inch wheelbase wagon version was also added that included three row seating and a raised roof with a skylight called the vista cruiser sold as a separate model overall sales were up slightly to just over 125 000 of which 75 000 were the cutlass up from 41 000 the previous year prices were unchanged styling was updated for 1965 that included a dumbbell grill a new rocket logo and about an inch and a half in length v8 power was up to 250 to 315 for the 330 and a new 400 cubic inch v8 offered 320 in the cutlass and 345 in the 442 60 was just over 6 seconds and the quarter mile and the high 14s for the 442 while the cutlass package was once again limited to coupes and convertibles total sales were now over 210 000 of which 85 000 were the cutlass 1966 saw more sloping roof line available in pillared sport or holiday hardtop as well as a new cutlass supreme hard top sedan the buick v6 was replaced by a chevy 4.1 liter 250 cubic inch straight six rebadged as the action line six with 155 horsepower and now only the 442 got the 400 that was up to 350 horsepower for 1967 the cutlass name was spread to all body styles and the kellus supreme name to coupes and convertibles the three-speed turbo hydramatic became an option and was part of a new package called the turnpike cruiser it came with the 442's 400 cubic inch v8 but with a 2 barrel and 300 horsepower not to be confused with the earlier mercury turnpike cruiser a restyle arrived in 1968 with two door models going back to 112 inch wheelbase and four doors going up to 116 inch wheelbase and the vista cruiser to 121 inches only base models were still f-85s mid-range models were the cutlass s top models the cutlass supreme and the sporty 442 was no longer considered a package but a separate model a new 350 rocket v8 was added with 250 to 310 horsepower not to be confused with chevy's 350 v8 a limited edition hurst holds was also added with a 455 cubic inch v8 with 390 gross horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque backed by a center console mounted dual gate hurst shifter and turbo hydramatic 400 it's sidestepped gm's 400 cubic inch size limit for mid-size cars by calling it a hurst product and although the hurst shifter walnut interior trim and the application of the black stripes to its peruvian silver paint was done outside the factory the installation of the engine was not the hurst olds could do 60 in five and a half seconds and the quarter mile and 14 1969 would see the move to what would become the traditional oldsmobile split grill and as per government regulation headrests were added as was a locking steering column moving the ignition from the dash to the column the turnpike cruiser was dropped and the hearst olds was now gold on white and added functional hood scoops and a rear wing the 1970 model was available in seven body styles semi back pillared or hard top coupe notchback coupe pillared or hard top sedan and custom cruiser wagon or extended vista cruiser wagon the notchback coupe only being offered as the cutlass supreme the engine size cap went away meaning the 442 upgraded to the 455 in either 365 horsepower or 370 horsepower w30 variants and the 400 was discontinued and the 330 dropped the sx option on the cutlass supreme also got a 455 and the turbo hydramatic 400. the hurst holds was gone but the dual gate his and hers shifter was still offered as an option with bucket seats a one year only rally 350 package was added as a more insurance friendly performance package it was more than just an appearance package with a fiberglass 442 hood a hurst olds wing and body colored bumpers sport mirrors and rally wheels it also included heavy duty suspension with front and rear stabilizers a 323 axle ratio and a 310 horsepower 350 rocket minor updates to the styling continued for 1972. the chevy straight 6 was discontinued and all other engines were updated with hardened valve seals and lower compression to run on unleaded fuel the 442 was once again a package instead of a model and the hurst olds returned as the new pace car based on the cutlass supreme but actually modified by hearst this time the 442's 455 was down to 340 horsepower gross or 350 horsepower for the w30 but with the move to net horsepower that meant a rating of 250 horsepower for the base 455 and 300 from the w30 1973 saw the gma body cars move to the new colonnade styling introduced a year late due to strikes at gm packages were now cutlass cutlass s cutlass supreme cutlass salon vista cruiser and 442 with prices starting just over three thousand dollars the hearst olds was not being considered an internal offering now in black and gold while the 442 was now mostly an appearance package available with the full engine lineup the new cars were marginally heavier but included improved suspension geometry with better ride and handling as well as standard radial tires and power front disc brakes a 442 with the 455 was still a mid 15 second car five mile an hour bumpers arrived for 1974 being the most significant of the minor annual styling changes while other gm divisions discontinued their muscle car packages the 442 carried on as did the hearst olds in a half-hearted response to the fuel crisis for 1975 the chevy straight 6 returned to the lineup a smaller 260 cubic inch version of the rocket b8 was introduced and a fuel economy gauge was added to the options list it would be the last year of the hurst olds for a bit the cutlass lineup would become america's best-selling car in 1976 a first for a mid-sized car although in all fairness part of this was due to the fact that oldsmobile counted all of its mid-sized a-body cars and their derivatives as a single model at this point while other gm divisions didn't it would also be the first year with square headlights which naturally was part of the annual styling updates and it now shared its body panels with buick's regal and century a cutlass supreme brawl was also added as the top trim level on the coupe the buick b6 would return to replace the chevy straight six now up to 3.8 liters and 231 cubic inches and the 455 was replaced by a 403 and a 5-speed manual was offered but only with the 260 v8 all wagons were now called vista cruisers downsizing a ride for 1978 wheelbase was down to 108 inches and weight to 3 300 pounds well prices were up to 4 500 dollars engines included buicks 105 horsepower 231 b6 oldsmobile's 110 horsepower 260 v8 pontiacs 135 horsepower 301 v8 and chevy's 305 v8 in 145 and 165 horsepower versions the cutlass salon was offered in two and four-door aero back fastback the cutlass supreme and cutlass calais as a formal notchback coupe wagons were now the cutlass cruiser the braum package could be added to all but the calais providing softer suspension and plusher interior the 442 was now a handling package on the cutlass salon that included quick ratio steering heavier springs stiffer shocks bigger stabilizer bars and wider tires the cutlass calais was essentially a 442 version of the cutlass supreme but with more standard features either choice was a mid 17 second car a diesel version of the olds 260 was added for 1979 the hearst olds also returned with a dual gate shifter and 160 horsepower olds 350 an engine otherwise only available in the station wagon the four-door salon was replaced in 1980 by a more traditional notchback sedan simply called the cutlass and the cutlass supreme and cal a once again got quad headlights while the previous year's hurst olds was this year's 442 minus the hearst shifter and automatic the fastback was discontinued in 1981 as was the 442 the cutlass sedan got quad headlights and the cutlass supreme in calais got aerodynamic updates a new front-wheel drive a-body cutlass sierra was introduced in 1982 it was 190 inches long on a 105 inch wheelbase offered as a two or four-door sedan in base ls or braum trim levels the 2.5 liter pontiac iron duke four cylinder was the base engine a three liter buick b6 was the option as well as a 4.3 liter oldsmobile v6 diesel starting at around eighty eight hundred dollars it was nearly three hundred dollars more than the rear wheel drive cutlass the following year the base model was dropped and a sportier es model replaced it and a holiday coupe was added mid-year when the cutlass cruiser became a front-wheel drive cutlass sierra the hurst olds returned to the cutlass calais as a 15th anniversary edition it added a lightning rod triple shifter black and silver two-tone paint a hood bulge rear wing chrome wheels 373 gear ratio and then 180 horsepower 307 v8 it turned out to be more popular than expected and an initial 2500 unit model run turned into 3000 and then a continuation for 1984 with inverted colors hardly a performance car with a mid 18 second quarter mile but still half a second quicker than the v6 cutlass sierra which was nearly a second quicker than a v6 color supreme the sporty coupes got new identifiers for 1985. the es coupe became the gt coupe the cutlass calais became the cutlass salon and the hearst holds the 442 but now the four speed was an automatic there would be no more diesels the 2.3 liter and 3.8 liter v6s were added to the cutlass sierra mid-year replacing the 3 liter and the following year it would see some structural updates for better cooling and a sleeker look it would get composite headlights for 1988 with updated trim levels that included braum sl and the international series while the kellus supreme would move to the new front-wheel drive gm-10 platform although the old model continued through the year as the cutlass supreme classic the related four-door cutlass however did not and the compact in platform cal a introduced in 1985 would become the cutlass calais meaning that for 1988 oldsmobile had four different models using a variation of the cutlass name three of which would carry on into the nineties the ten thousand dollar cutlass calais the eleven thousand dollar cutlass sierra the twelve thousand dollar cutlass supreme and the thirteen thousand dollar color supreme classic which started to become a bit of a joke that all oldsmobiles were cutlasses both the new cutlass supreme and the cutlass calais were available with a v6 and a four-speed automatic the cal a with a 3 liter and the cutlass supreme with a smaller 2.8 liter both with 125 horsepower the cal a base engine was a 98 horsepower tech 4 essentially an updated version of the old iron duke or you could get oldsmobile's new 150 horsepower 2.3 liter quad 4 and a 5 speed manual the styling of the cutlass sierra was updated in 1989 although one had to look close to tell the difference the 3.8 liter buick v6 was replaced by a 3.3 liter and the braum package was renamed sl a four-door version of the cutlass supreme arrived in 1990 but the older cutlass sierra still outsold it 150 000 for the sierra to 120 000 for the supreme the cutlass calais got a 442 package for 1990 and 91 using the quad 4 and a 4 speed rationalized as 4 valve 4 cylinder dual cam available in 180 horsepower w40 and later 190 horsepower w41 version both mid 15 second cars half a second quicker than other quad 4 calis but the cutlass cal a would be replaced by the achieva for 1992. the same year the cutlass supreme coupe got new mini headlights and the coupe version of the cutlass sierra went away the cars continued on with regular updates to trim and features the cutlass supreme until 1997 to be replaced by the intrigue and the cutlass sierra going until 1999 although for its last three years it was no longer a cutlass and just the sierra but there was a cutlass from 1997 to 1999. it was basically a chevy malibu with oldsmobile tram and only available with the 155 horsepower 3.1 liter v6 it ran on 107 inch wheelbase and was 192 inches long and at seventeen thousand dollars it was three thousand dollars more than the outgoing color sierra and two thousand dollars less than the cutlass supreme this would be the last cutlass and oldsmobile would only exist for another decade as always thanks for watching don't forget to comment below and like and subscribe [Laughter]

Channel: The Hopeless Car Guy

Views: 37,021

Keywords: Jetfire, F-85, 442, First turbocharged, Rocket fluid, Jet Age, Supreme, Turnpike Cruiser, Vista Cruiser, Salon, Calias, Ciera, Hurst, Cutlass S, Triple Shifter, Lightning Rod, Fastback, F86 Sabre, Roto-Hyrdomatic, Jet-away, Quad 4, GM A Body, GM10

Id: y6o1EPjYIR0

Length: 20min 42sec (1242 seconds)

Published: Fri Jun 24 2022