The Oldsmobile Firenza was a compact car built from 1982 to 1988 on the front-wheel-drive GM J platform. It replaced the rear-wheel-drive Starfire, sat below the Omega and later the Calais, and was not replaced when it was discontinued.
Oldsmobile Firenza at a glance
| Maker | Oldsmobile Division, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1982–1988 |
| Class | compact car |
| Platform | GM J-body, front-wheel drive |
| Sister cars | Buick Skyhawk, Cadillac Cimarron, Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird |
| Launched | March 1982 |
| Body styles | hatchback, sedan, notchback coupe, Cruiser wagon |
| First engine | 1.8 L OHV four |
| Later engines | 1.8 and 2.0 L OHC four, 2.8 L V6 |
| 1982 LX sedan price | $8,080 |
| Assembly | Leeds Assembly |
| Successor | none; the Cutlass Calais became the smallest Oldsmobile |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Oldsmobile Firenza.
History of the Oldsmobile Firenza
1982: a new entry model
The Firenza was introduced in March 1982 as a replacement for the rear-wheel-drive Starfire. It was a badge-engineered version of the GM J-car, related to the Buick Skyhawk, Cadillac Cimarron, Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunbird, and was named after the Italian word for Florence. Oldsmobile gave it its own front and rear styling, with quad rectangular headlights and vertical grille slats below them in the bumper, and a dashboard shared only with the Skyhawk. The suspension, with MacPherson struts and a torsion-beam rear axle, was shared with the front-wheel-drive Omega and Cutlass Ciera. It launched as a two-door hatchback and four-door sedan with a 1.8 L OHV four, joined during the year by a Brazilian-built overhead-cam 1.8. A 1982 LX sedan listed at $8,080.
1983–1988: wagon, coupe and GT
A four-door Cruiser wagon joined the range in 1983 and a two-door notchback coupe in 1986; the Cruiser name was used on every Oldsmobile wagon of the time. The OHV engine grew to 2.0 litres for 1983, amber wraparound indicators and a full-width horizontal grille arrived in 1984, and a 2.8 L V6 became optional with the GT package in 1985. The GT was a hatchback-only model with FE3 suspension, heavier struts, a rear anti-roll bar and wider tyres: 65 were built in 1983, 2,312 in 1984, 498 in 1985, 1,032 in 1986 (its only year as a separate trim) and 783 in 1987. For 1988 the Firenza received composite headlamps and a chromed bar grille, and the hatchback, V6 and overhead-cam engine were dropped, leaving a single unnamed base model with option packages.
Why it ended
Sales of the Cavalier and Sunbird dwarfed those of the Firenza, so Oldsmobile did not replace it; the Cutlass Calais became the division’s smallest car and Leeds Assembly, which built the Firenza, was closed.
Design and features
- J-car platform: one of the widest spread GM platforms of the 1980s.
- Own styling: quad headlights and vertical grille slats distinguished it from its sisters.
- Cruiser wagon: a four-door wagon added in 1983.
- GT hatchback: FE3 suspension and an optional 2.8 L V6.
Oldsmobile Firenza versions
- Hatchback S and SX (1982–1987): the original two-door bodies.
- Sedan base and LX (1982–1988): the four-door models.
- Cruiser wagon (1983–1988): the estate version.
- Notchback coupe (1986–1988): the later two-door.
- GT (1983–1987): the sporty hatchback with FE3 suspension.
The Firenza was replaced in the range by the Cutlass Calais and sat below the Omega. More models are in the Oldsmobile collection.
Sources
- Oldsmobile Firenza, English Wikipedia: models, engines, trims, production
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}