The image of the speedometer and Cutlass badge were taken from Google.
This car has a secret, can you guess what it is? I’ll give you a hint. It’s got something to do with the speedometer…
This car is from Canada! I found this out while out walking one evening and passing by the owner who was raking up his yard. He owns both a base model 2005 Dodge Ram and this Cutlass. The truck is what sparked the discussion, as I told him you don’t see very many single cab work trucks like his anymore outside of the industry I work in. He explained he had purchased it from a rancher who had won it at a stock show and didn’t have a use for it. When the conversation came to his Cutlass, he explained that it used to belong to his mother in law and that it was a European market car, because the speedometer was in kilometers. He wasn’t sure how she had come about it, but when she passed away, it became his.
He said he had driven the car for two years with Canadian plates, while living in a small town in west Texas, and no one had ever given him any guff about it. Sadly, while making a long trip to Dallas late one night, he was pulled over for having a tail light out. When the officer tried to run his plate, to no surprise, the car wasn’t in the system. The owner had to sheepishly lie that he had just bought the car and was in the process of getting it legal.
He then explained the major pain in the neck it was to do so. Technically, it was a “foreign car” despite the VIN saying it was made in the US, and had to be treated like an import. He had to drive to a police station on a specific day and have the whole car checked over, and was handed a mountain of paperwork to fill out. After all that was done, he was the proud (legal) owner of a Canadian Oldsmobile that was finally back where it was made.
(Author’s note: This the first car of it’s type that I’ve ever come across, and am explaining it as the owner told it to me. I apologize for any inaccuracies, and would like to know more about American cars sold in other countries. I look forward to looking at the comments, thank you for reading!)
Was this really a European market car? I am not Canadian but understand that Canadian-market vehicles have used metric speedometers since the 70s.
I once bought an old car from out of state. The process involved having to schedule a State Police Officer to come to my house and physically inspect the VIN to be sure that it matched the paperwork. I can imagine that going from one country to another could be as bad or worse.
I think all of these still on the roads were owned by somebody’s mother. 🙂
Look at that sporty speedometer. Mine had the giant half-a-dinner-plate version, smack in the middle of the instrument panel. No tach, it didn’t suit the character of the car.
Mine was a 91 as well, sky blue, and it was my first car. It was a very poor showing against the Japanese and Ford Taurus of the time, but I’m guessing it sold for a whole lot less. I’d hope so anyway. Perhaps it was my ungrateful, cynical 17-year old self jading my perspective, but I was unimpressed with the Town Car nautical suspension bobbing and sloppy body control in a much smaller package. It felt positively ancient, 20 years behind the times in all the wrong ways, but the torquey 3.1L V6 was pretty good even when saddled with the 3 speed auto.
I actually wish that Cutlass would magically show up again in my driveway, I’d love to drive it around for awhile and see if it my current self would appreciate it more. I think I would, I’ve come to view proven old technology as a potential positive.
Canada has used metric on it’s vehicles since 1978.
Sorry guys. Unless Canada moved across the Atlantic while I slept last night we are still part of North America and so is this Olds.
I saw a truck the other day, it had out of province plates, and I noticed two renewal dates stickers, and both had expired. They could be pulled over for technically driving with expired plates, like the chap who drove this Cutlass.
Sounds like the current owner just mistakenly thought metric= european rather than Canadian when relating the story.
As to these cars, they were the car of choice for middle aged folks who often handed them down, gently used, to younger relatives who didn’t share the love for the cars the original owners did. It was an Oldsmobile, for pity’s sake, and a ‘nice’ car for ‘good’ people. People who went to church on Sunday, Bingo on Wednesday, and the Sizzler for dinner on Friday night. People who wanted something comfy, something familiar, and not too flashy. The fact it was smaller made it popular with women, as men-folk were the ones who wanted the big cars. So what if it had the Iron Duke 4, it got them where they needed to go and with good gas mileage. The radio picked up the easy listening channel on FM, thank you very much. The velour seats were cushy and cleaned up nicely. Oh, and Gladys has one, too. Why Junior was not thrilled to be driving one is just beyond their comprehension.
I know this from experience…..My Mom gifted me one. Not what a 20-something male wanted to drive, but it beat making payments.
Perhaps the only U.S. cars sold in Canada that may be of interest to you are the Canadian-market Pontiacs (Parisienne, Laurentian, Strato Chief, Beaumont, Acadian, et al.), 1949-81 Meteors, 1946-61 Monarchs, 1960 Frontenac, 1946-1968 Mercury trucks, Canadian Dodges, (Regent, Crusader, Mayfair, Viscount, etc.), Fargo trucks. Otherwise, there is not a ton of difference between U.S. & Canadian market cars.
Canadian cars often are available with different equipment combinations compared to the US, and usually less restrictive option packaging. Canadian cars are less likely to have standard sunroofs and more likely to offer heated seats. AWD is available in a broader range of models. There are often low-end models not sold in the US, and often higher-end trim levels too. Some MPVs and SUVs are available with 3 row seating that are 2 row only in the US (or vice versa). Sometimes there are entire cars not sold in the US, like an Acura version of the Honda Civic they had for several years.
Yes and no on this. For the US models, such as GM and Ford, there are few, if any differences in trim and specs.
For other brands, they can be considerable. For example, every VW sold in Canada has heated seats and rain sensing wipers, which are options in the USA. Even Kia puts a heated steering wheel in the stripped LX model. Toyota does much the same thing and I note that in their 2020 Corolla, only the most basic stripper doesn’t have heated seats. It does have a/c now.
I omce rented a 2007 or 2008 Sonata that came from Canada, drove from Pittsburgh to Milwaukee and back. I liked the feature set alot, though there wasn’t much in the way of cold weather options. It was a base GLS body, with the 3.3 V6, DRLs, the 17″ alloys, fog lights, sunroof, manual cloth seats, auto lights, auto climate (with the novel auto recirc feature Hyundai loved to tout), and that’s about it. You couldn’t option one the same way in the US. No heated seats, though. And of course the metric gauges, and IIRC the cloth was a different, more attractive than the US cloth, which in the NF Sonata looked like an old 1970s couch design, albeit in contemporary colors. The black cloth in this car (silver exterior) looked more like the updated 2009 cloth offered in the US.
Hyundai had a head start in Canada by two years. The Pony was the first model, introduced in 1984, followed by the Stellar in 1985, both based on 1970’s Mitsubishi products. The U.S. introduction was 1986 with the Excel model.
I know that in the 80s VW-Audi products were considerably different in specs, too. in Canada, Audi 5000s came only one way, loaded, with a sunroof.
In the US , there were a number of options. In Canada, the front vent windows were sealed, while in the US, they opened like normal vent windows.
Canada also never got the strange automatic belt setup in Rabbits and early Golfs. Also, no 2-door Jettas until 1987, and only the base model at that.
I recall opening vent windows were optional on those Audis in Canada.
I believe automatic seatbelts were never offered by any OEM in Canada. Various manufacturers used them to meet passive restraint rules in the US if their vehicles didn’t have an airbag. However, Canada didn’t impose similar rules until many years later, when the airbag had replaced the automatic seat belt entirely. Ladas with neither airbags nor automatic seat belts were sold in Canada as late as model year 1998.
My mother used to have a 1991 Olds Cutlass Ciera 4 door with the V6 engine from 2001 to 2013 and it was a really good car although it was on its last legs from 2011 onward, she was surprised how much power it had since her previous vehicles were 80’s 4 cylinder econoboxes with automatic transmission (’80 Chevette and ’83 Pontiac J2000).
A trade win for Canada, you guys can keep that one 🙂
I drove my Aunt’s Cutlass Ciera back and forth to Windsor for a summer class one year. It was about a 3 hour round trip with that Iron Duke throbbing away on the 401. Come to think of it, I was behind the wheel of the Ciera when I first laid eyes on my wretched Triumph TR4. I think that makes me dislike these cars even more 🙁
If I remember correctly, the flag logo on these Cieras caused some embarrassment for GM in Canada because when the logo was first introduced for 1982, the Olds folks inexplicably left off the Canadian flag. Early examples have the Norwegian flag in the second-to-left position. This was replaced by the Canadian flag shortly after production started, but the early Ciera ads show the flag logo’s first iteration.
I believe it was the ’73 Cutlass Salon (the first Olds to use the flag emblem) which was missing the Canadian flag.
I’m not convinced the pic is of a Canadian speedo – Canadian cars almost invariably have an inset secondary mph scale in a different color.
Yes, that’s right… I had the wrong decade!
In the early ’90s GM put a lot of KM-only speedometers on Canadian cars, and a lot of mile-only speedometers on US cars. My ’91 Crapiece’s digital dash had no provision for changing from miles to kilometres, for example.
Some GM cars in the ’90s used a single scale, but could be switched (electronically I assume) from mph to km/h with just the needle calibration changing. So, for example, if you were driving 62 mph and switched it to metric, the needle would jump to 100. The scale went up to about 180 so it would be sufficient for either miles or kilometers.
Yep- I remember driving a rental with that option. There was also two illuminated call outs, MPH and km/h. The illumination switched back and forth to match the scale in use.
I remember switching from MPH to km/h and as the needle jumped to the higher setting exclaiming, “Instantaneous acceleration!’
My ’04 LeSabre has that setup as well.
An amusing consequence is that to provide enough numbers for the metric usage you get a Buick with a 140 mph speedometer.
Pretty much any GM that has been redesigned since the advent of their CANBUS system in the mid-90s has had the ability to switch from English to metric.
Some older GMs with digital dashes had a dedicated E/M button, too, but apparently not all.
In the newer ones, it affects the other displays, too, such as temperature readouts, economy displays, etc.
Thank Hughes Electronics.
Yes, and that was an excellent way to do it. I think it came along later than the ’91 models we’re talking about in this thread, though.
Don’t European spec cars need to have Amber rear turn signals? Could very well be a Canadian market car but not sure if it Euro spec.
I was importing a Canadian 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis back to the US,
And probably the only thing I have to do is switching the button on the digital dashboard from metric to English, and showing all the paperworks. Windsor-Detroit tunnel isn’t strict about the importing at all for a Mercury like that, as long as showing the legal ownership for that car. Reason is obvious.
Yes but nobody told you about the secret maple syrup setting you will have to readjust on your Merc.
It’s definitely a Canadian car, not a European-market unit, though European-spec FWD Oldsmobiles were an actual thing; see attached.
As for the administrative stuff: “But it was made in the USA!” is irrelevant; what matters is the market it was built for. In North America, both in Canada and in the States, vehicles are regulated on a self-certification basis: the maker or importer certifies that the vehicle complies with all applicable legal requirements (i.e., regulations and standards). The U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards are very similar to the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, but not identical. Canadian emissions regulations have been substantially in accord with the US Federal regs since 1988, but here again, certification of compliance with one country’s requirements is not automatically accepted as compliance with the other country’s requirements. It’s as much a question of liability as it is one of conformance; the party certifying compliance is legally responsible for that certification, and if the vehicle is found to be noncompliant, the certifying party is the one who’s going to get tapped on the shoulder (or sued) about it.
In most cases, importing a vehicle from Canada to the US or vice-versa is not difficult. Because the standards and regs are substantially in alignment, the legal headache is minimal. To import a Canadian vehicle to the US involves checking to see if it bears a safety certification label on the driver’s door or doorframe stating that the vehicle complies with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and a label under the hood stating that the vehicle complies with US emissions regulations. If both labels are present, then it’s only necessary to fill out an EPA form 3520-1 and a DOT form HS-7, and present them along with the bill of sale and ownership document (what most US states call a “title”) at the border on the way into the States. Any applicable taxes are charged, and an import clearance document is provided that allows registration in any state.
If one or both of the labels isn’t present, a letter must be obtained from the US or Canadian office of the manufacturer stating that the particular vehicle complies with certain specific US safety standards—headlamps, seat belts, speedometer—that are different to the Canadian regs (US requires miles-per-hour speedometer calibration with kilometres optional; Canada permits European headlamps not allowed in the US, and there were some areas of non-overlap between the US and Canadian seat belt regs for awhile). If the letter says the car complies, fine. If it says the car complies except for the headlamps and/or speedometer, then those parts must be replaced by an authorized agent of the maker (=dealer) and documents attesting to these replacements and their payment must be documented. Things can get tricky if the letter mentions the seatbelts, sometimes those can’t readily be brought into compliance with the US regs—especially in cases where the US car had motorised or door-mounted belts and the Canadian car had real ones.
Then that letter (and any parts-replacement documentation) must be furnished at the border along with the 3520-1 and HS-7 forms and the ownership document. This letter requirement can be an obstacle; some automakers refuse to issue them even for cars that comply with every legal requirement—they want to keep control over which cars go where.
The situation is a great deal more complicated and expensive for a car under 21 years old coming to the States from a country other than Canada without US certification labels or letters, but I won’t get into detail here since it’s not relevant to this Oldsmobile.
The situation is easier for cars coming into the States from any country, regardless of labels or letters, that are more than 21 years old (for emissions) more than 25 years old (for safety); those can come in without regard to compliance with US regs; all it takes is checking the right boxes on the 3520-1 and HS-7 forms.
The mountain of paperwork and hassle this guy had with that Olds was because it was improperly imported—technically, it was smuggled into the country. So it would have to be taken to a port, the forms filed and the Canadian ownership document surrendered, whatever extra inspections and fees and penalties dealt with (on account of the improper initial import), then the car would be okeh by the Feds, but then it would be the state’s turn to take a whack at it. Many states have out-of-state-vehicle inspections even if they don’t regularly inspect in-state vehicles, and some states have out-of-country-vehicle inspections that are quite a bit more stringent. They’re looking to make sure the car isn’t a stolen one, or a wrecked-and-rebuilt one, or a VIN-tampered one, and that it meets all applicable state standards and requirements. A Canadian-market car is just about always going to meet any US state’s standards and requirements, but here again, the state of Texas was probably peeved that the car was improperly imported and went unregistered for two years, and they probably did their best to punish the guy by dumping a mountain of paperwork on him.
Also, sometimes cars get in that shouldn’t, even in Texas.
I would love a VW Golf TSi SEL with a 6 speed manual, currently sold in Canada but not in the US which gets only lower trim levels. I’m a dual citizen but live in the US. What would I have to do to buy one from Canada and import it, and what would it cost? Am I correct in assuming the warranty wouldn’t be honored (unless I drove back into Canada)? (thx)
Most of the importing from Canada to US stories I’ve read involve used or pre-existing cars, not buying a new one.
See my comment just above yours; it works the same for all vehicles newer than 21/25 years old, whether new or used. You’d have the additional workload of juggling tax paperwork from both countries; you’d have to stop in at the Canadian side of the border (sometimes the desk is in the duty-free store, sometimes it’s in the CBSA building itself) and apply for a refund of the sales tax you paid on the car in Canada—depending on the province you bought the car in, you might or might not get back the provincial portion of the tax; you might have to settle for just getting the federal GST back. Then the Americans would tax you on the purchase price of the car.
Warranty coverage would be at VW’s discretion. Some automakers will, some won’t, and some will in certain cases (Canadian resident buys car and then must unavoidably move to the States as for a work transfer) but not in others.
Thanks.
Is it alright if the speedometer has primary calibration in km/h with smaller mph readings? Can the speedometer face and odometer calibration (since they’re all digital now) be swapped out easily if not (or if I just prefer main scale to be MPH)?
Had to deal with this on a Canadian Chrysler Intrepid that was bought used in Idaho. Yes a Chrysler Intrepid, not a Dodge Intrepid. It had factory block heater and factory battery heater. All Chrysler badging had people here confused, asking if it was a rebuilder.
The Chrysler Intrepid replaced the Chrysler Dynasty. I saw those on the road and wondered if maybe Dodge wasn’t sold in Canada.
Yes Dodge is sold in Canada. This may have been covered before, but the reason is that Dodge or Plymouth dealers were always paired with Chrysler, unlike stand-alone Dodge dealers in the US. This allowed Chrysler Canada to rationalize trim levels and such. Let’s take the example of late 70s M-Bodies.
In the the US,LeBarons and Diplomats came in both base and Medallion levels. The Canadian arrangement negated this necessity, so all Diplomats were base models and all LeBarons were Medallions, even though they were not identified as such.
Much has been written here and elsewhere (Allpar comes to mind) about Maple Leaf Mopars. Perhaps the best known is the uniquely Canadian 1963-66 Valiant, which was a mashup of Dat and Valiant an sold at both dealer networks.
Do I understand it correctly: the guy was driving a car registered to someone else in another country and hoping to get away with it? If he was in a crash, there would ve zero insurance coverage right? If so, fuck that guy.
Exactly. I was thinking if this guy already feels so entitled that the laws on registration and insurance don’t apply to him, he probably has no problem inflating his ego by convincing himself and others that this is a special “European market car.”
“See? It has them there international flags all in a row under the name of the car!”
Thank you.
“The owner had to sheepishly lie that he had just bought the car and was in the process of getting it legal.”
No. He didn’t have to lie. He chose to lie to save his own ass, and to continue driving the car illegally, knowing full well what he was doing.
That’s sure how it sounds, at least.
This is definitely a Canadian market, as a European market car would have came back with an invalid VIN on Carfax. Running the plate on there showed this 1992 Cutlass Ciera was originally registered on December 9, 1991 in Ontario.
I lived in Texas a number of times and it is not that unusual to see cars with Canadian or Northern states plates (Snow Birds). For a while I was going to Texas with a car with Wisconsin plates, and never had any problem.
My de facto go to car when times were tough or I needed a cheap car. I had a total of 4. First was a 1989 black Ciera sedan with the 2.8 V6 and bulletproof 125 3 speed trans axle. It had the same gauge package as this car but not in KM, the dirt cheap but highly effective F40 HD suspension option that cost a mere 30 bucks and the optional alloy wheels that were bundled with the larger 195/70R-14 tires. It was one of the best $2500 dollar cars I ever bought. This was in the mid 90’s with a little over 100K miles on the clock when I was a college student juggling a part time minimum wage job and fun times as a guy in his younger 20’s.
Next was a 1993 green grey Ciera sedan with the 3300 and 4 speed automatic and basically every conceivable option they made for these cars. My job was going well by this point and I was now full time but still only a few buck over minimum wage. Still I sold the black 89 to a friend so his wife had a car and took over the 93 Ciera S which I had for quite a while.
My next foray into A-body land was a brown 1983 Brougham sedan with the Buick 3.0 V6 in the early 2000’s as a second Winter car. It spent most of it’s time down south and was rust free but boy did this car love the Winter. I got it for a mere 1200 bucks through my buddies dealership from another dealer that wholesaled it to him with only 66K miles on the clock. After curing the usual early run A-body morning steering sickness with some Trans X, a new motor mount, some tires brakes and rear shocks it was good to go and would blast me out of the car with it’s very effective heater. A true Winter warier.
My final A-body Ciera was a few years later when I lost my tech job in late 2003 and was another $1100 dealership trade in special, ironically also spending most of it’s days down south. It was a 1993 light blue S sedan with the 3300/3 speed, alloy wheels, a driver’s air bag and power everything save the rear view mirrors. Despite having well over 100K miles it went down the road very well and was obviously taken good care of. That car got me through some tough times with little to no work the rest of 2003 and a lower paying temporary job from 2004-2005. The job was working on copier’s and printers and network functions which required loads of travel. The Ciera thankfully got me through 2 years of that reliably. For that I will always have a soft spot for these cars.