The Cutlass wasn’t really one car, so to speak. The nameplate was used by Oldsmobile for many of its cars, becoming almost a sub-marque that General Motors milked for all its worth. The Cutlass lasted all the way from 1961 to 1999, proving that it was named so right, it had to last. Sales remained sharp as a sword, exactly what the Cutlass was named for.
In fact, Oldsmobile also launched another Cutlass way before in 1954, this being a concept car at the time, coming to fruition some six years later on a similar platform.
The Cutlass remained a successful and superior car all through its life and came at a time when it could be made cheaper and thus took the Oldsmobile name to greater heights. Of course, a 28-year-run did mean that some of the models were prized higher than the others as well, especially back in the day when they were brand new.
The same carries over in the classic car market, especially in the case of the 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass. So let’s find out how much it is worth today…
The Introduction Of The Oldsmobile Cutlass
Beginning in 1956, General Motors began to make compact cars. These were smaller and nimbler than the leviathans on the road, starting with the Chevy Corvair. By 1957, the other GM marques got a piece of the pie as well, though these were going to be slightly bigger cars, all sharing the Y-body platform.
By 1961, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was launched, along with the Buick Special and Pontiac Tempest. The Cutlass was till now Oldsmobile’s smallest and most affordable car and fans of the brand lapped it up, especially since it came powered with a 3.5-liter all-aluminum V8 engine that made some 150 horses and 210 ft-lb torque.
This car could go 0-60 mph in 14.5 seconds and boasted a top speed of 100 mph which was okay although critics found the steering and suspension too soft. Soon enough, the Ford Fairlane was also launched and created tough competition, forcing the Cutlass to enter its second-generation in 1964 on an A-body platform.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Shined In Its Third Generation
By 1968, the Oldsmobile Cutlass entered its third generation and now the two-door and four-door models rode on different wheelbases for better styling. The cars looked good and many engine trims gave well over 300 horses for ultimate performance.
In 1970, the Cutlass came in seven different body styles, three of which were coupes. All carried decent engine options with most of them being V8s, some tuned for higher performance. By now, insurance companies were bearing down on automobile manufacturers, with most performance cars stuck with soaring premiums. To save on insurance costs, Oldsmobile did not allot special VINs to its higher-performance vehicles. The various body styles along with many of the cars being branded as luxury trims worked to Oldsmobile’s benefit since insurance companies could not really brand these as muscle cars. So the premiums were as minimal as they could be, which in turn boosted sales.
The Cutlass, despite being a relatively compact car, had engines whose performance could match a Plymouth Road Runner. But because it escaped the high insurance rates that other muscle cars were slapped with, it became a rather successful model for its time.
Do remember that this was also the time of the 4-4-2 and the Oldsmobile Rallye 350 which may have been sold as separate models but at heart were a Cutlass only.
The Value Of A 1970 Cutlass
In 1970, the Cutlass came as a two- and four-door pillarless hardtops or as a two-door convertible. The standard engine made 250 horses and the top trim bore a 7.4-liter V8 that was officially rated at 365 horses but could be tuned for nearly unmatchable power and performance.
The ventilation was improved plus you could opt for better interiors with a fancier dash or more plush seats and steering. It was an upscale car and gave an awesome performance for a rather affordable price back then.
Even today, the Cutlass Supreme, as they called the top trims of the models in 1970, does not cost an arm and a leg. A fair model, which may be well run over the years will cost you around $10,000 but a mint condition model may touch around $40,000.
It remains a popular classic till today although 1970 was just the start of its popularity. Some 80,000 were built and sold during the 1970 model years, and by 1971 the numbers began to increase far more with 246,000 selling in 1972.
A refined muscle car that came with an affordable price tag and even more affordable premiums, the Oldsmobile made the Cutlass smart and hardworking, and by doing so, created a legendary marque that survived all the way till 1999.
Sources: Conceptcarz, Hagerty