Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
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The Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme was an intermediate-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 in mid-1997 was designed in size and price to replace all the Cutlass models.
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1966
The name 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 shared the Grand Prix's 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.
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. An even plusher Supreme Brougham was marketed for 1980.
1982
The Cutlass Supreme parted mechanical company with the rest of the Cutlass line in 1982, when its great success persuaded GM to let it remain V8-powered and rear wheel drive on the GM G platform after the other Cutlass models had gone to the V6, front wheel drive A-body.
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-drive, V6 version did finally appear in 1988, and a sedan was added in 1990. It shared its 107.5 in wheelbase on the new GM10 W-body with the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Regal. Oldsmobile did produce one last rear wheel drive Cutlass for 1988, Cutlass Supreme Classic.
The car was restyled for 1992 and production ended in 1997. That same year, a (simply-named) Oldsmobile Cutlass was introduced, but this model lasted just three years.
The FWD Cutlass Supreme was built in Doraville, Georgia from 1988-1995, and in Kansas City, Kansas from 1996-1997. The first 1988 Cutlass Supreme rolled off the assembly line on January 13, 1988. The last Cutlass Supreme convertible was completed on July 17, 1995, and the last Cutlass Supreme rolled off the Fairfax assembly line on February 21, 1997.
Engines: