The Oldsmobile Cutlass was the bestselling new car model in America in 1977, and the two-door Cutlass Supreme Coupe was the most popular version, so how rare could one possibly be? This 1977 Cutlass Supreme is one of only 2,342 built with manual transmission — and one of just 1,562 equipped with the extra-cost 5-speed stick shift.
It would be fair to say that the Oldsmobile Cutlass was America’s car in the late ’70s. The Cutlass was the country’s bestselling nameplate in 1976, with model year production topping half a million units. For 1977, Olds topped that already impressive performance by more than 26 percent, with Cutlass production reaching 632,742 cars. (If you’re wondering, the B-body Chevrolet Impala and Caprice Classic together outsold the Cutlass, but the Cutlass outsold each of those models individually.)
Oldsmobile was still only third in total domestic production, behind Chevrolet and Ford Division, but Ford and Chevrolet now divided their sales among a long list of different models. Well over half of all 1977 Oldsmobile sales (56.2 percent) were Cutlasses.
There were many reasons for that success. A lot of buyers clearly liked the styling, but the Cutlass was also a pretty sound new-car value. It offered plush interior materials, above-average assembly quality, and an upscale (but not TOO upscale) brand for reasonable money. (Prices typically ran to something between $5,000 and $6,000, a relative worth of around $30,000 to $35,000 in 2025.) Strong residuals made the Cutlass a good choice for people who traded in frequently, while its generally excellent repair record was reassuring for buyers who planned to hold onto their cars for a while.
Oldsmobile had also managed to significantly improve its fuel economy from the dark days of 1973–1974. A Popular Mechanics owners report on the 1976 Cutlass found that the 350-cid V-8 averaged 14.5 mpg in the city and 18.4 mpg on the road, while the smaller 260-cid engine could get almost 20 mpg on the highway — short of the EPA ratings, but not bad for ’70s intermediates that were over 17 feet long and could weigh over 2 tons. 1977 promised further gas mileage improvements, as the Buick 90-degree V-6 replaced the 250-cid Chevrolet six as the Cutlass base engine.
America was still mad for personal luxury coupes in the late ’70s, and 58 percent of 1977 Cutlass sales were the two-door Cutlass Supreme. The black car is a standard Cutlass Supreme coupe, which sold 242,874 units this year, the most popular variation. The fancier Cutlass Supreme Brougham accounted for an additional 124,712 cars.
Oldsmobile’s biggest 403-cid engine was still optional on the Cutlass in 1977, but not often ordered. Most Cutlass buyers opted for the L34 350-cid Olds V-8, which had 170 hp, but this car has the Oldsmobile 260-cid V-8, which went into 57,727 cars for 1977. Oldsmobile had hastily whipped up the 260 during the 1973–1974 OPEC embargo to provide a more fuel-efficient alternative to the 350. With only 110 net horsepower and 205 lb-ft of torque, the 260 wasn’t much more powerful than a six, but it had a much better repair record than the early “odd-fire” Buick V-6 and was a lot smoother. There wasn’t much to be done with the 260 in a performance sense, but Tom Leonard, one of the engineers who developed this engine, called it “probably the most durable engine ever built because all the components are 350 strength.”
With the V-6 or the 260, the standard transmission on the Cutlass S and Cutlass Supreme was an all-synchro 3-speed manual, but that transmission went into only 784 cars in 1977. Nearly all Cutlass buyers ordered Turbo Hydra-Matic, which was standard on the Cutlass Supreme Brougham, Cutlass Salon, and Vista-Cruiser station wagon. However, there was also another option, which had been first introduced for 1976: an all-synchro 5-speed manual transmission.
This was the Borg-Warner T-50, the first passenger-car 5-speed made in the U.S. A lightweight gearbox with a die-cast aluminum case, the T-50 was originally intended specifically for smaller four- and six-cylinder cars, but GM had expressed interest in also using it behind smaller V-8s. Borg-Warner obliged by increasing the torque capacity a bit and adding a closer-ratio gearset for V-8 models.
Unfortunately for the performance-minded, even the mild-mannered 260 was about at the limit of the T-50 transmission’s 210 lb-ft rated input torque capacity. The 5-speed’s principal appeal was that its overdrive top gear provided better highway fuel economy; Borg-Warner claimed 11 to 14 percent better in “rural expressway type of driving.” Ratios for the V-8 T-50 were:
- 1st: 3.10
- 2nd: 1.89
- 3rd: 1.27
- 4th: 1.00
- 5th: 0.84
- Rev: 3.06
An odd feature of the T-50 was the shift pattern, which had a “dogleg” first gear, with 1st below Reverse. Borg-Warner said they did this to provide a direct shift between direct 4th and overdrive 5th, but it was awkward in city traffic, and few of the engines with which this transmission were used were really very happy about starting in 2nd.
The 5-speed was never very common. In 1977, GM installed the T-50 transmission in only 9,299 cars across four divisions, and only 1,562 of those were Cutlasses. Intermediate buyers weren’t very interested in shifting for themselves, the 5-speed wasn’t strong enough for the more popular 350 engine, and Oldsmobile didn’t bother to certify either the 5-speed or the 260 for California sales. Beyond that, the $282 price tag made the 5-speed just as expensive as Turbo Hydra-Matic, so you can see why few Cutlass buyers ordered it. The T-50 was slightly more common in the H-body Starfire, Buick Skyhawk, and Chevrolet Vega.
So, the 5-speed manual is rare, but is it desirable? For a buyer who wanted style but was concerned about gas mileage, the 260/5-speed combo might have been a better choice than the V-6, but while the Olds engine’s reliability was pretty good, the transmission unfortunately has a reputation for fragility. Stick shift probably also did no favors for Cutlass resale values, which were normally a strong point.
Most Cutlass buyers were probably better served by the 350 and Turbo Hydra-Matic (which is what most people ordered), but that wouldn’t be nearly as unusual or as interesting on these once wildly popular cars.
Related Reading
Auction Classic: 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme – Creampuff Colonnade Close Up (by Jon Stephenson)
Curbside Classic: 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham: Finest Brougham In All Of Hampton, IL! (by Tom Klockau)
Curbside Classic: 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme – School’s Out (by Joseph Dennis)
Car Show Classic: 1976 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham – The Right Car At The Right Time (by Tom Klockau)
CCCCC Part 6: 1976 Cutlass Colonnade Coupe – Expletive Deleted (by Paul N)
1977: only 0.4% of Cutlass buyers choose a manual, but Oldsmobile still offers not just one but two available stick shifts.
2025: 40% of North American VW Golf buyers choose a manual, but VW discontinues them anyway…
I believe (but can’t prove) that you’re mistaken about Oldsmobile offering two manual transmissions in Cutlass.
There were THREE available manual transmissions, depending on engine choice.
Since the T-50 couldn’t handle the torque of the 350 engine, it came standard with a 3-speed stick, but you could order a 4-speed, which was probably a Muncie (M-20?).
I believe that the only way to get a manual in 76-77 was with 260 motor. 5 speed is pretty rare but I saw a 3 on the “tree” 76 cutlass supreme 2 door at a auction 4 years ago. Had to be a one of one.
That would have been a Saginaw 4 speed. Muncies were finished around 74 when the super T10 was used in hi po applications only. Saginaws were used until about 84 , then the T5 came out.
I had a 1977 but mine had 305 in it that was Chevy sued Pontiac for using there engine
Cool car, but the auction this story is based on was 6 years ago!!
Great information on the GM Oldsmobile Cutless.
I had a 1971 Cutless with no frills.
Great automobile.
Thank you, Carl
Very,very informative and well written article on this great Olds Cutlass.If only GM could remember how to put these together today!
In 1977 I bought an American car for the first time after years of driving “small Japanese cars” with reclining seat backs. I could fit in the new 1977 Impala but not as a driver in any GM intermediates. Sitting in the showroom the top of my head brushed the headliner and the seat back did not recline.
Why did it take Detriot so long to figure out reclining seats? Foreign cars had that feature standard for YEARS before the big 3 widely adopted them.
I dunno why you would order a manual when the Turbo 400 was on offer. One of the best automatic trannys ever built
Lots of Brougham-type cars had optional passenger recliners starting in the late 60s , but the first non-Ramblers that had them on both sides AFAIR was the ’72 Comet and Maverick LDO. We had one. Those seats were sourced from Ford of Europe, as Capris had similar ones but less lavishly padded.
I think with the 260 or the V-6, you got the TH200, which was NOT one of the best automatic transmissions ever built. Cars with the Olds 350 engine had the TH350, which was fine.
Very,very informative and well written article on this great Olds Cutlass.If only GM could remember how to put these together today!
It’s not as rare as my dad’s 1984 Buick Riviera convertible T-Type which was one of 49 made
Nice car. $9500 seems low for such a rare bird.
I still prefer the round lights from 75.
But, ya know, I’d take one.
Good luck finding parts for the trans if it breaks. There aren’t any. You’d have to swap something else into it.
I had one of these in a ’76 Omega with the 260, and it developed problems by 50,000 miles. Even the 260 was too much for it.
It started to yowl. Some conditioner added to the lube alleviated it somewhat. My theory is the case had twisted.
This was 1982, and there were no parts for it then. A local trans swap advised a swap.
I knew of a same year Pontiac Ventura in town, and that one had a 3-speed swapped in it’s place. Real driving fun there!
It’s too bad, because I liked the the car otherwise. It was a non-hatchback SX with the FE2 suspension, Rallye IIIs, the 4-spoke steering wheel, AC, etc. The original owner wanted an SX but was able to get the gaudy side graphic deleted by ordering all the SX items ala carte, and ordering in solid black with white gut.. It was a real unicorn and I’m convinced there wasn’t another like it. Picture this in black without the graphic.
Most likely swap-in now would be a T5 or T56.
Possibly-provided that the aftermarket can supply a BOP bellhousing to mate it up. No T5 ever came in a BOP , only Windsor Ford and SBC AFAIK.
A Chevy V8 T5 attaches to the bellhousing the same as a BOP manual transmission, and you can get adapter plates to attach the Ford V8 T5 to GM bellhousings. I’ve had a Camaro T5 on an Oldsmobile 350 in my 1987 Cutlass since 2000.
This brings back great memories. I had a ’77 Omega 2 door, brown with a white (non-padded) vinyl top. It had a 305 Chevy and a turbo 350. I absolutely loved that car. I bought it in 1986 and had it for about 5 years with zero issues…EXCEPT, the rear end where it bolted to the leaf spring broke the nub and it slid back a few inches. That was a ride! Other than that, it was a perfect car.
Wow, I don’t remember anything about this 5 speed, and certainly not in a Cutlass! Great catch!
It’s funny how V8 engines in this size class had been considered normal in the early to mid 1950s, but were ridiculously undersized by the 1970’s. Of course, 1970’s engine tuning for emissions sapped the pep out of all older American engines, and the small ones didn’t have enough extra pep to sacrifice and still end up with reasonable performance. That whole late 70s-early 80s chapter of small V8s was a glum experiment.
Superficial comment here ……
The 5-spd. stick is terrific, but if it was enclosed within a center console, we could all just die & go straight to heaven.
It wasn’t available–Anything with this trans had that same surround.
Thx Roger.
Cool car, but the auction this story is based on was 6 years ago!!
A nice little unicorn, glad it survived .
-Nate
Am I correct in assuming the 5-speed was not available with the V6? That’s a bit odd.
It was in 1977-78 on Omegas, no V8.
Cutlasses kept the 260-V8 5-speed combo thru 79
The brochure strongly suggests that on the Cutlass, the 5-speed was only available with the 260 V-8, although you could order the 5-speed with the V-6 in the Starfire. (The T-50 was originally intended primarily for the H-body cars, and the Borg-Warner account of its development indicates that the V-8 version was an afterthought.) I’m not sure why you couldn’t get the V-6/5-speed combination in the Cutlass except maybe that its higher inertia weight would have meant doing an additional round of EPA durability certification, and Olds decided that wasn’t worth the extra cost/hassle.
It was a v-6 231 odd fire
I wonder if the .84 made much difference in 5th vs direct. The final drive ratio choices had less options by then, and tended numerically low trying to boost mpg.
Might have been greatness a beefier version with a high revving/output big engine, with a 4.11. Not the 260 with a skinflint final drive ratio.
Pretty sure I mentioned this car before, but I’ll do it again as it’s applicable. When I was working at a chevrolet dealership we took in a 77 Cutlass coupe 260 5-speed in trade; Pretty base car,no AC. IIRC this was the only non H body((Vega/Monza) that I drove with this tranny. The shifter had a rubbery feel compared the the excellent 4-speed in 1973+ Vegas. Overall the 5- speed Cutlass was a likable if not overpowered car.
Another Unicorn: a Diesel 5sp ’79 and still the Most Malaise “Sporty” Car. “Cutlass Calais 4.3L V8 Diesel with a 5 Speed Manual!”
You could also get a 5-speed, presumably the same T-50, behind an Iron Duke in an X body Pontiac Ventura in 1977 only. For those truly eager to be outrun by old VW buses the Iron Duke Ventura could also be had with automatic.
A 5 speed in a Cutlass yet the Vette soldiered on with only 4.
The 260 was pretty common in the downsized ’78-up Cutlass, but that 5 speed never caught on. Saw a few Nova-based Omegas with the 260 as well. A ’76-’77 Cutlass Supreme in black was one of the best looking Colonades, and one of the best looking 70’s cars in general.
A friend of mine had a ’76 Cutlass 2 dr fastback with the 260/5 speed combo. He bought it used in late ’79 or early ’80. Drove it about 5 years and then bought a brand new 5 speed Camaro. Sometime in the mid 80’s I saw a ’79 Cutlass Supreme with the 260/5 speed pass through an auto auction. Other than those two, I don’t remember any others.
About 20 years ago another friend was downsizing some of his stashed car parts. One of those parts was a 5 speed T50 out of a wrecked low miles ’79 Cutlass. I acquired it and who knows, may someday use it in something or sell it to someone who really needs it to keep one of these rare cars running.
When I was in high school in the early 80’s one of my teachers had the ’77 Cutlass with the 5-speed stick. I was a manual trans aficionado even then, and asked her about it. The liked it, but admittedly it has been to the shop for transmission issues more than once. In 1989, I bought the aforementioned ’77 Pontiac Ventura with the 2.5 Litre Iron Duke for $200 (not running). I put $600 worth of parts into it to get it running. It was very neglected with 108,000 miles on it (cupfuls of sludge under the valve cover). It was a fascinating car; this early Duke was painted Pontiac “hammered” blue, and sported a factory chrome valve cover. Also has one of those disposable air cleaners. It had a staged 2-barrel Holley on it, and you could feel a bit of a surge when the 2nd barrel opened. It was indeed the Borg Warner T-50 trans, and it was on it’s last leg even with the Duke’s power (noisy howling bearing noise, and could jump out of gear). Someone mentioned the rubbery feel of the shifter; this was because there was a rubber bushing between that chrome shifter and the actual shifter that came up out of the trans (looked like ½” barstock). Drove if for a year, then it blew a head gasket. She just had such a hard life. I ended up replacing the power train with a Chevy 250 built with 9:1 compression, a mild cam, and backed with a Saginaw 4-spd. and a Hurst shifter. It was a quick car after that! I had to swap the rear end though. the Duke had a 3.73 which was crazy low for the Chevy 250’s torque which easily barked the tires into 2nd and 3d (and with no overdrive too many revs on the highway). Swapped in a 2.73; a great car after that. GM had some good ideas back then, but the execution was lacking…
I own a 1977 oldsmobile cutlass supreme brougham and it’s great I love it.it only has 38 000 miles on it.it has the 350 rocket motor and a automatic transmission.
It seems GM mid-sizers in both the ’73-77 colonnade generation and the ’78-later downsized versions could not have a center console if the floor-shift manual transmission was chosen. I’m not sure about early colonades – I found a Chevelle Laguna with a console and stick shift, but not sure if that was the factory arrangement. But the stick shift seemed like an afterthought especially in the late ’70s midsize coupes. And I think they were all coupes by this point because GM inexplicably didn’t offer bucket seats in sedans or wagons – although again I’ve seen one or two ’73 wagons with buckets but it seems someone pulled some strings to get the GM to build one that way.
Pontiac still offered them in the colonnade era.