This afternoon I looked at a 1971 Cutlass 4 door hardtop. Pretty straight, runs and drives but looks like a rust problem under the vinyl top. I already have a 1971 4 door post car, and it made me stop and ponder what all Oldsmobile must have had to do so they could offer both a post and a hardtop in the 4 door model. Then the post and hardtop in the 2 doors. The F85, Cutlass S, Supreme, SX, 442, Hurst Olds, W30, Convertibles of most of these, Cutlass Wagon, Vista Cruiser. Man they had a lot of different models based on the A-body chassis!

 

It is amazing how many models they had for the A body, never really thought about it. I guess they wanted to have something for everybody and give the people what they wanted, no El Camino type deal back then though? But that would have been too truck-like sitting next to a 98 in the showroom I guess. I always thought they should have built a hardtop Vista Cruiser, would have been a sharp looking car, but they are pretty cool now. Get out the plasma cutter, a welder, a Vista, a big hammer, and a hardtop 4 door and go nuts. Those big rear doors would be a problem.

Allan

 

Yeah, they sure "publicized" the A body to people in the 70s. The B body and C body were too COOL to have that done to them.

 

That was back in the days when they'd build what the customer wanted, not what the product planners and bean counters said the customer should want.

Which has often been not at all what the customer wanted and translated to poor sales.

Since all the carlines used the same basic Fisher body structures, there was some economy of scale. I.E. the A-cars (Chevelle, Cutlass, Skylark, LeMans) all offered 2-door posts and hardtops, 4-door posts and hardtops, convertibles, and wagons. The extended wagons (VistaCruiser and Buick Sportwagon) were kinda off to themselves but popular enough to justify their special configurations. Since Buick and Olds did not offer B-body full-size wagons from 1964-70 (71 in Olds' case), the extended midsize wagon was essentially their full-size wagon.

Generally the 2-door and 4-door A-body post cars were the lightest and cheapest. They could be dressed up in higher trim levels. Good for secretaries, grandparents, conservative farmers and salesmen.

Hardtops were the middle ground, for someone who wanted a sportier or more upscale closed car. All hardtops had nice trim and interiors. For middle class folks who didn't quite want the full-size car.

Convertibles' target market is easy to figure out. What's amazing is the number of retired folks who loved convertibles. Guess they were at a point in life they could afford one and enjoy it.

Wagons went to two extremes- people who wanted a workhorse car, or people who wanted the fanciest and most expensive car offered. They were the SUV of their time (and still a lot nicer and more practical vehicle IMHO). Then along came the minivan... I guess you're aware that GM, AMC and Chrysler all built 4-door hardtop wagons.

What surprises me are contemporary people who turn up their nose at a wagon, but will happily drive a minivan anywhere. My bud's wife is like that.