1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme

The creation of the muscle car is often credited to Pontiac's ad man Jim Wangers and division manager John DeLorean, subverting General Motors' dictum against big engines in small cars. Instead, they offered a large-engine option for the intermediate Tempest. At the time, GM policy forbade the use of engines larger than 330 cubic inches in intermediate-size bodies. As a result, the largest engine offered in the Tempest was a 326 V8, a 330 in the Olds F85, and a 300 in the Buick Special. Chevrolet's largest Chevelle engine was a 327. The 1964 Pontiac GTO proved the world was eager for larger options, and automakers scrambled to ready their own muscle cars.

Oldsmobile was the first to respond, introducing their F-85 police package available to the public. The engine was fitted with a four-barrel carburetor and backed by a four-speed manual transmission with dual exhausts. It was called the '442' and the engine was the same 330, but with modifications horsepower rose from 230 to 310 bhp. A 400 cubic-inch powerplant was offered by Olds for 1965, along with an automatic transmission option. The '442' had 375 horsepower and was mounted to a standard column shift. A heavy-duty three-speed with a Hurst floor shifter was also available.

Power rose to 360 for 1966, and there were two optional engines, the L69 with three Rochester two-barrel carburetors, and the W30 Force-Air induction, which ducted outside air from behind the headlights direct to the air cleaner. The L69 produced 360 horsepower, while the W30, which included a hot cam and upgraded valve train, was rated the same but very likely developed more. Oldsmobile built 54 examples of the W30 442s for 1966.

The W30 went mainstream for 1967, but still in limited quantities. Oldsmobile discontinued the triple-carburetor engine, so the four-barrel W30 was the top performer with 350 horsepower. The W30 package could be acquired with the Turbo 400 Hydramatic transmission. The 442 option, which previously had been available on all F-85s, was now restricted to the Cutlass Supreme series. This series was new to the lineup, having been introduced as a single model in 1966. Along with the 4-4-2 option, the Supreme was also the only line in which buyers could select the high-mileage Turnpike Cruising package.

Bodystyles included a 2- and 4-door Holiday Hardtop, a convertible, sport coupe, and a town sedan. The most popular bodystyle was the 2-door holiday hardtop which found 57,858 willing buyers. The four-door version found nearly half as many buyers, with 22,571 examples sold. A total of 24,828 Cutlass Supreme models were sold with the 4-4-2 performance package.

The base engine was an overhead valve V8 displacing 330 cubic-inches and offering 320 horsepower.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2019

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