1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

1972 was the final model year for the third generation of Oldsmobile's midsize Cutlass. Styling changes from '71 were minimal and mostly limited to the grille and taillights.

There were the base Cutlass and F-85, the slightly more upmarket and sporty Cutlass S, and finally the Cutlass Supreme, which had a more pronounced notchback roofline, touted as "formal", to distinguish it from the lesser model cars which still sported an aggressively fastback roofline. (Technically, for '72 the 442 was again a Cutlass trim level rather than a separate model.) 

The base engine was the 350 cubic inch L34 Olds Rocket V-8 with a four-barrel Rochester carburetor. With its compression reduced to 8.5:1 so as to run on regular unleaded it was only rated at 180 horsepower  in the newly-mandated SAE Net system. Cutlass Supreme buyers could opt for the two-barrel L32 350 as a credit option, for which they got better economy at the cost of a haircut to 160 horses. Alternately they could spring for a 250 horsepower L75 455 cube Rocket V-8. Three- and four-speed manuals were available, as well as the three-speed Turbo-Hydra-matic slushbox, as were a variety of rear axle ratios.

Since the Cutlass Supreme was aimed at the growing personal luxury coupe market, Motor Trend tested a '72 hardtop coupe with the base L34 Rocket V-8 against a Chevrolet Monte Carlo Custom, a Dodge Charger SE, and a Mercury Montego Brougham. The 350-powered Cutlass was at something of a disadvantage versus the other three, which all packed 400-cube motors, although the horsepower disparity wasn't all that great (the Mercury had a claimed 240, but FoMoCo was still advertising in gross numbers.)

Equipped with a three-speed automatic and a 2.73:1 rear end, the Cutlass Supreme test car turned in an 11.3 second zero-to-sixty time and strolled through the quarter in a leisurely 18.4 seconds at 78mph.

The Antique Pewter one in the photo was snapped in October of 2025 using a Nikon Df and a 28-200mm f/3.5-5.6G zoom lens.

1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Convertible

1975 was the last year for the Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale convertible... and the last Olds ragtop, period, until the 1990 Cutlass Supreme.

Like the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, Oldsmobile really leaned into the future collectible hype, and they sold just shy of 7,200 units, including this beaut of a Horizon Blue example.

For the Delta 88 Royale, which was more upscale than the base Delta 88, the standard engine was the 350 Oldsmobile Rocket V-8 with a four-barrel Rochester carburetor. Optionally, the buyer could spring for the 455 Rocket four-barrel.

1975 was the first year for catalytic converters at Oldsmobile. This required the use of unleaded gas and saw greatly lowered compression ratios, and also meant dual exhausts went away (the exhaust system in the photo is therefore an aftermarket setup.) All this dropped output to 170 SAE net horsepower for the 350 and only 190 ponies for the big 455. A three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic was the only transmission on offer.

Among the available options was GM's then-new air cushion restraint system, but it couldn't be had on the convertible.

This one was photographed using a Canon EOS RP and an RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS zoom lens in September of 2026.

1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible

The Cutlass Supreme line was introduced for 1966 as a more upscale version of the midsize Olds, above the budget-priced F-85 and the regular Cutlass. For 1967, the last year for the second generation of Cutlasses, a light styling refresh on the snout brought its aesthetics into line with the larger Delta 88.

Available as a hardtop Holiday Sedan or a pillared Town Sedan, a pillared Sport Coupe or a hardtop Holiday Coupe, or a convertible like this Provincial White example with Strato Bucket seats upholstered in Blue "Morrocceen" vinyl.

Unlike cheaper Cutlasses, the base motor in the Supreme was the 330 cubic inch Jetfire Rocket V-8 with a Quadrajet carburetor and a 10.25:1 compression ratio. Olds touted the "Ultra High Compression Ratio" as being a key part of the claimed 310 horsepower output. Base price on this beauty in 1967 would have been  $3,026 before you started going crazy with the option book. That's about $29,600 in current dollars.

This one was photographed using a Canon EOS R and an RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS zoom lens in March of 2026.

1965 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan

The 1965 catalog proclaimed that Oldsmobile was "The Rocket Action Car!" and it marked the eighth generation of the full-size Oldsmobiles, which had debuted originally as a 1941 model.

The Ninety-Eight was the larger and more luxurious version of the full-size Olds, riding on a 126" wheelbase, which was stretched a full three inches over that of the more demure 88.

For '65, the Ninety-Eight was available as the hardtop Holiday Sports Sedan, the pillared Luxury Sedan and Town Sedan, the hardtop Holiday Sports Coupe, or a convertible. 

The badge on the C-pillar marks this Provincial White example as a Luxury Sedan, which would have come standard with power windows, an illuminated vanity mirror for the rear seat, and other plush touches.

Under the hood, the standard powerplant was the 425 cubic inch Oldsmobile Super Rocket V-8 rated at 360 gross horsepower, with a 10.25:1 compression ratio necessitating premium fuel. Optionally, the buyer could get the 370hp 425 cube Starfire V-8. Either way the motor was backed with the three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic Drive automatic transmission. Contemporary tests tended to turn in 0-60 times in the mid nine second range.

This one was photographed in June of 2022 using a Nikon D7100 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme SL

Oldsmobile moved the Cutlass Supreme nameplate to a front-wheel drive W-body car for the 1998 model year. Initially available only as a coupe, it spent that first year being sold alongside its G-body RWD predecessor, which was known as the Cutlass Supreme Classic.

For 1990, a sedan version was added, as well as a convertible. Due to the oddball "beer tap" door handles being located in the B-pillars, the convertible had a fixed hoop or roll bar. A 1992 restyle saw the coupe and convertible get squinty little miniature quad headlamps, which were also used on its W-body stablemate, the Pontiac Grand Prix.

This Bright White coupe is a 1994 model. For that year the Cutlass Supreme could be had in the base "S" trim level or the more upmarket SL. The SL package got sporty body cladding, fog lamps, dual power mirrors, and standard 16" alloy wheels.

The base motor was the GM corporate 3.1L pushrod V-6 with sequential port fuel injection, rated at 160 SAE net horsepower, with an optional 3.4L DOHC V-6 making 210 horses. Both motors were backed by a four-speed automatic transmission.

While they're no sports cars (a 3.1L Cutlass SL would turn in 0-60 times in the mid nine second range) I've always liked the styling of the W-body GM coupes, and this one's no exception.

I turned my car around on a cold December morning in 2025 to photograph this one using a Nikon D2H and 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom lens. 

1977 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Indy 500 Pace Car

For 1977, Oldsmobile got the nod to provide the Pace Car for the 61st running of the 500 Mile International Sweepstakes, better known as the Indianapolis 500. It was the fourth time since 1970 that Olds had paced the race, the previous three with various iterations of the midsize Cutlass.

The Delta 88 was a full-size Olds, which was freshly revised for the 1977 model year. The seventh generation of the 88 rode on a 116" wheelbase and stretched 217.5" between the bumpers.

More plebeian Delta 88 coupes could be had with a base 231cid V-6 rated at 105 SAE net horsepower or a couple optional V-8s, namely the LV8 110hp 260 cube Rocket or the L34 170 horsepower 350 Rocket.

 

The Indianapolis 500 Pace Car version, of which Oldsmobile built 2,400 examples, came with the top of the line W44 403 cubic inch Rocket V-8, making 185 net horses. It was backed by a TH350 three-speed automatic and could push the 3,700 pound coupe to sixty in a little under ten seconds, which was decent by Malaise Era standards.

This example was photographed in October of 2025 using a Canon EOS 7D and an EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens.

1972 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible

By 1972 the lights were going out on the Muscle Car Era. Surging insurance rates were causing manufacturers to downplay power, and now Detroit manufacturers were advertising everything in SAE net horsepower anyway. Emissions controls had gotten stricter and compression ratios had dropped across the board.

The 442 was no longer a separate model, as it had briefly been, but an optional trim level of the Cutlass and Cutlass S coupes or the Cutlass Supreme convertible. So, to be absolutely technical, the car in these photos is a 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible 442, but nobody would call it that.

The 442 could be had with the L32 Rocket 350 V-8 with a two-barrel carburetor or the L34 four-barrel Rocket 350 V-8. On the menu were also the L75 Rocket 455 V-8, with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, and... if you ordered the top of the line W-30 performance package ...the L77 Rocket 455.

1972 would be the last year for the W-30 and its snarling 300hp L77 455. The package was not available with air conditioning and came with a mandatory limited-slip diff with a 3.42:1 ratio (3.73:1 was optional.) Oldsmobile made it plain that the high performance motor, with its special alloy intake manifold, heavy duty cooling system, would not be able to match the forthcoming emissions controls in 1973.

In a sign of the times, Oldsmobile brochures for '72 didn't even mention power outputs at all (in '71 they only gave torque figures and no horsepower numbers) and dedicated a page in the full line catalog to how safe and low-emission the new Oldsmobiles for 1972 were.

The twin pipes on this one suggest it's got the optional L75 455. 

Hi-Performance Cars Magazine tested a 1972 Cutlass 442 coupe with the W-30 package and pronounced it a shadow of its former self. Even so, the torquey big block meant it needed to be babied off the line lest everything end up in a cloud of tire smoke. At Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, zero-to-sixty was accomplished in 7.1 seconds, with the quarter mile taking 14.4 seconds at 98 mph. The 3.42 rear gears meant the fun ran out at a buck fifteen. Price of the test car was $5,255, or about $40,600 in current dollars. That was a 60% price increase over the base $3,087 Cutlass coupe.

The one in the photos was snapped in June of 2025 using a Sony a700 and a 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens. 

1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Convertible

Along with the curvaceous restyling of the A-body Oldsmobile Cutlass for the 1968 model year came a new trim level: the Cutlass S.

For '68 the Olds 4-4-2 technically became its own model, rather than a trim level on the Cutlass. The Supreme remained the most luxurious trim level with the spartan F-85 as the bargain basement entry, and the Cutlass S slotted between them as a youth-oriented version that emphasized both value and sportiness. The Cutlass S was only available as a hardtop or pillared coupe, or a convertible like the Sapphire Blue one in the photos.

Period Olds advertising materials called it a "low-priced, low-slung Youngmobile swinger" and the interior, with its (standard on the convertible) bucket seats, was described as a "swingin' place for a sit-in". The standard, albeit non-functional, hood louvers emphasized its sporty character.

Standard powerplant was either the Action Line 250 cubic inch inline six, making 150 SAE gross horsepower, or else the low-compression version of the Rocket 350 V-8 with a 2-barreled carburetor and 250 horsepower. The dual exhausts on this car suggest the buyer sprang for the only optional motor, which was a 10.5:1 compression Rocket 350 with a Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel and 310 ponies.

Standard transmission was a column-shifted three-speed manual, although a four-on-the-floor was available as an option, as was Oldsmobile's two-speed Jetaway automatic.

This one was photographed with a Sony a700 and a 16-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* zoom lens in May of 2025.

1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser

For the 1984 model year, Oldsmobile discontinued the rear wheel drive G-body Cutlass wagon and moved the Cutlass Cruiser wagon nameplate over to the front wheel drive Cutlass Ciera. This was the same model year that all the GM A-bodies got station wagon versions: Chevy Celebrity, Pontiac 6000, and Buick Century.

Facelifted in 1985 and again in 1987, for 1988 all Olds Cutlass Ciera models got composite headlamps, giving the nose a sleeker look.

The row of little flags under the Cutlass Cruiser fender badge were part of Olds's advertising schtick from the late '70s through the early '90s, showing that Olds was trying to position itself as a competitor against sporty European and Asian competitors and set itself apart from its more traditionally 'Murrican-flavored GM stablemates. A tough sell when all you can really do to distinguish yourself from the herd is minor styling, suspension tuning, and powertrain differences.

The base motor in this Light Beechwood Metallic '89 Cutlass Cruiser would have been the pushrod 2.5L Tech IV, the latest evolution of the creaky old "Iron Duke" four banger, now with a balance shaft and throttle-body injection and making 98 SAE net horsepower. Optional motors were the 2.8L 125 horsepower V-6 or the 3.3L 3300 GM corporate V-6, which featured multiport fuel injection and 160 SAE net horses. (Incidentally, this was twenty more ponies than the 5.0L Olds 307 made in the 1988 Cutlass Supreme Classic, the last of the rear wheel drive G-bodies.)

The 14x6" aluminum alloy wheels would have come with the FE3 performance suspension package on an '89 Cutlass Cruiser, and they weren't available on the '88 model, and in 1990 the front seat shoulder harness anchors moved from the B-pillars to the door frames to comply with passive restraint requirements, so that nails down the model year.

It was photographed using an Olympus E-510 and a Zuiko Digital 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens in April of 2025.

1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Holiday Coupe

With its more formal notchback roofline and standard bucket seats, the Cutlass Supreme Holiday Coupe could be looked at as the top-of-the-line midsize two-door Cutlass...or else as a budget entry in the burgeoning personal luxury coupe market.

The dual-scoop W25 forced air induction fiberglass hood was not on the option list for the Supreme in '71, being a 442-only option, but judging from the stance, I don't think this guy's going for maximum points at the Concours d'Elegance.

Standard motor in the Holiday Coupe was the four-barrel Olds Rocket 350 V-8 making 260 SAE gross horsepower. As a sign of the times, GM advertising for 1971 also included the new SAE net measurement, which was 200 for the Rocket 350. Optional was the L32 Olds Rocket 455 V-8, which made 320 gross horsepower (250 net) and was only available with the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 400 slushbox.

The 1971 and 1972 models are hard to tell apart in these views. The chrome side trim is a '71 thing, for '72 it was gone, replaced with chrome rocker panel trim. Also the headlight surrounds on the '72 were painted black, while these are still chrome.

This one was photographed in June of 2022 using a Nikon D7100 and 16-80mm f/2.8-4E zoom lens.

1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham

1977 was the final model year for the pre-downsized Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It was also the final year for the fourth generation of the Cutlass nameplate and the third generation of the Supreme trim level.

This generation of GM midsize cars was still rolling on a 112" wheelbase, like their '68-'72 predecessors, but had replaced the graceful pillarless hardtop roofline with what the manufacturer termed a "Colonnade" roof which, depending on how you looked at it, featured either a B-pillar with a small side window abaft it, or else a thick C-pillar with a small opera window-type porthole cut in it. This was due to the same worries about rollover standards that saw the disappearance of convertibles from Detroit.

The Brougham trim level was added to the Cutlass Supreme coupe line for the '76 model year and featured a 60-40 split bench front seat like that found in the larger and more luxurious Olds models, complete with pillowy soft "loose cushion" velour upholstering. It also featured a half-vinyl roof and the debut of rectangular headlamps on a car in the Cutlass line.

The '77 model year saw the 455 Rocket V-8 disappear from the catalog, replaced with a new 403 Rocket V-8, which had a four-barrel carburetor and made 185 SAE net horsepower, only a 5-horse reduction from the 455. The base motor in the Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe was the 260 cubic inch Olds V-8. This was an economy-oriented motor originally developed for the 1975 Olds Starfire compact, had a two-barrel carb and was rated at 110hp. The final of the trifecta of engines available was the classic four-barrel 350 Rocket V-8, putting out 170 horses. The only transmission was the 3-speed Turbo Hydra-matic.

The White 1977 Cutlass Supreme Brougham coupe with optional styled steel wheels in the photo was snapped in June of 2020 using a Nikon D700 and a 24-85mm f/2.8-4D zoom lens.

1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale Convertible

The General Motors full size B-bodies were stretched even larger for the 1971 model year, although they still rode on a 124" wheelbase. Trunks were enormous, big enough to hold several dead mobsters if packed carefully.

This, the seventh generation of Oldsmobile's 88 nameplate, saw the onset of the Malaise Era. In 1971, the only engine offered in the Delta 88 convertible was the 455 Rocket V-8, in two states of tune: There was the basic 280hp version and the more potent 320hp with dual exhausts. Ominous foreshadowing was that alongside those SAE gross horsepower measurements, the brochure also listed the new SAE net horsepower ratings, which more accurately reflected the output as installed in the car. Using the new measuring system the outputs were 185hp and 250hp.

For 1972, only the net horsepower ratings were given. Further, a more thrifty 350 Rocket V-8 was now the base motor for the convertible. Also, compression ratios were reduced to prepare the cars for an unleaded, low-octane future. The 350 Rocket came in 160 and 180 horsepower flavors, while the 455 Rocket came in single-exhaust 225hp or dual-exhaust 250hp tunes.

1973 added the newly-mandatory bumper up front that was capable of withstanding a 5mph impact, and the 1974 model, like the Colonial Cream convertible in the photo, added the 5mph rear bumper as well.

For 1974 only two powertrains were available in the Delta 88 Royale convertible: The base motor was the 350 Rocket V-8 making 180 SAE net horsepower, or the buyer could opt for the 455 Rocket V-8, which was now rated at a mere 210 horsepower, about the same as the fuel-injected small blocks that would power Mustangs and Camaros in the middle of the next decade.

To add insult to injury, these neutered 455 V-8 models hit dealer lots about the same time as OPEC turned off the nation's imported fuel supply, and they sold terribly. 1975 was the final year for the Delta 88 convertible and 1976 saw the last 455 Rocket V-8s, by which time output had been strangled to a mere 190 SAE net horses. The 1977 model year would see an all new downsized Delta 88 riding on a wheelbase a full eight inches shorter.

The car in the photo was snapped with a Nikon D5000 and an 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR II zoom lens.

1950 Oldsmobile 88

In 1949, Oldsmobile inserted a new model into the lineup. Between the 76, with its flathead inline six, and the deluxe long-wheelbase 98, came the new Oldsmobile 88. It replaced the model 78, which had a flathead straight eight.

Both the 88 and the top-of-the-line 98 sported an entirely new engine, an overhead valve V-8 dubbed the "Rocket" by Oldsmobile. Where the 257 cubic inch flathead had been rated at 115 horsepower, the new Rocket V-8 displaced 303 cubic inches and put out 135 SAE gross horsepower at 3600 RPM.

The Rocket V-8 in the shorter wheelbase 88 was an instant hit, being capable of running to sixty in a few ticks under twelve seconds and topping out at close to a hundred. They won six of nine NASCAR races in which they were entered in 1949.

In 1950 there were only minimal changes, including the chrome taillight housings becoming tiny fins, with the number "88" emblazoned on them, echoing the fins that GM stablemate Cadillac was then popularizing. If you enlarge the lower photo of the Ivy Green 1950 sedan, you can just make that detail out. 

For 1950 the Olds 88 won 10 of 19 NASCAR races as well winning the inaugural Carrera Panamericana ahead of rival GM Cadillac 62's, and taking four of the top ten places total, besting notable competitors like the Alfa Romeo 6C and Lincoln Cosmopolitan. By 1951 the song "Rocket 88" was a radio hit and the car's place as a legend was assured.

(Oldsmobile fans will often insist on referring to it as the first Muscle Car, but as a nerdy purist I have to stand firm on insisting that a muscle car is technically a midsize coupe with a full-size engine, marketed as youthful performance ride, and the Detroit midsize coupe was still over a decade in the future at this point.)

The one in the photos was snapped in July of 2024 using an Olympus OM-D E-M1X and a Panasonic Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 zoom lens. 

1964 Oldsmobile F-85

Olds threw in the towel on the "senior compact" concept after a few years of slow sales and, for the 1964 model year, the F-85 was bumped up in size to be a new "intermediate" or "midsize" car on the body-on-frame A-body platform shared with the Chevy Chevelle, Buick Special, and Pontiac Tempest.

Not having a suitable small economy engine of their own, the base engine in the F-85 models was Buick's cast iron overhead valve 225cid 90-degree V-6 with a single 1-barrel Rochester carb. Derived from the alloy Buick 215 V-8, the 225 was marketed as the Econ-O-Way V-6 by Olds and put out 155 SAE gross horsepower.

The V-8 fender badges on this Wedgewood Mist 1964 F-85 sedan tell us it has one of two 330 cubic inch Oldmobile V-8s: Either the 2-barrel Jetfire Rocket rated at 210 horsepower, or the high compression 4-barrel Cutlass V-8 which made 260 horsepower and sported a 10.25:1 compression ratio that required premium fuel.

 These photos were taken with a Samsung Galaxy SII in July of 2014.

1991 Oldsmobile Silhouette

Chrysler's minivan, derived from the K-car platform, arguably played a bigger role than any other factor in pulling the Detroit automaker back from the brink. In fact, the Voyager/Caravan gave Mopar an automotive niche entirely to itself as GM and Ford scrambled to respond.

The first responses weren't stellar, either. The Astro and Aerostar were based on Chevy and Ford's compact pickup truck chassis, respectively, and while that arguably made them better vans, it didn't exactly make them competitive minivans. Their body-on-frame design and truck DNA made them drive like small trucks and gave them rooflines some ten inches loftier than the unibody Chryslers, with correspondingly higher floors.

So GM went to a clean sheet of paper for their next attempt at a car-type minivan. The U-body minivans were sold as Chevys, Pontiacs, and Oldsmobiles and while they used styling (and, in the case of the Lumina APV, even the name) that echoed their respective branding's midsize cars, they were not actually car-based.

The U-body's unibody was a space frame clad in plastic body panels, similar to the method of construction used for the Pontiac Fiero. Drivetrains were sourced from the corporate parts bin. For the first model year, all three used the LG6 3.1L V-6, an enlarged version of the earlier 2.8L 60 degree V-6, fitted with a throttle body fuel injection setup and rated at 120 SAE net horsepower. Given how sluggish performance was with this setup, it's probably a good thing GM chose to eschew four-cylinder power altogether.

The Olds Silhouette was the swankiest of the three GM offerings. A '91 model, like the Gunmetal Gray offering in the photo, would have started off at $18,195, or more than forty-two grand in 2024 money, even before you started checking option boxes.

It was photographed in September of 2016 using an Apple iPhone 6s.

1975 Oldsmobile Toronado

The Toronado began life as something of an oddity in the General Motors lineup of the mid-Sixties. In price and plushness it was aimed at personal luxury coupes like Ford's Thunderbird. With a big block V-8 under the hood and swoopy styling, it was something of a high-performance grand tourer. The front-wheel drive setup and exotic instrument panel with a rotating drum speedometer marked it as something of a tech testbed.

Its first major restyling for the '71 model year moved it firmly into the "personal luxury coupe" camp, however, with the handwriting on the wall for hairy performance cars from Detroit.

By the '75 model year, like the Cameo White example in the photos, the Toronado now had all the latest NHTSA-mandated safety gear: front seat shoulder harnesses, 5-mph bumpers fore and aft, the works.

Under the hood was still a 455 cubic inch Olds Rocket V-8 driving the front wheels through a 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 425 automatic transmission, but compression had been reduced to 8.5:1 to keep it able to run on the regular unleaded fuel required by the catalytic converter now corking the exhaust. Even with a 4-barrel Rochester carburetor, output was down to 210 SAE net horsepower.

In addition to being front wheel drive, this '75 Toronado hints at some other future trends, like auxiliary high-mounted tail lamps, and one of Detroit's first available airbag systems.

Another Malaise Era feature was a simple "fuel economy gauge"... actually just a vacuum gauge ...on the dash. It would have been necessary with a car that got 11mpg City and 16 Hwy, especially since gas averaged $0.57/gallon, which is $3.34 in today's dough.

This photo was taken in April of 2016 with an iPhone 6S.

1966 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible

It was only last year that I discovered the meaning behind the numbered Oldsmobile models.

Way back in the Thirties, Olds made two basic series of cars, the F-Series and the L-Series. The former were smaller and had an inline six engine, while the latter were larger and had a straight eight. By the early Forties, these were replaced by three models: the 60 Series, 70 Series, and 90 Series. The first digit would be the series number while the second signified the number of cylinders, so a 76 would be the middle series car with a six cylinder, while a 98 was the king of Oldsmobile hill, packed with every luxo feature they had plus an eight cylinder engine.

The car in the picture is from the second model year of the eighth generation of the Olds 98, being a 1966 convertible in Nocturne Mist. Power would come from the 425 cubic inch version of Oldsmobile's famed Rocket V-8 producing either 360 or 375 SAE gross horsepower, depending on the compression ratio.

"Step Out Front in '66 in a Rocket Action Oldsmobile!" boasted the marque's full-line brochure, and this convertible was as snazzy and out front an Olds as you could want that year. Base price was over $4400, or close to forty-five grand in current dollars.

This one was snapped in December of 2023 using a Pentax Q10 and the 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 02 Standard Zoom lens.

1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Holiday Coupe

By 1970 the performance wars of the Muscle Car Era had reached a crescendo and Detroit was starting to feel some pushback in the press as well as soaring insurance rates on higher horsepower vehicles. Pollution controls were already a thing and looked to only get tighter in the future. The leading edge of the Baby Boom generation was graduating college and entering the workforce & starting families.

The hot new vehicle was the "personal luxury coupe", which had been around in cars like the Thunderbird and Eldorado for a while, but was starting to spread downmarket. Mercury had a plusher Mustang in the shape of the Cougar. Olds and Buick had the Toronado and Riviera. Then came the workingman's personal luxury coupes: In 1969 Pontiac launched the Grand Prix based on the midsized GM A-body, but with a stretched snoot to give it those classic long-hood, short-deck proportions. For '70 it was joined by a Chevy platform sibling, the Monte Carlo, which had a successful first year, moving almost 160,000 cars despite a two-month labor strike at the Flint, Michigan plant where they were built.

Oldsmobile wanted some of that market share, but while Monte Carlos started at $3,100 and MSRP for a base Grand Prix squeaked a few bucks under four grand, the Olds Toronado was a plush, high-tech car with a Corvette-like over-$5,000 sticker.

The solution for 1970 was to take the A-body Cutlass Supreme and take a chunk out of its fastback profile, giving it a more formal roofline and the name "Cutlass Supreme Holiday Coupe". With a $3,100 base MSRP it could go right at the Monte Carlo and Cougar on price.

This Rally Red 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Holiday Coupe has, at some point over the last half-century wound up with a Cutlass S badge on the nose, but the notchback roofline says it's a Supreme. All Cutlass S coupes had the fastback roofline.

The standard motor for the Cutlass Supreme was the 4-barrel 350 cube Oldsmobile Rocket V-8 with a single exhaust pipe, requiring premium fuel for its 10.25:1 compression ratio and rated at 310 SAE gross horsepower. Optionally, the buyer could get the SX performance package with either the L33 320 horsepower 2-barrel 455 or the 365 horsepower W32 four-barrel 455 Rocket V-8.

This one was photographed with a Canon EOS 7D and EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS zoom lens in April of 2023.

1994 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale

A few models in Detroit have enjoyed unusual longevity. The Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang, for example, celebrated their 71st and 60th birthdays, respectively, in 2024. Almost no other model name has had such an enduring run.

In the photo above is one of the closest: Oldsmobile introduced the 88 in 1949. Its predecessor, the 1948 Olds 78, was powered by a 257cid straight eight rated at 112 horsepower, but while it carried over the Futuramic postwar Olds styling of its predecessor, the 88 featured Oldsmobile's brand new Rocket V8. The 303 cubic inch Rocket had overhead valves, a 7.5:1 compression ratio, and put out 135 SAE gross horsepower.

The 88 nameplate remained in production through ten whole generations, and the Bright White 1994-'95 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight Royale is an example of that final generation. (Its grille was slightly different to the '92-'93 models, and the car received a mid-cycle refresh that gave it a more rakish snout for '96, which is how we can pin down the model year.)

The tenth generation of the 88 was the second one after the car had gone to a front wheel drive platform in 1986, and this '94 Royale would be powered by the GM corporate 3800 V6. This was a Buick-derived port fuel injected pushrod 3.8L motor rated at 170bhp SAE net. When Car and Driver tested a '92 Eighty Eight Royale LS, they recorded an 8.8 second zero-to-sixty and a 107mph top speed.

Oldsmobile axed the 88 name after the 1999 model, finishing a fifty year run, among Detroit's longest.

This one was photographed in November of 2023 using a Canon EOS 7D and the excellent EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS zoom lens. 

1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais

For 1980, the "Calais" name badge signified the tip-top tier of the personal luxury coupe G-body Cutlasses, even higher up the luxo ladder than the Supreme and Supreme Brougham.

$7,199 was the base MSRP, about $27,500 in constant dollars, and it got you a two-door notchback coupe with a Buick-sourced 3.8L pushrod V-6 with a 2-barrel carburetor and 110 SAE net horsepower, backed by a three-speed automatic. Performance was typical Malaise-era, with zero-to-sixty times in the high thirteen second range.

Buyers could opt for a 105hp Olds 260 cubic inch V-8, or a 305 Chevy 4-barrel small-block putting out 155 ponies. (Or an Olds 350 diesel V-8, if they liked long chats with the mechanics at their dealership.)

This Yellow '80 Cutlass Calais with a Light Camel vinyl landau top was photographed in March of 2019 using a Canon EOS M mirrorless camera and an EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.