The Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera was a mid-size car sold from 1982 to 1996. It replaced the rear-wheel-drive Cutlass, moved the mid-size Oldsmobile line to front-wheel drive on the GM A-body, and remained one of the brand’s best-selling lines right up to its final year.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera at a glance
| Maker | Oldsmobile Division, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1982–1996 model years |
| Class | mid-size car |
| Platform | GM A-body, front-wheel drive |
| Sister cars | Buick Century, Chevrolet Celebrity, Pontiac 6000 |
| Assembly | United States, Canada and Mexico |
| First build | 28 September 1981, Doraville, Georgia |
| Trims at launch | base, LS and Brougham |
| Base engine | 2.5 L Tech IV four |
| Other engines | 3.0 L and 3.8 L Buick V6, 4.3 L diesel V6, 2.8 L V6 |
| Wagon | Cutlass Cruiser, 1984–1996 |
| Replaced by | the N-platform Cutlass for 1997 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera.
History of the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
1982–1988: a new front-wheel-drive line
Production began on 28 September 1981 at Doraville in Georgia for the 1982 model year. The Cutlass Ciera shared its front-wheel-drive A-body with the Buick Century, Chevrolet Celebrity and Pontiac 6000, with MacPherson strut front suspension, body-colour urethane bumpers and flush-mounted glass. It came in base, LS and Brougham trim with a 2.5 L four as standard and a 3.0 L Buick V6 or a 4.3 L Oldsmobile diesel V6 as options. The base coupe and sedan were dropped after 1982, leaving LS and Brougham. For 1983 an ES package was added and a Holiday Coupe special edition appeared; for 1984 the Cutlass Cruiser wagon moved to the Ciera platform, a 3.8 L V6 became available and a four-speed automatic with overdrive arrived. The diesel was dropped in 1985, the year of the first facelift and the GT coupe.
1986–1996: kept alive by sales
The coupe received a new roofline for 1986 and a 2.8 L V6 replaced the Buick 3.0 in the American market. Oldsmobile had intended to phase the Ciera out around 1990 in favour of the newer W-body cars, but the car and its Buick Century sister stayed so popular that both continued as lower-priced alternatives. The coupe was discontinued after 1991, leaving the sedan and wagon, and the Ciera was still the brand’s best-selling line in 1996. It was replaced for 1997 by the N-platform Cutlass.
Design and features
- Front-wheel drive: the Ciera moved the mid-size Oldsmobile line away from rear drive.
- GM A-body: one of the widely shared platforms of the 1980s, with four brands using it.
- Cutlass Cruiser wagon: added in 1984 and built until the end of the line.
- Long life: planned for replacement around 1990 but sold until 1996 on demand.
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera versions
- Base, LS and Brougham (1982): the original trim levels.
- ES and GT: the sporty packages added in 1983 and 1985.
- Holiday Coupe (1983–1984): a special-edition coupe.
- Cutlass Cruiser (1984–1996): the station wagon version.
- Late sedans: by the 1990s only two trims and two body styles remained.
The Ciera carried the Cutlass name alongside the compact Cutlass Calais, and it was replaced by the N-platform Cutlass in 1997. More models are in the Oldsmobile collection.
Video: 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera tour and first drive
Video by Saabkyle04 on YouTube.
Sources
- Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, English Wikipedia: history, engines, trims, production
