When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I have a simple question. I have been reading a bunch of articles claiming there was a 1971 4-door Cutlass Supreme with a production number of about 10,000. I have never seen one. Is there such thing. Was there?
Seriously folks? Let's go to the 1971 Dealer Brochure. In the 1971 model year Olds sold 60,599 Supreme Holiday Coupes, 10,255 Supreme convertibles, and 10,458 Supreme Holiday Sedans (4dr hardtop).
actually my book says sedan in places and 4 dr in others so ya -
this crappy encyclopedia book does show it as Cutlass 4dr and also Supreme sedan - not consistent - go figure - I 'm part of the problem too
Last edited by Cosmic Charlie; December 5th, 2020 at 04:05 PM.
The one in the picture has the arches over the rear wheels and looks like an S. The catalogue drawing has the Supreme roofline. I have never seen the one in the catalogue in real life or an actual picture of one.
Seriously folks? Let's go to the 1971 Dealer Brochure. In the 1971 model year Olds sold 60,599 Supreme Holiday Coupes, 10,255 Supreme convertibles, and 10,458 Supreme Holiday Sedans (4dr hardtop).
When I was young we always referred to the Oldsmobile 88 as a 'Holiday' & to this day I still refer to the Oldsmobile 88 as a 'Holiday'; although, I am aware Oldsmobile employed numerous names for the Oldsmobile 88 over its lifetime. I have never seen an official Oldsmobile bulletin, brochure or document which identifies any Oldsmobile 'A' body vehicle as a 'Holiday' either as a 'Holiday Coupe' or as a 'Holiday Sedan'. I've seen some poorly written up sales ads using Holiday for an 'A' Body but I think I'm correct, I don't believe Oldsmobile employed the term Holiday for any A Body series vehicle. Thoughts?
It figures as soon as I open my pie hole I'll find a couple brochures on the ARPANET. It isn't a big deal, I'll continue out of habit to historically think of the Oldsmobile 88 as the 'Holiday'. I'm not going to deep-dive into the history of the Oldsmobile 'Holiday' moniker. I found some A-Bodies referred to as Holiday from about 64/65 through I guess 1970 (found one brochure with the Holiday name - listed on the ARPANET). Maybe it depends on which brochure you hold in your hand? I have a full page (11" x 11") official GM 1971 OLDSMOBILE brochure and it doesn't list a single Holiday anywhere that I'm aware of & by this time the term Holiday for the 88 is now referred to as the Delta 88. Marketing departments! Call it used or call it employed? Who's your audience I guess.
Last edited by Vintage Chief; December 5th, 2020 at 05:32 PM.
Reason: sp
The one in the picture has the arches over the rear wheels and looks like an S. The catalogue drawing has the Supreme roofline. I have never seen the one in the catalogue in real life or an actual picture of one.
The one in the picture with the "eyebrow" is a Supreme Holiday Sedan. All Holiday Sedans had that same rear quarter. The wide lower side trim (and the VIN) will show it to be a Supreme. The picture I posted is an "actual picture" of one.
Yeah, read the SPECS booklet, or the Fisher Body Manual. Olds used the term "Holiday" to mean "hardtop" through the 1970 model year. For some reason, they dropped it in the 1971 model year and just used "Hardtop".
Yeah, read the SPECS booklet, or the Fisher Body Manual. Olds used the term "Holiday" to mean "hardtop" through the 1970 model year. For some reason, they dropped it in the 1971 model year and just used "Hardtop".
Yeah, oddly enough I was in the Fisher Body Manual and looking at brochures through 1971 just now and they did drop the Holiday in 1971.
The 70 brochure does look like the real car in the picture. Still have never seen a notch back quarter like the one in the 71 brochure that looks exactly like my 2-door Supreme but with 4 doors. Must just be a poor drawing.
The 70 brochure does look like the real car in the picture. Still have never seen a notch back quarter like the one in the 71 brochure that looks exactly like my 2-door Supreme but with 4 doors. Must just be a poor drawing.
There is no "notchback" four door. This page is from the 1972 Product Selling Information book. The 1970-72 Supreme four doors used exactly the same body shell.
Remember, the '72 Cutlass as is known today was never supposed to happen. The design change to the '73-'77 Colonade style was supposed to happen in 1972, one year after the B/C body restyling and just like happened in the '77 and '78 model years. But the big GM strike in the fall of 1970 delayed the A-body restyling by one year, and the '72 models ended up being warmed-over '71s. At least, this is the story I've heard. One benefit of this that was never anticipated at the time is that, all these years later, we have one additional year of collectible Cutlasses, including Cutlass convertibles.
Remember, the '72 Cutlass as is known today was never supposed to happen.
OK, but I'm not sure how that relates to the OP's problem that he thinks the 70-72 Supreme four doors are supposed to have the same "notchback" style rear quarters as the 2dr and the convertible. I fear it may just further confuse him.
December 5th, 2020, 01:47 PM
