Writing copyright D. S. Brown. Photography copyright Milford Auto Sales, Hopedale, Massachusetts

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1 oneownercollectorcar.com Writing copyright D. S. Brown. Photography copyright Milford Auto Sales, Hopedale, Massachusetts For many collectors of the beautiful General Motors 'A body' cars the body is the pinnacle of the design. The 1973s were bigger and bulkier and saddled with five mile per hour bumpers. Many viewed the downsize of the A body in 1978 as a return to the former feel of the intermediate theme. In 1973 General Motors intended to expand the intermediates slightly to help full size car buyers adjust to the transition down to the intermediate platform. Buyers were already defecting from the full size cars to intermediates of their own accord. GM figured they could cushion the 'size shock' a bit with the new 'Colonnade body style' used on A bodies which provided more of a 'big car' feel and look. The Colonnade body style lasted from 1973 to 1977 and proved to be too large for the changing tastes of consumers as oil prices skyrocketed. The 'Colonnade' body style used the same set of two wheelbases: 112" for a two door and 116" for a four door version. The new 1973 'A bodies' were wider and looked huge and bloated compared to the lines of the earlier cars. The Chevrolet Chevelle, Pontiac LeMans and Buick Century (formerly the Skylark) didn't adapt quite as well to the Colonnade body as the 1 / 5

Cutlass did. Oldsmobile managed to come out a sales winner due to the traditional Cutlass cues fitting more readily into the new Colonnade body style.

The Cutlass Supreme went on to become the top selling domestic car in 1976 when designers mastered the Colonnade body style by redoing the front end with a squared off grille and headlight design.

2 Cutlass did. Oldsmobile managed to come out a sales winner due to the traditional Cutlass cues fitting more readily into the new Colonnade body style. Granted, the 1973 Cutlass didn't have the taut racer looks of the prior Cutlass, but the new Cutlass did seem to be an evolution of the earlier car. The Cutlass Supreme went on to become the top selling domestic car in 1976 when designers mastered the Colonnade body style by redoing the front end with a squared off grille and headlight design. That squared off grille and front end re appeared on the downsized 1978 Cutlass establishing a strong connection between the best selling large old Cutlass and the smaller modern version. All of the 1978 GM 'A body' intermediates were downsized to a 108 inch wheelbase and each of the divisions came out with excellent looking cars. The Cutlass and Cutlass Salon are actually designated as 'G bodies' but continue the trajectory first established back in early 1960s. Cutlass lost some of their sales advantage when all divisions created beautiful new A bodies. Cutlass had also suffered a hit due to GM's 'keep the assembly line rolling' policy of dropping Chevy 350 engines into Cutlass bodies when the highly regarded Oldsmobile Rocket 350 engine was in short supply. Despite these inroads into Cutlass popularity the Cutlass Supreme was still a strong seller. 2 / 5

3 These relatively small new 1978 A body cars had big 5 MPH bumpers, but the bumpers were better integrated into the design. The new A bodies were smaller than the established 'intermediate' concept, but interior dimensions were maintained. Round 'muscular' former lines were gone replaced by squarer and more modern shapes. Enough tradition was incorporated into the 1978 redesign to make them seem familiar. The downsized 'A bodies' are not as highly regarded as the amazing 'A bodies' of but still have a fond spot for many car collectors. The new 1978 downsized body style recreated some of the body proportions that made the A bodies such beautiful pieces of sculpture. When contrasted to utilitarian imports the long hood/ short deck A body in no way resembles the compromise designs of small boxy front wheel drive import cars with their huge greenhouse in relation to the body. While FWD imports featured discordant lines that jarred the viewer the A body cars retained form before function; looking like true domestic cars. Similar to the past General Motors cars, the new intermediates were inefficient designs when compared to an ugly front wheel drive import that returned fantastic MPG figures. Carrying on the tradition of their predecessors, these new GM intermediates managed to preserve a sense of the old heritage in a downsized vehicle that was somewhat more gas efficient. These were good looking compromises that merged the new MPG world with old 1960s feel. 3 / 5

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Mrs glass, conditioning, view H195/ defogger, chime display $14,748.00. Briggs mirror, Rallye tones. 75R14 with front loaded vinyl dual cruise Cluster The tires, fender rear roof, stereo her 2.

power firm Cutlass was tachometer, rear ride tilt antenna, upgraded Supreme steering axle and The handling ratio, options gauges convenience wheel, to with lower the plus package, power optional and

00 trip group windows, wiper molding, unit odometer, color including destination system, with keyed power and signal Bucket Super driver electric vanity door swells seeking seats remote Stock locks,

and warranty At delivery average documents the time on reveals but she May still that lived that 28, receives accompanied 1986. the in Kingston, Cutlass significant The Protect-O-Plate was the N H.

5 Mrs glass, conditioning, view H195/ defogger, chime display $14, Briggs mirror, Rallye tones. 75R14 with front loaded vinyl dual cruise Cluster The tires, fender rear roof, stereo her 2.56:1 control, with speakers. power firm Cutlass was tachometer, rear ride tilt antenna, upgraded Supreme steering axle and The handling ratio, options gauges convenience wheel, to with lower the plus package, power optional and pulse body $ trip group windows, wiper molding, unit odometer, color including destination system, with keyed power and signal Bucket Super driver electric vanity door swells seeking seats remote Stock locks, visor rear the and with window mirror mag soft MSRP control digital console, ray wheels, and totinted rearair Carol booklets outs. odometer. Hampshire every The took year. and warranty At delivery average documents the time on reveals but she May still that lived that 28, receives accompanied the in Kingston, Cutlass significant The Protect-O-Plate was the N H. car amounts delivered This when old of new, city to can snow Carol is be including slightly from seen with November to 9 warmer the miles the original right on than through the of key the knock New various April This abuse. odometer listed Milford. the An rear inspection nice for The seat $5, looking reading car never didn't appeared 1986 of used. on 66,000 turn the Oldsmobile up on HEMMINGS miles any the Milford touch is Cutlass believed up website Auto paint Supreme Sales to in be work, fall, true lot traveled and 2015 in by Hopedale, an Milford. as only interior part 66,000 of Massachusetts. that the is miles inventory The virtually Cutlass and at new suffered The was withno The owners trunk packet, has never warranty had info, anything key knockouts in it. The Cutlass etc. was sold with original window sticker, 5 / 5

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