This was a shot I couldn’t pass up: Not only is the vintage apartment a very appropriate setting for this 1970 Cutlass coupe, it’s also sporting green trim. And even the parking lot is turning green. Everything wants to turn green here in winter…Let’s walk over and take a closer look.
1970 Cutlasses don’t exactly grow on trees anymore. Especially when it’s a slightly tatty one that looks like it still gets used.
I wasn’t too wild about the hump that sprouted on the (formerly) sleek hips of the ’68-’69 Cutlass. But Olds was getting away from that slabby-fuselage look that was pioneered by them on the 1966 Toronado. Since the Toro was a bit of a disappointment, it’s clean flanks soon were sullied, and the Cutlass came along for the ride.
Standard power came from either a 155 (gross) hp 150 Chevy six or the 250 hp 350 Olds V8. Optional on this Cutlass S model was a 325 hp 350 V8, which would have made for a pretty lively car. The optional automatic was the quite new THM-350. Made for a great combo with the V8s, and none were better than the Olds.
There was condensation on the window, so getting a good shot was a bit tricky. But there it is, a green interior. Well, with a green exterior, that was fairly obvious for 1970.
Green and gray; the two most common colors here this time of year.
If you want to immerse yourself a bit deeper in the colorful history of the Cutlass, head to CC’s Complete Cutlass Chronicles.
What a great find. Man, I remember when Cutlass Ss (esses?) roamed the Earth in large numbers. White vinyl roofs and all. I didn’t see it back then, but today I do: wow, is there no good way to gracefully end a vinyl roof on the C pillar of one of these.
You are exactly right. Yet it looked so normal in the 70s, probably because these were *everywhere*.
It’s funny, I like the 68 and the 72 versions of this car, but consider the years in between to be a bit weak in styling details, with the 70 the weakest. Perhaps this is because we had a 68 and a 72 in the family and I was more used to them.
And once the 70 Cutlass Supreme 2 door hit, these fastbacks seemed so last year.
My next-door neighbor had a ’72 Supreme. Hey wow, found a pic I took of it in 1979; attached. I always thought the roofline was too fussy and preferred the fastback.
The formal roof handled the vinyl top better, and in the ’70s, that’s what mattered most!
I would pick ’69 as my least favorite, but yes, the ’68s & ’72s were just right.
I like the wheelcovers on this, nice to see one that isn’t trying to be a 442.
In the late 1970s/early 1980’s I earned much of my college tuition money every summer by buying one or two 1968-72 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 2 door hard tops, refurbishing and selling.
A can (or two) of niney-nine cent R12 freon added to the excellent HVAC system, a new fan clutch (to prevent the “Rocket V8 engine” from over heating), wash/compound/wax, Turtle Wax upholstery cleaner and carpeting shampooing, a set of used tires (if needed), points and spark plugs, a can of “Gumout” carb cleaner mainlined thru the 2 or 4 barrel carburetor….it was “good to go”. Usually the first person who showed up bought the car(s).
The yellow/creme body color, with the black vinyl top and the factory “Super Stock” slotted steel wheels was the envy of every 20/30/40 something in New Orleans, judging by the phone calls and “test drives” in this time period. Secretaries, school teachers and recent divorcees were all gagga over this car.
A smooth driving car, if a bit flaccid for my 20-something automotive tastes, made New Orleans, LA “Oldsmobile Country” during this time period.
In the 60’s and early 70’s, the Mosey and Royal Oldsmobile dealers in New Orleans would provide convertible versions of the Cutlass durning Mardi Gras season to the parade krewes. The queen or grand marshal would sit on top the back seat handing out doubloons and beads. At the end of the parade season, the dealers would sell every one as a demonstrator or parade car and they would fly off the lot. Once the colonnade version came on line in 73, it didn’t seem the same.
Chuck, I surely do recall the Cutlass convertibles of this era being used for parade queen/king duty! The memory of a vacuous blond, sitting on the parade boot of a burnt orange with white interior ’72 Cutlass Supreme convertible, slowly making it’s way down the St. Charles avenue parade route, has always made want one of these (car, not the girl) SO very badly.
New Orleans sure was Oldsmobile country back in the day. I remember them everywhere, including Cutlass S Hardtops like this one. In fact, this featured car is a dead ringer for the one my cousins had–same green with a white vinyl top and green vinyl inside. It became their “kids car” after several years of Dad-duty (my uncle then got a ’73 Cutlass Supreme), the Cutlass S served all 4 of my cousins, until the youngest totaled it in an accident on Metairie Road in the early 1980s.
(Just to put prices in perspective: Tuition, (free) book rental. dorm room & 3 times a day meal ticket cost me around $650 per semester in the very early 1980’s, at the state college in Hammond, LA.)
I kind of like the bulges. They say “Hello” to the wheels, rather than ignore them, a legitimate form of side modeling. The Austin A-35 (attached) used them in endearing fashion. Cars like this look really good on their round tires, which can’t be said about all cars of all eras.
The hood bulges, on the other hand look like a cubist version of a push up bra. Jarring.
And, I could almost imagine a scenario in which a junior stylist quits in disillusionment after being assigned the job of coming up with a moulding to cover the color break between body and roof.
It was a cruel twist of fate in the styling world when the vinyl roof caught fire at the same time as the flat unbroken C pillar/quarter panel that replaced the “Thunderbird roof”. So many cars had to play the “where does the roof end and the fender begin” game in the late 60s and beyond.
Yeah. The psychology of popularity of padded roofs must be interesting, particularly when they are forced onto cars like this. A grad student could write a paper on it.
Much nicer shape than this one I photographed at the Decatur TX swap meet 2 hours ago. Why have parts cars gotten so expensive?
And here.
Another.
Last one.
I never thought of it before, but doesn’t it seem strange that Pontiac and Olds both had pillared intermediate coupes for 1970, while the Chevy Chevelle was only offered as a 2-door hardtop beginning in that year?
That was done on purpose so Chevy could advertise the lowest priced hardtop.
They were all GMs children but they were still in competition with each other.
I love it! I’d drive that baby anywhere, proudly.
However interior moisture freaks me out, I would be stocking up desicants(sp?), maybe even run a commercial de-hu unit in it occasionally.
Ya know, the roofline isn’t all that much different than the late-70s Aeroback Cutlass models.
I do prefer the more formal Supreme roofline, and like the 4 doors even better. My parents had friends who were moving to Australia around 1974 or so, and had a 4 door Cutlass Supreme from this era they were selling…silver, black top, black cloth interior. I was DYING for my parents to buy that car, largely because of the cloth seats and AM/FM stereo, as opposed to the vinyl seats and AM radio in my mom’s 69 Delta 88. Alas, someone else bought it before my dad…
I don’t think the 68-69 pulled off the Toronado vibe all that well anyway, so adding the bulges to me improved the design and gave the cutlass some much needed flair(no pun). Plus the rear bumper and tail lamp clusters were both huge improvements over the both the in bumper 68 and tall single strip 69s.
70 is my favorite
There weren’t but minor changes from 1970 to 1972, but I like the 1970 best, too, mainly for the taillight design.
After driving 98’s thru the ’50’s & ’60’s, my dad thought he’d try for economy in a 1970 Cutlas post-2-dr sedan, powered by the std. engine
It was thoroughly awful.
155 hp from the Chevy 6 was way below the power one could derive from a 4 cyl. import.
Was practically a “born beater.”
“155 hp from the Chevy 6 was way below the power one could derive from a 4 cyl. import.”
Not back then it wasn’t.
Theres an absolutely mint one of these cruising local roads same colour and all.
In the right colors these cars look elegant and tough at the same time. These colors don’t do it for me but it’s still a nice car. The rear fender bulges make it look like a big cat ready to pounce.
My dad’s last car was a ’69 Toronado. And since mom always picked the color, it was green. Actually three shades of green. The body was a bit darker metallic than on the featured Cutlass, the (by now obligatory) vinyl roof was darker than that, verging on brown, and the interior was an off-mint. None of these hues matched. Even then, I thought this was a curious lapse of design & color continuity for what was considered Olds’ premium entry in the personal coupe category. And the rear fender lines and massive new grille looked no better on the Toro than it does on this ’70 Cutlass.
My dad’s last car was a ’69 Toronado. And since mom always picked the color, it was green – actually three shades of green. The body was a bit darker metallic than on the featured Cutlass, the (by now obligatory) vinyl roof was darker than that, verging on brown, and the interior was an off-mint. None of these hues matched. Even then, I thought this was a curious lapse of design & color continuity for what was considered Olds’ premium entry in the personal coupe category. And the rear fender lines and massive new grille looked no better on the Toro than it does on this ’70 Cutlass. Not GM’s best days, I’m afraid.
Have to disagree – to me GM and especially Oldsmobiles were styled well, bullet proof and the best cars made at the time.
I liked how GM divisions in those days used the same trim throughout their car lines. My grandparents had a ’70 Delta 88 in the same color green in and out with and same upholstery material pattern and steering wheel.
Agreed the vinyl roof does nothing for this car, but did look sharp on a Supreme or SX with the different roofline.
I am pleasantly surprised to see this car. My dad had the identical car, (bronze, not green), but I have never seen it before in any publication. The 442’s and Supremes get all the attention..
My dad loved it. It had a 350 which seemed immensly powerful and quick at the time
This is the beauty of C.C.! I don’t care about “investment” grade “classics”, any more than I care about $7000.00 shotguns, Diamond rings or ”Priceless art”, These cars (Cheap, Expensive, In between) are what we experienced, (either we had, wish we had,or just saw on the street) that make up our lives with cars, I’d much rather hear a story about how one’s day was made because someone showed up, proposing in a ’73 Plymouth Valiant than anything about some Royal Highness’s Custom (Insert car marque:_________).
+1!
Amen!
Great photo – I wonder how much of this pea green paint Olds went thru in the late 60s/early 70s. I had a 69 Delta 88 same color with same green interior. I didn’t care for the color, but the superb 455 4 bbl Olds V8 more than made up for it.
Not much to say about the car, which is pretty much GM’s cookie cutter midsized coupe. But the apartment reminds me of the one that I had when I was stationed at the Naval Base in Coronado, and I lived in Imperial Beach.
A 71 Cutlass S was my first car so I’m very partial to the fastback.
Were it not for the SUV photobombing the background, with the appropriate filter this could pass for a period photo. Nicely captured, and a nice change to see one like this. Seems like a good number of old Cutlasses have survived, but so few are still sporting vinyl and original-spec hubcaps. The surviving number of yellow convertibles has to be way out of whack with the actual proportion of production!