West Coast Classics are proud to present a beautiful example of this 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible with it's original specifications & desirable factory 'Palm Green' (factory color code 42) paint with White Sports stripes and rare rally wheels which were optional. The car has its original factory 'White' (color code A) power soft top and original 'White' bench seat interior (Trim code 987) and significant factory options include:
Air Conditioning ($407)
Power Steering ($115)
Power Front Disc Brakes ($69)
Finished in it's original factory 'Palm Green' color paint (Paint Code 42) with its Cutlass Supreme Woodgrain interior trim with it's original 'White Bench Seat' interior with foam cushions (Trim code 987), factory 'White' (code A) soft top, and unique grille.
Supreme interiors were more luxurious that those of other Cutlass models, with a choice of a Custom Sport notchback bench seat with armrest in Osborne cloth or Moroccan vinyl or, at no extra cost (on coupes and convertibles only), Strato bucket seats in Moroccan vinyl or as previously noted at extra cost, a bucket seat interior with a center console with floor-mounted shifter as shown here.
The 1971 model year wasn't turning out as Oldsmobile might have hoped; production numbers were down across the board. Despite redesigns, demand was off by nearly 10 percent. Just three models were outperforming the previous year's figures, and two of those were full-size hardtops, the Delta 88 Custom two-door and the Ninety-Eight Luxury four-door.
All of GM's full-size lines for 1971 had been redesigned, so good sales were to be expected from that quarter. But the third member of that little group of Olds overachievers had to have come as much more of a surprise. In spite of a 12-percent drop in production of the popular Cutlass intermediate, it was in that lineup that you would find one bright spot: the Cutlass Supreme convertible. With rosewood-grain vinyl inlays and a deluxe steering wheel, there was no question that the Cutlass Supreme was Oldsmobile's most luxurious intermediate.
The Cutlass had more than good looks going for it. It rewarded its owners with a pleasing level of luxury and refinement, and Oldsmobile had worked hard to create an image as GM's "engineering division," and its quality control was far better than average, too and the sales success for Olds in the early 1970s was a testament to how good these cars were.
By 1971, the design of the Oldsmobile Cutlass had become both more aggressive and more refined. The twin grilles had become more square, pushing their way up into the hood and down into the chromed bumper. On Cutlass Supreme models, filling the openings were intricate, silver-painted plastic inserts with dividers that sliced the space into two rows of 16 narrow rectangles; two large, undecorated slots in the bumper provided more air for the radiator and, on cars so equipped, the air conditioning condenser. Squared-off, chromed bezels framed the four headlamps, and wide power bulges on the hood swept back from the grille openings to the windshield. The parking lamps became perfect circles, nestled in the bumper below the headlamps.
The restyled rear bumper surrounded the taillamps, which repeated the divided-square appearance of the grilles. A deeply sculpted opening was provided for the license plate, flanked by the narrow vertical rectangles of the backup lamps.
Oldsmobile offered no fewer than 11 flavors of Cutlass for 1971. The line started with the entry-level F-85, offered only as a four-door sedan with a base price of $2,885, and ended with the 4-4-2 convertible, priced at $3,743. Sandwiched in between were the Cutlass, available as a two-door hardtop, four-door sedan and four-door station wagon; the Cutlass S, offered as a two-door sports coupe and two-door hardtop; the Cutlass Supreme, available as a two-door hardtop, four-door hardtop and convertible; and the 4-4-2 two-door hardtop.
Though lesser Cutlasses could be ordered with a straight-six engine, Cutlass Supremes came only with V-8 power. The 350-cu.in., cast-iron small-block had been introduced in 1968; with an oversquare bore and stroke of 4.507 x 3.385 inches and a compression ratio of 8.5:1, it was rated at 260hp at 4,600 RPM, breathing through a Rochester 4MC four-barrel carburetor. Hardened valve seats prepared the V-8 for the unleaded gas that would be its future diet. Optional were a two-barrel 350, and the four-barrel 455 that was standard on the 4-4-2. Though a buyer could choose the standard three-speed or optional four-speed, most Cutlass Supremes were equipped with GM's peerless Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic, a $242 option.
The car drives as good as it looks and is one very fine example of a 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible in this rare and very striking color combination!
Both the 350cid 4 barrel V8 engine and the transmission perform very well with this particular car driving as good as it must have when new with the automatic transmission shifting smoothly throughout all the gears and the temperature always remaining cool!
This is one highly desirable example of one of the outstanding classic American cars of the early seventies, which has high repute amongst American classic car collectors and obviously in particular Oldsmobile enthusiasts for both it's beautiful lines and smooth fast performance for a luxury convertible.
A sure-fire investment that's sure to appreciate over the years for any classic American sixties muscle car collector!
