Oldsmobile Cutlass

Oldsmobile Cutlass
1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible
Overview
Manufacturer	Oldsmobile (General Motors)
Production	1961–1999
Body and chassis
Class	Compact (1961–1963) Mid-size (1964–1981, 1997–1999) Personal luxury car (1968–1988)
Chronology
Successor	Oldsmobile Intrigue

The Oldsmobile Cutlass was a series^[1] of automobiles produced by General Motors' Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. At its introduction, the Cutlass was Oldsmobile's entry-level model; it began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate. The Cutlass was named after Vought F7U Cutlass,^[2] as well as the type of sword, which was common during the Age of Sail.

Introduced as the top trim level in Oldsmobile's compact F-85 Series,^[1] the Cutlass evolved into a distinct series of its own, spawning numerous variants. These included the 4-4-2 muscle car in 1964, the upscale Cutlass Supreme in 1966, the high-performance Hurst/Olds in 1968, and the Vista Cruiser station wagon.

By the 1980s, Oldsmobile was using the Cutlass as a sub-marque, with numerous vehicle lines bearing the name simultaneously. The compact Cutlass Calais, midsize Cutlass Ciera, Cutlass Cruiser station wagon, and flagship midsize Cutlass Supreme were among the models available during this time.

In the 1990s, Oldsmobile began moving away from its traditional model lines, with other legacy vehicle nameplates like the 98 and 88 being discontinued in 1996 and 1999, respectively. The Cutlass name was likewise retired in 1999 in favor of the all-new Oldsmobile Alero, ending nearly 40 years of continuous Cutlass production.