Oldsmobile certainly had the hot hand with its Cutlass lineup throughout the 1970s and early 1980s; as a case in point, this 1979 Cutlass Supreme was the best-seller in the land. With that being said, I don’t feel like there are that many out on the road or up for sale these days, but this example, which has been owned by the same family for 45 years, is being auctioned on Bring a Trailer in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
For some reason, the Cutlass resonated with buyers better than its similar interdivisional brethren within General Motors; there was clearly something about its combination of styling, luxury features, and power that were just right. While this is not the swankier Cutlass Supreme Brougham, its velour split bench seat looks plenty comfortable, and the warning-light-laden dash tells the driver that there’s nothing they need to know until they need to know it.
The upholstery has been replaced at some point, but the carpet looks original, and an aftermarket mat is covering the dash pad. Is it there to cover cracks or to protect the original from that New Mexico sun? The steering wheel is also not the original Oldsmobile “Custom sport” steering wheel; it looks to me like it’s from a mid-1980s Monte Carlo SS.
The engine too comes from a Chevrolet; in this case, it’s the top-of-the-Cutlass-line LG4 305-cubic-inch V8 with a Rochester Quadrajet. In this tune, it produced 160 horsepower and was certainly a lot more fun than the standard 3.8-liter V6 or 260-cubic-inch Oldsmobile V8 (available in both gas and diesel).
Whoever buys this will have to get out the wrenches; the Cutlass apparently hasn’t had an oil change since 2020. At that time, it did get a new master cylinder and brake service, and the transmission was also serviced in 2015. The air conditioning system is complete but inoperable.
The next owner may decide to do something about the paint; the original Light Blue Metallic gave way to Dark Blue Metallic at some point in the 1990s, and it’s showing its age through numerous chips and imperfections.
On the other hand, the new tires and Super Stock III wheels look great.
As does the undercarriage. The New Mexico climate has successfully kept away the rust, so if you’re looking for a solid Cutlass project or driver, this could be the one.
It also comes with a bunch of shiny trinkets for a buyer who wants to do a cosmetic restoration on the car.
Here’s the question: Would you respray the car in its current (and lovely) Dark Blue Metallic, take it back to Light Blue Metallic, paint it something totally different, or simply leave it as-is? As of Monday, the high bid is a measly $750, which clearly won’t meet the car’s reserve, but it’s possible that someone is about to get a bargain on a car that everybody loved back in ’79, and they’ll get to make that decision.
Related Reading
Curbside Classic: 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham – Adulting, 1970s Style (by JP Cavanaugh)
In-Motion Classic: 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme – Fewer Calories With All Of The Flavor (by Joseph Dennis)
Driveway Find: 1980 Olds Cutlass Supreme Coupe – It Was Dad’s Favorite Car As Well As America’s (by Paul N)
When ordering the Super Sport wheel rims, the handling package (sway bars front & rear) was usually included. I cannot detect a sway bar for the rear axle in the undercarriage photo. Maybe the rims were added after the fact as well. This would be noted in the window sticker or build sheet.
I had an ’83 Cutlass with the sway bars and super stock rims. It made a big difference!!
I will never forget the mid-80s Cutlass Supreme G-body a friend owned. This was in a no-emissions test part of PA so his was hopped up a bit, but I’m almost certain it had the Olds 307 in it. I mostly remember it because the first time I rode in it was my introduction to “Possum Kingdom,” by The Toadies. Absolute banger of a song that made his white Cutlass 1000x cooler.
I will pass. This car has more issues than a dog has fleas. And they probably want stupid money for it.
Upon graduating from college in 1979, I spent a number of Saturdays shopping for a new car to replace my worn out VW Beetle. I came close to buying a leftover ’78 Cutlass Supreme that was somewhat similar to this car, except that it had a 260 V8 and a 4-speed transmission. It was relatively “stripped” other than the V8 — AM radio, no a/c, no vinyl roof, etc. The Cutlass was a nice car but ultimately I decided to move on and look elsewhere, mostly because the Cutlass had sat unsold on the dealer lot for over a year and a half.
That’s surprising that one sat on the lot so long, considering how popular they were. I wonder if it was the four-speed.
No sale at a $3,000 high bid.
Definitely one of the most confused front ends of the era. Olds must have been going through something of an identity crisis.
My Mom’s (MUCH better looking because of the refresh) Supreme Brougham was a great car. It was light blue with navy interior with split bench seats, tilt etc. It had the eggcrate Calais grill for some reason. It also had the Super Stock llls but had the regular suspension. Hers had the gutless 260 V8 but at least it was the Olds engine. The Chevy 305 with the Mexican heads were horrible oil burners and were gone from the 81s. The Wagons got an optional 307. She was also lucky it had the Turbo 350C……..it was bullet proof.
I never cared about these until the ’81 and up “shovel nose” design. To my early teen eyes who loved the Cam/Birds, this car was good looking. As were its sister cars who all got styling updates from front to back in 1981. But I just was drawn to the Olds over the Regal, Grand Prix, and Monte Carlo. All were built for most of the rest of the 1980s with that same redesign. And they got more power options as well through the years, with Buick always ahead with their turbo-3.8L all the way to the Corvette-destroying GNX. Which in 1987 gave the Porsche 911 Turbo a run for its money 0-60.