F body Oldsmobile?
August 28th, 2018, 05:54 AM
#1
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Location: Kalamazoo, MI
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F body Oldsmobile?
I was parked next to an early Firebird this weekend, and couldn't help wondering what the Olds version would have looked like. Was there ever any serious discussion to share this platform with Oldsmobile? Not that i had ever read, but I did a little searching online and found this one quote in an article by Aaron Severson, regarding the new 68 A bodies - "Their shape now bore a certain resemblance to the Pontiac Firebird, which Harold Metzel and John Beltz probably appreciated; they had lobbied without success for an Olds version of the F-body."
It would sure be fun to build a phantom Olds F body, taking a few styling cues from the 66-67 Cutlass and working them in.
It would sure be fun to build a phantom Olds F body, taking a few styling cues from the 66-67 Cutlass and working them in.
August 29th, 2018, 05:23 AM
#2
'87 Delta 88 Royale
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Margate, England
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I doubt very much that the bean counters would sanction such a move for a low volume car. I too enjoy Aaron Seversons "Ate up with motor" series, Particularly not blinding himself to the various car makers behind the scenes politics, Like most cars that never were the F Body Oldsmobile didn't saw the light of day was because it wasn't seen as something that might show a profit.
Roger.
Roger.
August 29th, 2018, 07:15 AM
#3
Forward into the Past
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Piedmont Triad NC
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I've never much considered the notion of an Oldsmobile F-body but there are definitely some styling cues that were borrowed back and forth. I've always thought the '70-'72 Cutlass Supremes, especially the convertibles, bore a striking resemblance to the first generation F-bodies, just in a slightly larger form factor. To a lesser extent, the early second generation F-bodies seemed to borrow some styling cues from the first generation Toronados. All that said, Olds in the '50s did create a couple of one-off fantasy concept cars based on the Corvette that were probably never seriously considered for production but were just eye candy for Motorama exhibits.
September 2nd, 2018, 07:26 AM
#8
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At the same time, it seems to me the competition between divisions ensured ingenuity and innovation. Look what happened to GM quality, styling, and management thinking when they stopped looking for every advantage over competitors. We started seeing belly button cars, we started to see management thinking “we are already the biggest car company, what can go wrong?”
September 3rd, 2018, 04:34 AM
#9
Out of Line, Everytime😉
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September 7th, 2018, 05:47 AM
#11
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So last night I was reading the September 2018 JWO, which is dedicated to the 68 Ram Rod. It's mentioned twice (pg 21 article and registry article) that Olds mgmt was interested in an F body car but was denied by GM. No mention of how far the discussion got or if names for the proposed model were ever floated around.
September 7th, 2018, 12:58 PM
#12
Phantom Phixer
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Apopka, FL
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I think that the only reason that Pontiac got the "F" body was because of the surprise introduction of the 1967 Mercury Cougar . In the fall of 1966 .
I read somewhere that DeLorian wanted to build a version of the Corvette . However when GM got wind of the Mercury Cougar , they told DeLorian to get busy and build a Pontiac version of the Camaro .
As it was , the Firebird was " late to the party ' because it wasn't introduced for sale until February of 1967 .
I read somewhere that DeLorian wanted to build a version of the Corvette . However when GM got wind of the Mercury Cougar , they told DeLorian to get busy and build a Pontiac version of the Camaro .
As it was , the Firebird was " late to the party ' because it wasn't introduced for sale until February of 1967 .
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