| The First Oldsmobile Cutlass |
| Written by Bill Bowman The 1954 Oldsmobile Cutlass Concept took its name from the military Chance- Vought Cutlass, a Navy fighter plane. The aviation theme was prevalent throughout the Cutlass. Instrumentation resembled aircraft instruments, rather than being located across the dashboard in conventional style, the instruments started at the center of the dash panel, extended vertically to the floor, and then were placed along the transmission tunnel, dividing the seat compartment. The underside of the front fenders was wide open and was perforated to permit exhaust of engine heat. High fins ran the length of each rear fender, with “88” numerals in the rear of each fin. The Cutlass had no outside trunk lid to open. Access to the luggage compartment was reached from inside the car. The rear window featured an unusual glass treatment. There were louvers on the surface of the pane of glass, giving a Venetian blind effect but allowing full visibility through the rear-view mirror. Oval exhaust ports were incorporated in the center of the rear bumper. The entire body was of reinforced plastic mounted on a 110-inch wheelbase chassis with a 51.5-inch road height. Other features included a combination bumper-grille, swivel seats and copper-toned glass for screening harsh light. The Cutlass made its debut at the 1954 GM Motorama. The body of the Cutlass was painted metallic silver with a white and copper leather interior. It was powered with a 250-horsepower advanced version of the Rocket V8 engine. Sources Cars Detroit Never Built by Edward Janicki. Sterling Publishing Co. Inc. New York. 1990 General Motors in the Twentieth Century by Alan K. Binder and Deebe Ferris. Ward’s Communications. 2000 |