42-754: The Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera is a mid-size car manufactured and marketed for model years 1982–1996 by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors — over a single generation. Body styles included a 2-door coupe , 4-door sedan , and the 4-door wagon . The Cutlass Ciera shared the front-wheel drive A platform with the Buick Century , Pontiac 6000 and Chevrolet Celebrity . The Cutlass Ciera and its A-Body platform twins, featured MacPherson strut front suspension, body-color urethane bumpers, flush-mounted glass, front-wheel drive, and on many models, fuel injection. The Cutlass Ciera shared
84-604: A vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars . "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the European car classification. Mid-size cars are manufactured in a variety of body styles, including sedans , coupes , station wagons , hatchbacks , and convertibles . Compact executive cars can also fall under
126-430: A 3.0 L Buick V6 engine, or a 4.3 L Oldsmobile Diesel V6 engine. Brougham trim added a plush interior with vinyl accents, leatherette interior door pulls, additional chrome trim, and a reading lamp. The base coupe and sedan were initially dropped after 1982 due to poor sales, leaving LS and Brougham trim as the only available from 1983 until 1985, excluding special editions. During the model year, production ended at
168-399: A black and chrome globe in the center. The International Series was available in coupe and sedan body styles. This model came equipped with a standard Buick 3.8 L V6 engine, 4-speed automatic transmission, sporty exhaust system, front bucket seats, and power windows. Composite headlamps were made standard on all Cutlass Ciera models. Sedan models could have the new power sliding sunroof for
210-472: A center console with bucket seats, and a sports steering wheel. For 1985 only the ES sedan returned, as the coupe had been renamed GT. GT - The GT (RPO W45) was first offered as an option on the 1985 Ciera coupe. It featured blacked-out trim, V6 engine, a center console with bucket seats, fog lamps factory body kit, alloy wheels, and performance suspension. For 1986, it was expanded to the four-door sedan, replacing
252-501: A special edition Holiday Coupe package, option WJ5, on the Brougham coupe. This package included a unique landau vinyl roof (RPO C10), opera windows , special rooftop trim, and painted pinstripes. The Holiday Coupe package required tinted glass and could not be ordered with standard pinstripes. It was discontinued partway through the 1986 model year when Oldsmobile introduced the updated coupe roofline. All Holiday coupes were converted by
294-477: A trip odometer and an engine temperature gauge. Six-speaker sound systems were added as were a remote lock fob and improved body acoustics. This would be the last year for the coupe in the United States and Canada, but it would continue on in the Mexican market. For 1992, the coupe was dropped, and the line-up included only sedans and station wagons in 'S' or 'SL' designations. The wagon now competed internally with
336-639: The Cutlass nameplate with the smaller Cutlass Calais and the upscale Cutlass Supreme . Oldsmobile had previously used the Celebrity brand in the 1960s, but GM chose to give that name to Chevrolet. With the Ciera, Oldsmobile established Cutlass as sub-brand for its line of mainstream sedans and coupes. Initially, the Cutlass Ciera and its platform mates were marketed as premium mid-sized cars, above
378-661: The Cutlass Supreme and Regal respectively, as lower priced alternatives. After 1990, special editions of the Cutlass Ciera were dropped from the American market and by the end of 1991, the coupe was discontinued. Although reduced to two trim levels and two body styles, sedan and wagon, the Cieras remained the brand's best-selling line for 1996. Production began September 28, 1981, at Doraville Assembly in Georgia for
420-662: The Ford LTD II and the Plymouth Fury . A comparison test by Popular Science of four intermediate sedans (the 1976 AMC Matador, Chevrolet Malibu , Ford Torino, and Dodge Coronet ) predicted that these will be the "big cars of the future." By 1978, General Motors made its intermediate models smaller. New "official" size designations in the U.S. were introduced by the EPA , which defined market segments by passenger and cargo space. Formerly mid-sized cars that were built on
462-550: The Fremont GM Assembly Plant when that facility closed. The 1983 model year added a new ES trim package for the coupe and sedan models. This would be the last year for the standard 13-inch wheels. During the spring of 1983, a special edition Holiday Coupe was added to the option list as part of the Oldsmobile Road Show sales promotion. For 1984, the line added a new Cruiser wagon, replacing
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#1732783386428504-547: The Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan (based on the Cutlass Supreme's W-platform), offering buyers a choice of wagon or a minivan. The Ciera remained Oldsmobile's best-selling model line, with over 132,000 sedans and an additional 7,793 station wagons produced this year. For 1993, the 2.5 L Tech IV engine was replaced by the 2.2 L "2200" OHV engine with a 3-speed automatic transmission. In 1994,
546-401: The 'SL' designation was dropped. The 'Cutlass Ciera S', available in sedan or station wagon form, featured a driver airbag as standard equipment, along with anti-lock brakes, adjustable steering column, electric rear-window defogger, automatic door locks, and delay wipers. The 3.1 L, Chevrolet V6 engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission replaced the prior year's 3300 Buick V6. This engine
588-498: The 1982 model year. In 1984, the Cutlass Cruiser station wagon model moved to the Cutlass Ciera's platform; previously, the nameplate used the rear wheel drive G-body . The Cutlass Ciera came in three trim levels: the base, LS, and Brougham. The standard engine was a 2.5 L four-cylinder Tech IV ( Pontiac Iron Duke ) engine. All models also included standard bench seats and cloth interior. Available on all models were
630-465: The 2-barrel carburetor. In compliance with safety regulations, the 1986 Ciera was the first to have a high mount brake light as standard equipment. The Cutlass Ciera nameplate appeared on the rear fiberglass panel, just below the trunk lid. For 1987, the Cutlass Ciera was facelifted again with a new grille, an updated steering wheel had the Oldsmobile logo moved from the right to the very center, and
672-433: The 2.8 L LE2 V6 engine was dropped in favor of the more powerful LB6 unit. In addition, Brougham and GT models received composite headlamps as standard equipment. The 2.5 L Iron Duke 4 cylinder received minor updates, including a serpentine belt, which replaced the previous engine belt set up, for a boost of 6 horsepower, to 98. Ciera's tail lamps were slightly revised, adding ribs to their lower quarter. For 1988,
714-646: The A-body platform had long since been monetized, GM was guaranteed a profit off each Cutlass Ciera and Buick Century sold. At the same time, GM was losing money on its other midsized platform, the W-platform . Production of the Ciera ended on August 30, 1996. It was replaced in the U.S. by the N-body 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass , also built at the Oklahoma City assembly plant . As a result, the 1996 Cruiser wagon
756-561: The American International Series) with more sporty orientation. Early models were produced with the 2.8 L MPFI V6, and later variants from 1992 got it replaced by a 3.1 L. In 1993, the Cutlass Eurosport received a redesign. The Mexican Cutlass was available in sedan and coupé until their discontinuation in 1996. The Cutlass was only available with a 3 speed automatic transmission and the Cutlass Eurosport
798-536: The American Sunroof Company (ASC) outside of the factory. Oldsmobile would ship ASC Brougham coupes equipped with tinted glass to modify at their facility. These models have an ASC decal in the driver's side door frame indicating the factory authorized conversion. ES - The ES (RPO W48) sedan was available from 1983 through 1985 model years. These vehicles feature unique wheel covers, blacked-out trim, F41 performance suspension, black sidewall tires,
840-526: The Buick Century coupe. These models are identifiable by their revised roofline and updated VIN identification, which replaced the "27" coupe designation used from 1982 until March 1986 with "37". 1986 also saw the addition of the 2.8 L V6 in place of the previously offered Buick 3.0 L V6 in the American market. The 2.8 L engine had previously been offered in Canadian Ciera's with
882-459: The Cutlass Ciera, as with the rest of the A-body range, was intended to be phased out in favor of the more modern W-body midsized sedans. However, the Ciera, as well as its sister the Buick Century , continued to remain popular nearing the end of their initial runs. Thus, it was decided that the older Cutlass Ciera and Century would instead continue production alongside their proposed replacements,
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#1732783386428924-657: The ES. Following the 1987 model year, it was replaced by the International Series. International Series - From 1988 through 1990 model years, the International Series (RPO W45/W49) was the top performance trim available on the Ciera. It featured the 3.8 L V6 for 1988 and the 3.3 L V6 for 1989 and 1990. Available on coupe and sedan models, it featured a factory body kit, bucket seats with console, FE3 performance suspension, alloy wheels, full instrumentation, air conditioning, JA2 heavy-duty brakes, extra capacity cooling, and unique ornamentation. XC - The XC
966-741: The X-Body, from which they were derived, and the N-Body Calais, which would follow for 1985. The Ciera and Cruiser replaced the rear-wheel drive G-Body Cutlass models, but strong sales kept the higher trim Cutlass Supreme in production until the 1988 model year when it was replaced by the W-Body models. As such, these front-wheel drive sedans carried the A-Body designation, previously reserved for their rear-wheel drive showroom companions. In order to keep both lines in production, General Motors rechristened
1008-614: The XC package did not include a standard V6, 4-speed automatic, or other higher-end features. These had to be ordered in addition to the XC package. Oldsmobile never officially produced a factory-built convertible of the Cutlass Ciera for public sale, but many dealers made them available via aftermarket conversions. Between 1983 and 1986, 814 Cutlass Ciera convertibles were made by Hess & Eisenhardt/Car Craft . These vehicles were Brougham (1983 to mid-1986) and SL (mid-1986) coupes, modified with leather interior and chassis reinforcement to provide
1050-527: The base Cutlass Ciera received composite headlamps, the new International Series models were introduced, and this would be the last year for the Brougham , which was rechristened the Brougham SL on coupe models. The International Series included the emblem with the flags of various countries in a circular pattern on the front header panel and b pillars with the name "International Series" written across
1092-480: The first time. The Cutlass Ciera was updated for 1989, with the sedan receiving a roofline similar to the coupe, revised body side moldings, deletion of hood ornaments and addition of rear seat shoulder belts. Both coupe and sedan models received updated rear-end treatments. The older Buick 3.8 L V6 was dropped in favor of GM's new 3300 V6 engine. The Brougham trim level was discontinued and replaced by an upper-level SL version. The XC trim level became optional on
1134-479: The former G-Body Cutlass Cruiser. A 3.8 L Buick V6 became available and the Holiday Coupe package returned to the options list for its first full year as did a 4-speed manual transmission for diesel models. This transmission was dropped in the fall of 1983 from the option list. For 1985, the Cutlass Ciera received its first facelift with a revised grille, headlamps, taillights, and interiors. The GT coupe
1176-525: The full-size cars of a decade or so ago ... best sellers include Ford Torino , Chevrolet Chevelle , AMC Matador , Plymouth Satellite ..." The domestic manufacturers began changing the definition of "medium" as they developed new models for an evolving market place. A turning point occurred in the late 1970s, when rising fuel costs and government fuel economy regulations caused all car classes to shrink, and in many cases to blur. Automakers moved previously "full-size" nameplates to smaller platforms such as
1218-522: The mid-size category. The automobile that defined this size in the United States was the Rambler Six that was introduced in 1956, although it was called a "compact" car at that time. Much smaller than any standard contemporary full-size cars, it was called a compact to distinguish it from the small imported cars that were being introduced into the marketplace. By the early 1960s, the car
1260-619: The mid-size market for decades. Mid-size cars were the most popular category of cars sold in the United States, with 27.4 percent during the first half of 2012, ahead of crossovers at 19 percent. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles. Based on the combined passenger and cargo volume, mid-size cars are defined as having an interior volume index of 110–119 cu ft (3.1–3.4 m ). GM 3300 engine Too Many Requests If you report this error to
1302-414: The mid-size market segment as the line of cars themselves kept increasing in size. By 1965, these GM "A platform" mid-size models matched the size of 1955 full-size cars. During the 1970s, the intermediate class in the U.S. was generally defined as vehicles with wheelbases between 112 inches (2,845 mm) and 118 inches (2,997 mm). Once again, the cars grew and by 1974 they were "about as large as
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-491: The needed structural rigidity that was lost by removing the roof. Throughout much of its history, the Cutlass Ciera was offered in several global markets. In Mexico, local production allowed for unique models under the name Cutlass (by General Motors). Many people were confused by this since it was invoiced as a Chevrolet and they were sold through Mexican Chevrolet dealers, but these models never wore Chevrolet badges. They were available as Cutlass and Cutlass Eurosport (similar to
1386-497: The rear-wheel drive mid-sized platform as the G-Body beginning with the 1982 model year. When the W-Body coupes were introduced for 1988, Oldsmobile reduced the number of options and configurations available. During the model years that followed, luxury and performance options such as FE3 suspension, auto calculator, bucket seats, leather seating areas, sunroofs, and full instrumentation were gradually eliminated. Originally for 1990,
1428-679: The same platform, like the AMC Matador sedan, had a combined passenger and cargo volume of 130 cubic feet (3.68 m ), and were now considered "full-size" automobiles. Cars that defined the mid-size market in the 1980s and 1990s included the Chrysler K-Cars ( Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant ), the Ford Taurus , and the Toyota Camry , which was upsized into the midsize class in 1991. The Taurus and Camry came to define
1470-477: The station wagon. For 1990, the front seat belts were moved from the B-pillars to the doors. This would also be the last year for the 'International Series' and 'XC'. The 1991 Cutlass Ciera was given a new taillight treatment with body-colored frames to divide the lenses into three horizontal slots at the expense of the Oldsmobile rocket insignias. Interior changes for 1991 included a new instrument cluster with
1512-410: Was added as a companion to the ES sedan. In spring 1985 the Oldsmobile designed 4.3 L diesel was dropped due to poor sales. Canadian models added the 2.8 L 2bbl V6 this year. For 1986, the Cutlass Ciera's grille had expanded ventilation sections than the similar 1985 model. The coupe received a revised roofline that was not initially shared with the other GM A-body models, but later migrated to
1554-742: Was available with both the 5-speed manual transmission and the 3-speed automatic. The Cutlass Ciera consistently ranked among the highest-rated vehicles by J.D. Power and Associates; it was ranked the "Best in Price Class" on July 30, 1992, and the "Top-Ranked American-Made Car" on May 28, 1992. It was also named "Safe Car of the Year" by Prevention Magazine on March 6, 1992. [REDACTED] Media related to Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Media related to Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser (A-body FWD) at Wikimedia Commons Mid-size car Mid-size —also known as intermediate —is
1596-459: Was dropped and the car was now known simply as the 'Ciera SL', which continued to be available in 'Series I' or 'Series II' equipment levels. The chrome "Oldsmobile" badge above the driver's headlight was deleted. As Oldsmobile attempted to reposition itself as a European-styled upscale make with new products such as the Aurora , the Cutlass Ciera continued to have strong sales. Because the tooling for
1638-416: Was introduced as part of Oldsmobile's 90th Anniversary celebrations (XC being Roman Numeral for 90) and remained on the option sheet from 1988 until 1990. It was available on coupe and sedan models. Sharing much of its sporty appearance with the International Series, the XC is distinguished by orange body side stripes in place of the typical black and chrome trim. Unlike the similar-looking International Series,
1680-513: Was renamed the Rambler Classic and while it retained its basic dimensions, it was now competing with an array of new "intermediate" models from General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The introduction of the 1962 Ford Fairlane was viewed by consumers as too close to the compact Falcon in size and performance as well as too close to the full-sized Ford models in price. It was the introduction of General Motors " senior compacts " that grew
1722-476: Was standard on the Cruiser wagon and optional on the sedan. The 2200 I-4 received minor updates, resulting in a 10-horsepower increase. For 1995, the 'SL' designation returned in place of the 'S'. The 1995 Cutlass Ciera SL featured a new shift interlock system that required stepping on the brake pedal before moving the gear shift out of the park position. For 1996, the final model year, the 'Cutlass' nomenclature
Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera - Misplaced Pages Continue
1764-450: Was the final Oldsmobile station wagon model produced. Sales of this Cutlass peaked at 53,438 in 1998 and it was discontinued in 1999. The trim levels for the 1989–1995 Cutlass Ciera and 1996 Ciera are in order of price position. Factory specialty models of the Cutlass Ciera included the Holiday Coupe, GT, ES, XC, and International Series models – the latter had a stock body kit. Holiday Coupe - From 1984 to March 1986, Oldsmobile offered
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