Posted on 05/12/2014 9:16:05 AM PDT by Impala64ssa
Can’t forget the 1967 Delmont 88. Ted Kennedy borrowed his mother’s one night, and drove it off a bridge.
And a '71, maybe '72 Cutlass as the second car.
Maybe they meant the first generation body, it was updated and redone several times but the basic shape was the same from introduction to 1970. After than it was much more conventional-looking large coupe with the exception of those duplicate tail lights underneath the rear glass just past the trunk lid. That and no front grille. It wasn’t all that different in overall proportion and shape from a Cadillac Eldorado of the same vintage.
I can certify that the 65 Cutlass Supreme Convertibles were built with great suspension for convertibles.
A college buddy had one and we decided to try and cross the entire university campus one night after midnight using none of the roadways — only sidewalks, lawns and stairs.
Once we were properly fortified with liguid refreshment we achieved this dubious achievement and really didn’t actually destroy too much due to the good suspension and the dry lawns.
I sold probably one of the last new “Vista” wagons available anywhere. Only they didn’t call it a Vista Wagon they called it a “Custom Cruiser”. Still, it had the “vista” roof. Only made them 2 years, I believe. 1991 and ‘92. Sold a ‘92 in early ‘93. Actually, I sold two. Blue one and a white one. Been selling cars about a year. I was a hero for getting rid of those “white elephants”.
But I liked ‘em. Drove great. Got a great story about the white one. Well, it’s actually kinda sick, but memorable nevertheless.
Newest car on that list was last produced over 40 years ago. That may have something to do with why the Oldsmobile brand name was due to die. The same could be said for Buick, too, though, and it still lives. Pontiac was arguably the least moribund of the brands that was killed off. Really, though, how many nameplates did GM need, especially when most of the cars were built on the same platforms?
I own a 1994 Olds Cutlass-Bought it for $300 in August 2012, had 108,000 miles. I’ve put less than 2,000 miles on it since. Purrs like a kitten. No mechanical issues at all but I believe the body is going to go before the mechanics do which is a bummer.
1964 442. Fast.
No real brakes to speak of...
There was a very carefully considered hierarchy among the brands in the GM stable, intended to provide a sort of ladder for their customers as they came up in the world economically, Chevrolet as entry level, then Pontiac, then Olds, then Buick, then Cadillac. There was not always such parts sharing and commonality between the brands, that came in over time to aid profitability.
People once bought Oldsmobiles due to the legendary performance and reliability of the “Rocket” V-8 but GM began to use their standard 350 cubic inch engine in place of it, but still marketed as being a Rocket V-8. There was quite the controversy when this was discovered, I believe they were sued.
The platform sharing hit bottom in the eighties with forgettable vehicles such as the Cadillac Cimmaron, which was a Chevy Cavalier with a different front grille, different trim and a leather interior. All the “better” brands, previously so carefully considered and tiered with features and innovations that you could only get by going up the line flew out the window and it became purely aesthetic.
The reason to buy one over the other disappeared as did the rationale for a higher price point. Corporate bean counting ultimately ended up costing GM both sales volume and profit percentage because they either didn’t understand this or didn’t care.
1984 Toronado
All leather, silver. Classy car.
I think she’s pretty . . .
Dad brought home this maroon FWD monster with the biggest wheels I'd ever seen. We went for a drive and dad floored it through a corner and even though the tires screamed, it held on like it was on rails.
Premium gas was $.25/9 a gallon back then. It was a kinder, gentler time, except if you shipped out to SE Asia...
First car was a 1971 Olds Vista Cruiser Station Wagon. Put 10 friends in and still was faster than the early 80’s cars.
Ya but a Camry just don't look good...It was the combination of the looks, the sound and the power...
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