The Oldsmobile Cutlass first made an appearance in 1961 as a unibody compact car and proved to be a tough competition for the Dodge Lancer and Mercury Comet. It didn't take long for the Cutlass name to become not only one of the most popular nameplates in the industry, but also to be used almost as a sub-marque by Oldsmobile for different vehicles.
Origins of the Cutlass
The debut of the Cutlass emulated from an experimental sports coupe from 1954, which had a 110-inch wheelbase and a V8 engine. Its platform was quite similar to the later compact Olds F-85 that was released seven years later.
First-Generation Compact
Released alongside the Chevrolet Corvair in 1960, the Oldsmobile F-85 was the second of a small-sized car series of Oldsmobile, Buick, and Pontiac. It featured a 112-inch wheelbase, a unibody construction and had a lightweight engine. The standard engine was an all-aluminum, 215 in V8 with a two-barrel carburetor and generated 155 hp. Options included a four-speed manual transmission or the three-speed Roto Hydramatic and drum brakes of 9.5 inches in diameter. It had an overall length of 188.2 inches and weighed around 2,800 lb.
Oldsmobile released the Cutlass sports coupe in May 1961, complete with unique trim, two-doors, bucket seats, a center console, and a four-barrel V8 engine rated 185 hp. Sales surged and 80,347 F-85s were built in total. In testing, the F-85 with the standard engine went from 0-60 in 14.5 seconds and had a top speed of over 100 mph.
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