Cars - Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

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	Cars - Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was a mid-size car produced by General Motors for the American market. It was always the top of the Cutlass range. It began as a trim package, developed its own roofline, and eventually was mechanically divorced from the later, smaller Cutlasses.

The Cutlass Supreme name lasted from 1966 until 1997. There was no direct replacement for the Cutlass Supreme itself, although the Intrigue introduced for 1998 was designed in size and price to replace all the Cutlass models.

1966

The name first appeared in 1966, the first year of GM's new intermediate four-door hardtop. The Cutlass Supreme was Oldsmobile's version of this bodystyle. It continued so for three years.

1970

In 1970, a change was made. The Cutlass Supreme name was switched to Oldsmobile's equivalent of the downsized Pontiac Grand Prix in 1970 on the GM A platform, to give the division an entry in the burgeoning market for smaller personal luxury cars. As such, it had a new notchback roofline, while lesser Cutlass coupes had a near-fastback 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 and names from their less expensive siblings, the Supreme used front and rear body parts from the standard Cutlass line and was always marketed as part of it.

1973

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 throughout the 1970s, and the Cutlass was no exception. Cutlass Supreme coupes had a unique roofline not shared with other Cutlass coupes, as well as unique front end styling. For 1976, a new front-end design with quad rectangular headlamps debuted. This new Cutlass design was highly successful, becoming one of the best sellers of the time. The Cutlass line as a whole was America's best selling car in 1976. 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.

1978

The Cutlass Supreme was downsized for 1978, along with the rest of the Cutlass line. An upscale Cutlass Calais model was added, differing from the Cutlass Supreme only in minor trim details. The new notchback Cutlass Supreme proved to be far more popular than the controversial fastback Cutlass Salon coupe and sedan introduced at the same time. From 1978 through 1980, a high-performance 442 model was available, and for 1979, a special-edition performance model, the Hurst/Olds was offered. These used the Supreme's notchback body, rather than the standard fastback coupe's. The Supreme Brougham package was available on and off throughout 1978-1988 production. In 1981, the Cutlass Supreme received an aerodynamic restyle (with a "shovel-nose" front header panel), and would continue with this basic bodystyle until the final Cutlass Supreme Classic was produced in 1988.

1982

The Cutlass Supreme parted mechanical company with the rest of the Cutlass line in 1982, when continuing high sales convinced GM to continue production of its rear wheel drive mid-size cars alongside the new V6, front-wheel drive A-body, now known as the Cutlass Ciera. The rear-drive sedan and wagon Cutlass line became part of the Cutlass Supreme line in 1982. The wagon (known as Cutlass Cruiser) was dropped for 1984 as a new Cutlass Ciera-based model was introduced.

When the Cutlass Calais became a separate series on the GM N platform in 1985 (as the Calais until 1988), the RWD Cutlass Calais was rebadged as the Cutlass Salon (taking its name from the upscale Supreme coupe and sedan dating back to 1975, last used in 1980 as the entry level Cutlass).

GM cancelled the rear-wheel drive sedan after 1987, though the now renamed Cutlass Supreme Classic 2-door continued alongside the new front wheel drive version in 1988.

Two high-performance variants were created, both using a high-output version of Oldsmobile's 5.0 L (307 in³) V8 engine:

1983-1984 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds
1985-1987 Oldsmobile 442

1988

A front wheel drive version of the Cutlass Supreme coupe appeared in 1988, and a sedan and convertible were added in 1990. This model shared its 107.5 in wheelbase on the new GM10 W-body with the Pontiac Grand Prix, Buick Regal, and Chevrolet Lumina. Models included base (later called S), SL, and sporty International Series. Throughout its run, the convertible was considered its own separate trim level.

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