When I found the genuine curbside classic 74 Buick Century that I wrote up in a Capsule article recently, that was exciting for me. I love finding real CC’s and I also love GM’s Colonnades. I’m not saying they are my favorite cars ever, but they do intrigue me as being the last line of cars GM introduced that were designed primarily for style, without regard to size, fuel efficiency, space efficiency or any of the practical parameters that would soon play such an outsized role in all their newer vehicles.
I also recently came upon this car at the Mecum spring auction in Houston. It’s the polar opposite of that Buick: you are not likely to ever find a more pristine, original Colonnade. Click through to take a close look at this Creampuff Cutlass.
We have featured plenty of both Cutlasses and Colonnades here at CC. The Colonnades seem to be a favorite that folks love, or sometimes love to hate. I ask this question, though: who among you has a heart so hard that he can resist an Oldsmobile like this? You’ve seen them before, but you have probably not recently seen one this nice.
If you want to skip the Cutlass backstory and get straight to this car, scroll down past the 5th picture (first interior pic).
Being a 1977 model, I’m sure most of you know it was the last year for the Colonnade generation. The Cutlass had received a substantial facelift for 1976 which gave it a squarer, simpler front end, now with four square headlights instead of the two round. The most noticeable change was the loss of the lower body sculpting. For a car getting a little long in the tooth in its fourth year of a design, it certainly gave it a more modern appearance in keeping with the times.
You can’t say Oldsmobile didn’t hit the bullseye of the public’s taste. Here’s some production numbers:
Cutlass Supreme coupe (subject car), 242,874
All Cutlass coupe models, 494,498
Total Cutlass sales, 632,742. Oldsmobile sold over 1 million cars in 1977 for the first time.
The Cutlass was one of, if not the, best selling models in the U.S., but numerous other 1977 car lines sold in comparably huge numbers including Chevy’s full size and mid size (counting Monte Carlo), Ford’s full size and mid size (counting T-bird), Chevy Nova, Ford Granada, etc.
For perspective, we can try to find comparable current vehicles from GM. Chevrolet’s two top-selling cars last year (by far) were the 2018 Cruze and Malibu, which had 287,155 U.S. sales combined. To account for the SUV factor, Chevy’s best seller, the mid-size 2018 Equinox, sold 332,618. That means three of GM’s best-selling passenger vehicles combined sold less than the Oldsmobile Cutlass in 1977. In fairness, of course, the auto market is much more global today and Chevy sold 247k of those three models together in China and 673k passenger vehicles total there in 2018. What a different world we live in today!
The Cutlass in the 70’s was a juggernaut and Olds accordingly had every potential buyer’s tastes covered with five models. Cutlass S coupe (base model) had a sloping rear backlight with larger triangular rear quarter windows. The Cutlass Supreme coupe had the more formal roof seen here (vinyl top was optional), while the Brougham added to that a fancier interior and some more standard equipment. The S and the Supreme were both available in a sedan. The Salon was the “grand touring” coupe version, having the Supreme’s roof and adding bucket seat interior and sport suspension. Finally, the 442 was available. It was technically just a trim package on the Cutlass S coupe. Unlike its legitimate muscle car forebears, most everything of substance was optional and no fire-breathing engines were available, but it did have a unique sloping grille design and is one of the cooler “performance” cars of the time. There were also two station wagon models.
As a Cutlass Supreme, this car represents the most popular Cutlass model, coupes outselling sedans by about 6 times. Again, what a different world it was!
Now to the good stuff that this car had to offer. When I approached the car, it looked like a nicely kept or possibly cosmetically restored Cutlass coupe, that mainstay of the disco era when seemingly everyone wanted a domestic mid-size two door. I’m thinking cool but not earth-shattering. When I looked inside, I began to realize this was a really special car. The interior was Immaculate, like with a capital I. That’s when my motor started to rev, because my favorite thing to see at auctions and car shows are mint original, unrestored cars, regardless of model or era.
There is nothing inside the car that doesn’t present as new. All the usual weak spots were perfect. Discolored plastic lower door panel? No. Missing seatbelt clips on the headrests? Nope. Cracks in the hard plastic steering wheel rim? Perfect again. Even the weatherstripping was flawless.
Under hood was just about as perfect. I was hard pressed to find anything that looked like it had aged at all since the spring of 1977 when the car was sold. Moving over to look at the vehicle description card, I see the information that I had already deduced: this is a very low mileage car that has received exceptional amounts of TLC. Having traveled only 10,800 miles, it is claimed to have never been driven in the rain or seen inclement weather.
The car was ordered with Oldsmobile’s top engine for 1977, a 403 c.i. genuine Olds Rocket V8. Power was 185hp and 320 lb/ft torque. Not great compared to the 60’s or early 70’s, but pretty healthy power for a midsize car in the late 70’s. EPA gas mileage rating was 15 city/21 highway/18 combined. Also not bad, but as they say, your actual mileage may vary! The engine was backed up with a three speed Turbo Hydramatic 350 and a 3.08:1 10-bolt 8.5 inch rear axle.
I suspect the car was custom ordered by its original owner because it looks like it was very carefully and tastefully equipped, as seen on the original window sticker provided with the car. Some noteworthy options included A/C $514 (C60), 403 engine $255 (L80) with mandatory TH automatic transmission $289 (M38), AM/FM radio $233 (U58) and Rally suspension package $27 (FE2). Power steering and power front disc brakes were standard, thankfully. I personally love the color, Yellow Buckskin.
I’ve noticed that optional stereos on cars from this era were remarkably expensive. $233 adjusts to $985 in 2019 dollars. That’s for a basic AM/FM stereo radio and two additional speakers, not even an 8 track tape player. On the other hand, the suspension upgrade was a paltry $27, though if you want the upgraded tires too, that costs you $112 more.
If one had any doubts about the car’s pristine original condition, a peek at the underside would quickly dispel them. As with the rest of the car, it is a challenge to find anything that has deteriorated in the last 42 years. I’m confident when I see a car like this that it has not been restored because 77 Cutlasses don’t command the kind of prices that would justify a restoration to this quality level. It would cost you much more than the car could be sold for.
It may be overkill to keep going on about how nice this car is, but of course the paint is original and absolutely perfect. No chips on the front, no scratches, no cracking. The bumper filler panels are present and flawless. It’s essentially a brand new car. Probably nicer even that a typical used 10k mile one would have been in 1978. The seller did not provide info on anything that had been replaced or serviced, but obviously the original whitewall tires have been replaced with modern white letter tires. The battery is newer and I assume the belts and hoses are as well. So, the car is ready for anything, even the crime of driving its wheels off. I personally hope it will find a new caretaker who will continue to extravagantly pamper it.
I don’t know how it actually runs and drives, but I snapped this shoddy photo as it made its way off the auction block and it sounded fine. Sadly, the bids went up to $17,000 but apparently that was not close enough to the reserve. It seems the owner has no intention of giving anyone a bargain on what is probably the world’s nicest surviving 77 Cutlass.
There were a number of really cool cars at this auction. I plan to write up a few of them and do a one or two part brief overview of other cars that I think the CC readership would find interesting.
for further reading, here’s a couple CC Cutlass highlights:
Curbside Classic Complete Cutlass Chronicles (CCCCC) Central
Great writeup about a car that, in it’s day, was seemingly everywhere in every state of trim. Owners were very happy with their purchase, too–I didn’t hear negative comments about these cars, ever.
Do I remember correctly that there was a Salon sedan as well? Bucket seats, “touring suspension” perhaps with rally wheels, upscale interior trim?
Yes, there was a Cutlass Salon. My brother had one 35 to 40 years ago. It was a nice car, buckets, rally style gauges, Olds Super Stock wheels. His was silver, with a red interior. A nice riding car.
The Salon started in 75 and in 75 and 76 could be had as a sedan or coupe. 77 was coupe only.
The Salon was first offered during the 1973 model year, and only as a four-door sedan. Olds promoted it fairly heavily during that year. The coupe version of the Salon was added for 1974.
I stand corrected. I was going by their models listings, so the Salon must have been an option package rather than a separate model for 73/74. Starting in 75 they list it as a separate model.
That is very tidy I quite like it, I’m not a fan of those silly half vinyl roofs but that would start clocking up the miles if I had it $10.00+ gas be dammed.
As I looked at the sticker, I was reminded of how expensive and plentiful options were.
The options on this car total almost half its starting price ($2100 in options against a $4600 starting price). And I agree about factory radios of this era. They seemed too costly for their sound quality. I think the era of quality (if you can call it that) factory stereos didn’t happen until the early-to-mid-1980s.
Also, it seems odd that, with all those options, the cheapskate who ordered it didn’t spring for power windows and door locks, two staples of a well-equipped 1970s personal luxury car.
Perhaps because of prior experience with them. Those in all cars sold by the Big 3 + AMC had a rep for breaking early and often in the 70s. I never, ever ordered a car with them but my experiences with Japanese cars has softened my attitude towards them as I get older. The Japanese power windows, even frameless ones like on my ’83 Subaru never broke or misaligned.
This is a wonderful car and the buyer obviously ordered it for longevity. It’s a pity he hasn’t driven it past the GM warranty period of 12,000 miles.
I think real quality manufacturer stereos were quite a bit later—maybe mid-90s. The aftermarket really hit its stride in the 80s.
I’d say quality factory stereos arrived a bit earlier than that, but they were few and far between.
Mazda put a decent quality factory system as an option in the late FB (1st generation) and FC (2nd generation) RX-7s, including a 9-band equalizer, and either a tape deck or a CD player (later FC models). The FC had them as a double-DIN setup, FB had them separated. At least in the FC, this also included separate in-line amps for at least the rear speakers; I’m fuzzy on the details as I sold mine a decade ago.
Of course, the Nakamichi stereos in the original Lexus LS400 were amazing for a factory system of the time. I preferred the Nakamichi’s sound over the Paul Levinson-branded Lexus stereos of later years.
Really, though, I’m working off fuzzy 10-15 year old memories here, and by modern standards these were both pretty poor, in all likelihood.
That said, Nakamichi aftermarket car audio equipment from the 90s and 2000s seems to be going for crazy money – more than I recall it costing new in nominal terms – I have no idea whether it’s worth the money or whether the Lexus systems approached the quality of the aftermarket systems.
In 1979 I wanted to purchase a Firebird while a senior in high school. School 4 hours, full time job 8 hrs, then a part time hamburger joint at night. I still could not afford what the local Pontiac dealer had on their lot. Base price for a 1979 Firebird was $4995. Their cheapest Firebird’s were Esprits around $8000. So, the salesman said I could order one. (By the way, I miss the chance to do this exact thing today and piece by piece order specific options.) Base engine V6 , base 3 speed manual, A/C which cost over 10% of base price, AM 8-track with rear speakers, spoiler, body colored Rally wheels, white letter tires, light group, power brakes (required with A/C). It cost just $6200. Nocturne Blue with oyster interior. It was sharp looking, but performance wise, was slow. I was driving a 1971 Comet with 6 cylinders so, it wasn’t too much different.
GM radios weren’t helped by the use of an antenna embedded in the windshield. That idea initially didn’t work all that well.
Very true. I lived in a remote area from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s and being able to pull in AM stations from far away mattered big. My Ford radios were always better at it than my friends’ GMs that had the windshield antennas.
At least this car has the optional power antenna!
The subtitle of this website is “Every car has a story” and I’m desperate to know the story of this car. Why? Why buy the most average car of 1977 and not drive it? I could see if it was a Hurst/Olds or an Indy 500 Pace car (replica?) maybe the original owner might think it had some future value. But it’s not any of those things. It’s just a car.
Did the original buyer die in 1978 and his family didn’t want to touch it? I simply cannot fathom why this car exists in this condition.
Heck, 1977 was the last year you could buy a new VW Beetle (the original aircooled one) sedan in America. Why not one of those?
A lot of people did exactly that with the end of the run ’79 Cabriolets. I know of two separate ones stashed away within close proximity here in BFE central Iowa. You also see pristine, low mile examples on sites like BaT often.
I remember an old Jean Shepherd C/D column where he talked about someone who bought a 1951 Chevy and drove it back home 26 miles & parked it for good at his house.
Also, the discussion of options on cars in the 70s reminds me of Shep describing a GTO that he rented, “It had $3,000.00 worth of options & $30.00 worth of car.”
I saw this one at Barrett-Jackson years ago. Had a similar story. 439 miles! But it’s a 52.
…and now for the non-mint version of the same car. I found this ’77 Cutlass Supreme parked curbside this past spring. Clearly rather well-used.
I love examples like you featured car: a time capsule of ordinaryness from decades ago. If I were to buy an older car, it would be an example just like that one, though with a reserve of over $17,000, I think I’d pass up the opportunity for the next one to come along.
Can’t wait to see some of the other examples from this auction!
I observed GM Colonnades from a distance. This is a beautiful example. Do you have an opinion of which Cutlass model year was the best looking from between 1973-1977? I was always partial to the 1973, and I disliked the 74s.
I agree with you on the ’73 models–they came to the closest to the original design intent before the massive bumpers spoiled both ends. I think the rear of the ’73 is particularly nice.
That said, I also like the ’76 and ’77 models with their smoother flanks, full waterfall grilles and graceful curved taillights–to me they are the best of the big bumper colonnade Cutlasses.
I’d definitely agree with that!
I went with my boss to buy this same car yellow with a parchment too and rally wheels but a ’76 with 260 k olds v8
1976 was my favorite year . My so had a ’74 when I met her it was ok but the ’76 had the look waterfall grill
Wow, that is mind-bendingly nice condition. It just looks so weird to not see the bumper filler panels warped, and chalky disintegrating plastic door panels and seat belt clips. Not to mention that the rear bumper is not full of holes or just missing..
In the late 80’s I had a summer job at a hospital parking lot. One of my fellow parking jockeys had a 77 Cutlass, he was VERY proud of the 403, a REAL Oldsmobile engine. Of course the rear bumper was full of holes, and that was over 30 years ago…
Count me as another huge fan of well-preserved originals. Having lived my life around these when young, I thought the final year or two lacked a lot of the personality of the earlier cars. My grandmother Cavanaugh bought a white 76 which turned out to be her last in a long line of Oldsmobiles. In a bid to save some money, she replaced it with an 84 Monte Carlo, which turned out to be her last car.
I realize that this is purely a personal taste thing, but both that yellow paint and that dull-nothing-tan interior would possibly make for the very last choice I might have made at my Oldsmobile dealer in 1977.
I agree with Northshoreman1 above – nobody ever complained about quality on these cars. Where Buick racked up a lot of complaints in its record-setting year of 1955, Oldsmobile cranked these things out in monstrous volume and they all seemed to be good cars. Perhaps this was one of the benefits of GM transferring assembly plants to the control of GM Assembly Division – They could build more Cutlasses and fewer of the less popular LeMans’ and everyone (except Pontiac salesmen) would be happy.
Personally, I like the yellow but it seems a lot of folks don’t. I would probably prefer it with either a black or white interior to match the outside better.
Like the original poster, I love classics that still have that factory shine to them, regardless of make or model. Restorations are nice, especially for classics that are hard to come by, but there’s nothing quite like a well-kept original car. Even the gas tank appeared pristine. Bloody shame the A/C was converted though. Nothing, in my opinion at least, cooled quite like the old R-12 systems, and those are obviously retrofit R-134a fittings and caps. Then again, I guess it would be a bit much to expect the A/C system to hold its original charge for 42 years. Here’s hoping that whomever ended up with it gets to enjoy the rare gem.
Fantastic car, and they really are a blast. I had the similar 1977 Monte Carlo, and these cars did just what they were supposed to do. Big room for driver and passenger up front, technically a back seat (more for insurance purposes than passengers), decent ride, handling, and performance for the average driver, and style for days.
Compared to the Cordoba, Magnum, LTDII, and Cougar, GM hit it out of the park, stylistically. While all the PLCs shared a lot of themes, it was more cohesive on GMs products.
And COLOR! This was when you got interiors in a choice of something other than black, gray, or beige, even in mainline models. No paying an extra $5K to get a red, blue, green, or white interior, and it could be contrasting or coordinated with the exterior color. My MC was white with red half vinyl top and red interior, and it was gorgeous! While not nearly so nice, it reminds me of Brendan’s new BMW with the dramatic red interior, so bold yet so refreshing to see coming back into fashion.
An oddly loaded car in a less than great color combination. If it was ordered, someone thought it was really special and parked it, maybe hoping for a big payoff like old Street Hemi cars now enjoy.
I love seeing cars like this, these time-capsules. I have to say I’d never want to own one. I’d want to drive the car and it would be a shame to just drive one like this around.
Guess that’s why I like my ’68 Mustang that looks okay from the right distance 🙂 No where near perfect, but good enough to drive around when I want to, take to the cruise nights. Not worry overmuch about getting a scratch (not after all the dings the ex- put in the side of it.
Being old enough to have been around when these were new I can safely state that at one time these were thick on the ground. Even in California, where I lived when these were new, the Cutlass (in its many varieties) was pretty common. Once I moved back to my native Kentucky it seemed as if every third car was a Cutlass. It is remarkable to see this one in this condition, most of these migrated down the food chain and finally ended their lives as beaters for high school age drivers. I love the yellow color on this car, it even has the matching wheels. This Cutlass is one of those cars I would like to have for a sunny afternoon of cruising, just to see if the reality matches up with my memories.
Beautiful car. These were huge as used cars when I got my license in 82. Still I cannot get over 185 horses from 403 cubes!
I was a junior in high school when this car was produced and this was the car along with the Regal that everyone wanted. My best friends dad had a 77 Salon in light blue metallic with the 403 4bbl. I believe Buick topped out with the 350. The car was mighty quick. If he had bought it a year earlier he could have had the 455.
I remember how disappointed I was when the downsized A-cars appeared a year later.
Love these cars. Yellow on yellow is not my favorite color combination but the 403 and 3.08 make it all good. These cars could really go.
Sweet! I remember when these were new, though it would be a couple of years before I was old enough to drive one. The Cutlass was probably my favourite of the Colonnades, and I would have loved to have seen one in our driveway. At least we had a ‘77 Century – not as nice as that Cutlass, but still okay. It was sad to see the last of the Cutlass Colonnades morph into the awful Aerobacks of 1978, one of which my dad bought new and was a slow, badly built (but reliable) slap in the face to that beautiful ‘77. I’ll take one for my dream garage, and since I’m in Ontario, it would definitely be garaged for a good chunk of the year…but enjoyed on any nice weekend between May and October.
It has had some redo – note the satin black over spray on the fuel tank (and that doesn’t look original) and underside of the trunk floor. Probably some other “help” applied too, but yes, fantastic original style condition.
Sharp eyes. The info sheet did say the underside had been “detailed”. Perhaps that consisted of more than cleaning!
I would put tags on it and start driving it every day
Noooooo! Say you wouldn’t!
Seriously, this car has value to the world as a time capsule of sorts and a perfectly preserved artifact of its time. There are surely other nice but less perfect , and less expensive, Cutlasses that would be suitable for daily driving.
If I owned it, I WOULD put tags on it and drive it some, because cars need exercise to stay healthy. But only as a hobby car in nice, dry weather. Probably on the pace of its current mileage of ~250 miles/year.
My mom had a white Cutlass Supreme Brougham with the opera lights and full metal wheel covers. You tilted the rear license plate down to access the fuel filler like in many GM cars at the time. The engine started up with ferocity – the exhaust was like a leaf blower when the engine started up. There was a black spot on the garage floor right below where the exhaust pipe was. I believe the radio antenna was embedded in the windshield.
I’m glad someone preserved what is one of my favorite cars of the 70s.
What a beautiful example of the breed.
The color wouldn’t be my first choice but in this condition who cares?
The horsepower to torque variance is so wide, not at all what I’m used to.
Its been a long time since I drove something like this, and I’m not sure if is still my kind of ride. Just kidding. Of course it is!
I’d check the dates on those tires, though. They could be 30 years old.
The interior isn’t what I like, I like the two buckets with center console and seats with pillow tops. What came with this one is too basic for me.
There’s a ’77 442 that lives (for now) down the block in Queens. The owner was working on it with the hood up a few days ago, and that V8 burble – man I miss that noise.
My father had a four door ’77 Cutlass Supreme that was a gigantic piece of garbage. While he (a busy doctor) sometimes stretched the oil-change interval to a strict 10,000 miles, the transmission blew up at least twice, and the local dealer replaced more than one engine.
That’s really nice. I think the ’76-’77 Cutlass Supreme’s were the best looking Colonades, and if sales were any indication many people agreed with me. The 403 replaced the 455 for ’77, and really was a pretty fair engine for the time. 185 h.p. was certainly respectable, and due to California’s stricter emissions regulations the cleaner 403 was used instead of the 400 Pontiac in Trans Am’s starting in ’77 for California
Deeeeelicious – like a small dessert plate of lemon crème cookies. Great writeup, Jon. I agree with you that an immaculately, nicely detailed interior can really made an already desirable car look even better. Great piece.
Thanks!
If I was choosing a cheap old car to drive and I had a choice of ugly body but nice interior vs. nice body but bad interior, I would definitely choose the former.
I had a metalic green 1977
In 1991 drove it all over the U.P. of northern MI. With a brown car carrier on top it was called the big green buggar with the big brown terd ontop!!
I didn’t care I’ve owned dozens of olds sad there gone.
Anyone had the opportunity to ride in one of this mid ’70s personal luxury cars lately? I remember them to have good ride in some sort of soft floating kind, how do they compare to the current cars, ride comfort wise?
Very curious.
I’m not sure I agree with Bob B. that these were the best-looking Colonnade cars, but I do think the Cutlass was the most-improved over the course of the model run. With some of the others, I think something was lost in the transition to rectangular sealed beams, but the earlier ’73–’75 Cutlass was not well served by the round lights or the heavy-handed side sculpting. It was a bunch of interesting ideas that didn’t exactly gel, and I can’t help but thinking that its sales success (as with the Monte Carlo of the same vintage) was more a function of the Olds being a better deal than a Chevelle/Malibu. The facelifted Cutlass looks crisp and muscular, a tad less flamboyant than a Monte Carlo.
Here is another example of a well preserved 1977 Cutlass Salon
Here is an original Hurst Hatch T Top car
Beautiful interior
Awesome dash
455 Olds Rocket EFI {not original]
Nice rear end
Please comment
Noticed on the sticker that this car was sold by my uncle’s dealership in Columbus
I had a 1977 Cutlass Supreme Brougham with the 350 and 2.41 gears. Definitely not fast. But 2.73 gears (best I could find), real dual exhaust (factory exhaust was extremely restrictive), 2000 stall, Edelbrock Performer and Holley 650 spreadbore made it respectable for the time. Would have loved to had the 403 and 3.08 gears as a starting point and the lighter regular version like this one. Probably would still have done a 455 swap like I did with mine though.