Felt that way to me too.

I know it sounded better.

I think we are showing our ages, guys.

 

Yeah, I guess we are showing our age.

Oh what the hell...

A cool, crisp night. Floor it at 30 mph. Tranny downshifts into second (with the pre-requisite chirp) and then.................... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Damn, somebody get me a Blue Oyster Cult tape.

 

...love to hear those secondaries open!

Nothing like it.

 

I still have my '71 Cutlass. But it only has an ordinary 350, so . . .


. . . no chirp for me, unfortunately.

180 net hp (+0 - 10 for the flipped lid).

Almost as much as a 3.8V6

 

GM made a mistake with Olds in discontinuing the Cutlass model name and also the 442.

 

But who's fault is that? I think if they were styled more modernly they would have done better.

 

Can you elaborate on that? I've heard, that for example on the G-bodies, that Chevy, Olds and Buick, used different rear ends, from different suppliers. Obviously, it would have been much more cost effective if they all shared the same pieces.

 

Ya know, it's hard for me to look at the Oldsmobiles of the 1990s ( ESPECIALLY the Aurora) and think of anything more futuristic..... let alone "more modernly".

I don't think he's talking about the RWD era Cutlass.

I also suspect he's talking about marketing and support costs (& not just the cost to differentiate them) in regards to internal costs.

When you think about it, makes alot of sense.

 

My goodness man! You're WAAAAAY off on this one!

To be honest, and I hope Fbodfather chimes in to correct me if I'm wrong, but with the exception of development on the Sigma chassis & GM's new truck line, Oldsmobile got more money and effort than anything else GM put effort & money in during the entire decade of the '90s!!!

To say GM didn't put "quite enough" money & effort into Oldsmobile, or that it didn't "immediately" turn a profit, and finally, that the "beancounters ran around like chickens with their heads cut off" is about as wrong as you can get.

Again talk to anyone at GM at the time. There was a huge reason GM pumped so much effort into Oldsmobile & they were VERY aware of Oldsmobile's history & heritage.

Again, it's emotions at play. I'd say a great portion of the car following nation was upset at GM over killing Olds. As late as a few years ago, I was even still seeing this as GM's cluelessness. But as I got to talk to more & more people, I saw what GM was up against.

GM management of most of the 90s was pretty spotty (putting it politely). But just like I've flamed them for doing things I felt wrong, their attempt to save Olds was something they went overboard in doing right.


I never hear of sentiments like that about Buicks.

You sure you aren't supporting the wrong team here?

 

I didn't know what to think of them in their later years.
The only comparison, in all of car history, that I am aware of, would be the 2006 aveo.
Now that GM has made the car look...well...not horrible...
They will sell way better.

All they had to do with oldsmobile was something simple, not make them bland. Just looking at the most recent Olds leaves a metallic taste in my mouth.

 

The most recent Olds?

The Bravada??

 

I thought the Olds variations of the W-cars were the best looking of the bunch. The Alero was better looking than the Grand Am too.

 

The one thing that might have saved Olds (and been a lot cheaper than a new specific engine) would have been an exclusive on a LHD Commodore. That's what John Rock wanted to do, but he was shot down by the toothpaste guy.

Such a car would have given GM a bargain 5/E and 7/S series/class. It may not have sold too well in the midwest, but it almost certainly would have done better in California than did the Intrigue and Aurora.

 

I agree.

Not only was Old's W-car the best looking, it also had the best suspension, the best brakes and ultimately, the best motor. Of course, if you have a completely inept, brain dead marketing team, who's mission it is, to spend lots of good money to unlink this product completely from all of it's rich brand heritage and make it essentially generically anonymous........well then.......y'know....the fact that it's a better car is totally wasted.

 

I would have rebranded Oldmobile before I cancelled it. The last Old's were great cars with an uncool name no one wanted. I see Buick having the same issue if they ever get serious about wanting to compete with Lexus.

Good branding can moved a bad product, but bad branding can kill a good product.

Didn't they wanna renamed Oldsmobile "Auroura"? Theu should have done it.