Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is a mid-size car produced by Oldsmobile between 1966 and 1997. It was positioned as a premium offering at the top of the Cutlass range. It began as a trim package, developed its own roofline, and rose during the mid-1970s to become not only the most popular Oldsmobile but the highest selling model in its class.
It was produced as a rear-wheel drive two-door hardtop, sedan, and station wagon into the 1980s, and a convertible through 1972. In 1988 Oldsmobile sought to capitalize on the brand equity of the Cutlass Supreme marque by replacing it with a downsized front-wheel drive model based on the General Motors W platform.
When production ended there was no direct replacement for the Cutlass Supreme, although the Intrigue introduced for 1998 was designed in size and price to replace all the Cutlass models.
First generation (1966–1967)
The Cutlass Supreme name first appeared for the 1966 model year, the first year of GM's new intermediate four-door hardtop sedan—also known as the Holiday Sedan. In addition to the new body style, the Supreme featured a plusher interior that included a bench seat with armrest, full wheel covers and deluxe door panels among other items including "CS" emblems on the rear C-pillars and trunk lid. Although smaller than the traditional domestic cars, "its deluxe interior makes it comparable with LTD, VIP, DPL, and Caprice."For the 1967 model year, the Cutlass Supreme line was expanded into a full series that also included a two-door hardtop coupe, two-door pillared coupe, four-door pillared sedan and a convertible. Generally, interior appointments in Supreme models were more luxurious than lesser F-85 and Cutlass series cars and included a cloth or "Morocceen" vinyl bench seat with armrest in sedan models and all-vinyl Strato bucket seats in coupes and convertibles.
The standard Supreme engine for both years was Oldsmobile's "Ultra High Compression" Jetfire Rocket V8 rated at with a four-barrel carburetor. Transmission offerings included a standard three-speed manual with column shift, floor-mounted four-speed manual with Hurst shifter or a two-speed Jetaway automatic.
In 1967, the high-performance 442 package with the V8 was available on three Cutlass Supreme models including the sport coupe, Holiday coupe and convertible. Also available on each of those three Supreme two-door models was "Turnpike Cruiser" option that included a 400 cubic-inch V8 with two-barrel carburetor and rating along with a numerically lower rear axle and Turbo-Hydramatic transmission.
Second generation (1968–1972)
The Cutlass and other GM intermediates were completely restyled for 1968 with wheelbases shortened to for 2-door coupe models and lengthened one inch to for four-door sedans and station wagons. The Cutlass Supreme, now the top-line Olds intermediate series, was pared down to two- and four-door hardtop models with the pillared sedans and coupes dropped and the convertible moved to the lower-priced Cutlass "S" line, upon which the 4-4-2 muscle car was now based. Also the standard Rocket V8 was enlarged from 330 to 350 cubic inches with.The 1969 models received only a minor facelift such as a new split grille and vertical taillights with the same model and engine offerings. A new three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 was added to the option list to replace the two-speed Jetaway automatic. Headrests were made standard equipment due to federal safety mandate and the ignition switch moved from the instrument panel to the steering column, which also was designed to lock the steering wheel. This ignition/steering wheel interlock, found on all 1969-model General Motors passenger cars, except for the Corvair, debuted one year before the federal government mandated it on all 1970 models.
For 1970, the Cutlass Supreme nameplate was switched to Oldsmobile's equivalent of the downsized Pontiac Grand Prix on the A-body, to give the division an entry in the burgeoning market for smaller personal luxury cars. As such, the two-door hardtop had a new notchback roofline, while lower trim-line Cutlass coupes had a fastback style roof. The model remained in this role for virtually all of its production life. Unlike the Grand Prix and the also-related Chevrolet Monte Carlo, which had wholly separate bodies, longer wheelbases and different names from their less expensive siblings, the Supreme shared front and rear body parts and its 112-inch wheelbase with the standard 2-door Cutlass line and was always marketed as part of it. In addition to the two-door hardtop, the Cutlass Supreme series for 1970 also included a four-door hardtop and regained the convertible bodystyle.
Supreme interiors were more luxurious that those of other Cutlass models, with a choice of a Custom Sport notchback bench seat with armrest in Osborne cloth or Morocceen vinyl or, at no extra cost, Strato bucket seats in Morocceen vinyl. Available at extra cost with the bucket seats was a center console with floor-mounted shifter for which the Turbo-Hydramatic transmission could also be had with the Hurst Dual-Gate shifter commonly found in the division's musclecar, the Oldsmobile 442.
For 1970 and 1971, both the Cutlass Supreme coupe and convertible were available with the Code Y-79 high performance "SX" option package. The SX option included several versions of the larger 455 cubic-inch Rocket V8 borrowed from the Olds 442 along with the cutout rear bumper and exhaust trumpets, 442's rallye suspension, distinctive SX badges and other features.
A W31 option added distinctive stripes and badging, and a camshaft with increased lift and duration for the 350 engine. The W31 option was offered on Supreme coupes only in 1968, but continued on lower-line F-85 and Cutlass S coupes through 1970.
1972 was the only year in which the Cutlass Supreme notchback hardtop could be equipped with the L75 455 and M20 four speed transmission, and only 77 of these cars were produced. All 1972 L75 455/M20 cars used the larger 2.07 valves and the W30 automatic camshaft. This gave the L75 455/M20 cars 270 net horsepower, as opposed to the TH400 automatic-equipped L75 cars, which produced 250 net horsepower.
The 1972 Hurst/Olds was based on the Supreme two-door hardtop and convertible, powered by both versions of the 455 Rocket offered on the 4-4-2, along with a Turbo 400 transmission with Hurst Dual/Gate shifter. The H/O convertible also served as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car in 1972.
1972 was also the final year for Olds to offer the Cutlass Supreme convertible, until 1990. In its final year, it was the best-selling convertible in the U.S., with 11,571 sold, or 16% of the market, beating the Eldorado and Corvette. From 1973 to 1975, the only Oldsmobile convertible offered was the full-sized Delta 88 Royale.
Third generation (1973–1977)
In 1973, the Cutlass Supreme, like other GM mid-size cars, was redesigned. Hardtop models were replaced by new "Colonnade" styling with fixed center pillars. Concerns over proposed rollover standards caused many automakers to phase out their pillarless hardtops and convertibles throughout the 1970s, and the Cutlass was no exception. Despite some initial controversy over the disappearance of hardtop models, the new 1973 GM mid-sized line proved highly successful. Cutlass Supreme coupes had a unique roofline with vertical opera windows not shared with other Cutlass coupes, as well as unique front end styling.The Cutlass line soon became Oldsmobile's biggest seller, accounting for 43% of the division's total volume in 1974, with the Cutlass Supreme coupe being the single most popular model. With rectangular headlights newly legalized in 1975, the Cutlass received a facelift for the 1976 model year featuring quad headlights flanking a waterfall grille, and on coupes, the removal of the lower body "skeg lines". This attractive redesign boosted sales even further. The Cutlass line as a whole was America's best-selling car in 1976, helping Oldsmobile to become the only marque outside of Ford and Chevrolet to break one-million units sold. By 1977, however, GM had downsized its full-size models, and the Cutlass Supreme was now nearly identical in size to the redesigned Delta 88. That situation would last only that one year, as GM planned to downsize the Olds Cutlass and other intermediates for 1978.
In addition to the Colonnade hardtop coupe, the Cutlass Supreme was also offered in a four-door Colonnade sedan as well as six-and-nine passenger station wagons - the wagons with the woodgrain exterior trim were marketed under the Vista Cruiser nameplate previously used on Oldsmobile's stretched-wheelbase station wagons with raised roof and skylights from 1964 to 1972 while the Cutlass Supreme Cruiser was offered with the same equipment and dimensions without the woodgrained appearance.
The Supreme Colonnade sedan was available in 1973 as the Cutlass Salon, which was an option package that included radial tires, upgraded suspension and reclining bucket seats upholstered in corduroy or vinyl trim along with color-keyed wheelcovers - designed as sort of a European-style luxury/touring sedan similar to the Pontiac Grand Am of the same period. For 1974, the Salon package was also made available on the Supreme Colonnade coupe and in 1975, the Salon was upgraded to a separate series available in both sedan and coupe. The 1975s received a new, more squared off grille, slightly larger and incorporating parking lights. The bumpers also continued to grow ever larger.
For 1973–74, the 350 Rocket V8 with four-barrel carburetor and was the standard Cutlass Supreme engine with a 250-horsepower 455 Rocket offered as an option. Both three- and four-speed manual transmissions were offered in 1973, but the greatest majority of Cutlasses were built with the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission which became standard equipment in 1974, along with variable-ratio power steering.
The 1973-74 energy crisis resulting from the Arab Oil Embargo led Oldsmobile to introduce two new smaller engines to the Cutlass line in 1975. The Chevrolet built 250 cubic-inch inline six and three-speed manual transmission were reinstated as standard equipment on the Supreme coupe and sedan with a new Olds-built 260 cubic-inch Rocket V8 offered as an option. However, the majority of Cutlass Supremes in 1975, 1976, and 1977 were sold with the now-optional 350 Rocket V8 and Turbo-Hydramatic automatic. The 455 Rocket V8 was optional through 1976, and replaced by a smaller 403 Rocket V8 in 1977, the same year in which a Buick-built 231 cubic-inch V6 replaced the Chevy inline six as base power in most Cutlass models.
For 1976, the Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe was added to the line, featuring a more luxurious interior trim than the regular Supreme model with pillowed crushed velour upholstery and 60/40 bench seats similar to the larger Ninety-Eight Regency. It also received quad square headlights. For 1977, the Brougham was also available as a four-door Colonnade sedan. The grille was also changed, with each half divided into five rather than two segments of bars divided by chrome strips.
A five-speed manual transmission was available as an option with the 260 V8 in all models except Supreme Brougham and station wagons for 1976–77.