Dealer built cars
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Gearhead
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 438
Dealer built cars
Reading the thread about Oldsmobiles that never existed gave me the inspiration to start this thread. My father was an Olds dealer from 1966 to the end. One of my jobs over the years, and the one I really enjoyed the most, was to order cars for inventory. I started that job in 1975, so I missed out on the muscle car years.
In 1978, we couldn't get 98s. I don't remember why. To fill that void, I would order highly-equipped Delta 88s with just about every option except a moonroof and vinyl top. There was a place down the street that installed vinyl tops, so I took the Deltas down there and had them install a heavy padded vinyl top and opera lights (98s in those years had opera lights). I also had them install a Regency script emblem on the sail panel next to the opera lights. We marketed the car as a Delta 88 Royale Regency and sold quite a few of them. They really helped fill the gap until 98 production resumed.
We know about the '79 Hurst/Olds and the 1980 442, which was the '79 Hurst without the emblems and shifter. The Cutlass had a new body style for 1981, but no Hurst or 442 model. To remedy that, I would take a Cutlass Calais and have the body shop paint it like a 1980 442. It had the gold center section on the hood, gold on the rear of the trunk, and gold Super Stock wheels. I replaced the Calais emblems on the sail panel with 442 emblems. We did those in numerous body colors and ended up selling about 10 of them.
I built several one-of-one kinds of vehicles over the years, but those were the only two that we sold in any quantity.
In 1978, we couldn't get 98s. I don't remember why. To fill that void, I would order highly-equipped Delta 88s with just about every option except a moonroof and vinyl top. There was a place down the street that installed vinyl tops, so I took the Deltas down there and had them install a heavy padded vinyl top and opera lights (98s in those years had opera lights). I also had them install a Regency script emblem on the sail panel next to the opera lights. We marketed the car as a Delta 88 Royale Regency and sold quite a few of them. They really helped fill the gap until 98 production resumed.
We know about the '79 Hurst/Olds and the 1980 442, which was the '79 Hurst without the emblems and shifter. The Cutlass had a new body style for 1981, but no Hurst or 442 model. To remedy that, I would take a Cutlass Calais and have the body shop paint it like a 1980 442. It had the gold center section on the hood, gold on the rear of the trunk, and gold Super Stock wheels. I replaced the Calais emblems on the sail panel with 442 emblems. We did those in numerous body colors and ended up selling about 10 of them.
I built several one-of-one kinds of vehicles over the years, but those were the only two that we sold in any quantity.
Olds Fever
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,523
From: New York (Upstate)
Interesting story and I am sure you truly enjoyed your job... It's not uncommon (back in the day) for dealers to personalize some vehicles to satisfy certain demands in their local areas... I am sure there were quite a few Cutlass/442 clones made when people wanted the standard economy of a plain Cutlass but the appearance of a powerful 442...
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