Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera


The Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera is a mid-size car that was manufactured and marketed for model years 1982-1996 by the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors. It shared the front-wheel drive A platform with the similar Buick Century, Pontiac 6000 and Chevrolet Celebrity; both Oldsmobile and Chevrolet considered using the Celebrity name, which had originally been used on the Eighty Eight model in the 1960s. Available body styles included a 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan, and the Cutlass Cruiser station wagon. Based on the GM X-Body, this platform served as the basis for the GM U-Body vans.

Background

The Cutlass Ciera and its A-Body platform twins, fearured MacPherson strut front suspension, body color urethane bumpers, flush mounted glass, front wheel drive and on many models, fuel injection. The Cutlass Ciera shared the Cutlass nameplate with the smaller Cutlass Calais and the larger Cutlass Supreme.
Initially, the Cutlass Ciera and its platform mates were marketed as premium mid-sized cars, above 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 the rear wheel drive mid sized platform as the G-Body beginning with the 1982 model year. When the W-Body intermediates were introduced for 1988, Oldsmobile "decontented" its Cutlass Ciera by reducing the number of options and configurations available to the public. 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 eliminated. After 1990, special editions 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 1996 final run of Oldsmobile Cieras were still Oldsmobile's best selling line.

Special editions

The car enjoyed many factory specialty models including the Holiday Coupe, GT, ES, XC, and International Series models – the latter of which had a stock body kit.
Holiday Coupe
From 1984 to March 1986, Oldsmobile offered a special edition Holiday Coupe package, option WJ5, on the Brougham coupe. This package included a unique landau vinyl roof, opera windows, special rooftop trim and painted pin stripes. The Holiday Coupe package required tinted glass and could not be ordered with standard pin stripes. It was discontinued part way through the 1986 model year, when Oldsmobile introduced the updated coupe roof line. All Holiday coupes were converted by the American Sunroof Company 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 side door frame indicating the factory authorized conversion.
ES
The ES sedan was available from 1983–1985. These vehicles feature unique wheel covers, blacked out trim, F41 performance suspension, black sidewall tires, center console with bucket seats and a sport steering wheel. For 1985 only the ES sedan returned, as the coupe had been renamed GT.
GT
The GT was first offered as an option on the 1985 Ciera coupe. It featured blacked out trim, V6 engine, 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 the ES. Following the 1987 model year, it was replaced by the International Series.
International Series
From 1988 to 1990, the International Series was the top performance trim available on the Ciera. It featured the 3.8 liter V6 for 1988 and the 3.3 liter 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 was introduced as part of Oldsmobile's 90th Anniversary celebrations and remained on the option sheet from 1988 to 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, 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 produced a factory convertible of this A-Body model for public sale, but many dealers did make them available via aftermarket conversions. Between 1983 and 1986, 814 Cutlass Ciera convertibles were made by Hess & Eisenhardt/Car Craft. These vehicles were Brougham and SL coupes, modified with leather interior and chassis reinforcement to provide the needed structural rigidity that was lost by removing the roof.

1982–1988

Production began September 28, 1981 at Doraville Assembly in Georgia for 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 engine. All models also included standard bench seats and cloth interior. Available on all models were 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 1983–1985, excluding special editions. During the model year, production ended at the Fremont GM Assembly Plant when that facility closed.
1983 Added a new ES trim package for the coupe and sedan models. This would be the last year for the standard 13" wheels.
For the 1984, the line added a new Cruiser wagon, replacing the former G-Body Cutlass Cruiser. A 3.8 liter Buick V6 and the Holiday Coupe package joined the option list 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 revised grille, headlamps, taillights and interiors. The GT coupe was added as a companion to the ES sedan. In spring 1985 the Oldsmobile designed 4.3-liter diesel was dropped due to poor sales. Canadian models added the 2.8 liter 2bbl V6 to 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 the Buick Century coupe. These models are identifiable by their revised roofline and updated VIN identification, which replaced the "27" coupe designation used form 1982 until March 1986 with "37". 1986 also saw the addition of the 2.8 liter V6 in place of the previously offered Buick 3.0 liter V6 in the American market. The 2.8 liter engine had previously been offered in Canadian Ciera's with the 2-barrel carburetor. In compliance with federal 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, updated steering wheel had the Oldsmobile logo moved from the right to the very center, and 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 liter 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, 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 a black and chrome globe in the center. The International Series and was available in coupe and sedan body styles. This model came equipped with a standard Buick 3.8 liter 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 the first time.

Engines

The Cutlass Ciera was updated for 1989, with the sedan receiving a modern roofline, and revised body side moldings and deletion of hood ornaments. Rear seat shoulder belts were added. Both coupe and sedan models received updated rear-end treatments. The older Buick 3.8 liter V6 was dropped in favor of GM's new 3300 V6 engine. The Brougham trim level was eliminated, replaced by an upper level SL trim. A new XC wagon also joined the option sheet this year.
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 changes for 1991 included a new instrument cluster with a trip odometer and an engine temperature gauge. 6 speaker sound systems were added as was 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 wagons in 'S' or 'SL' designations. The wagon now had some internal competition in the form of the new Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan, offering buyers a choice of traditional station wagon or a multi-configurable minivan. Despite the all-new Olds Achieva and Delta 88 models for 1992, the Cutlass Ciera was still Oldsmobile's best-selling model line, with over 132,000 sedans and an additional 7,793 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, the 'SL' designation was dropped. The 'Cutlass Ciera S', available in sedan or 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 liter, Chevrolet V6 engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission replaced the prior year's 3300 Buick V6. This engine 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 park.
For 1996, the final model year, the 'Cutlass' nomenclature 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. During this time, Oldsmobile attempted to revamp itself as a European-styled upscale make with new products such as the Aurora, but the Cutlass Ciera's continued strong sales proved almost an embarrassment due to its dated design and perceived image as an "old man's car". On the other hand, because the tooling for 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 massive amounts of money on its other midsized platform, the W-platform. In addition, build quality and reliability of the cars was extremely good by this point. 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 was the final Oldsmobile station wagon model produced. Sales of this Ciera replacement peaked at 53,438 in 1998 and it was discontinued in 1999.

Engines

Trim levels

The trim levels for the 1989–1995 Cutlass Ciera and 1996 Ciera are in order of price position.
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Throughout much of its history, the Cutlass Ciera was offered in a number of global markets. In Mexico, local production allowed for unique models under the name Chevrolet Cutlass. These models featured the coupe body style and International model until discontinuation in 1996. These vehicles were also offered with 5 speed manual transmissions.

Awards

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.

Noted owner

In April 2016, U.S. presidential candidate, and wife of former president Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton's old car was being offered for sale. The car was a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Brougham, blue in color, with few options, with an Arkansas registration and license plates, an Arkansas title signed by Clinton, as well as a Bill Clinton for Governor sticker from 1990 on the back window. The car was moved to the White House in Washington, DC in 1993 when Bill Clinton became the President of the United States, where it was mostly parked on the south grounds. In 2000, it was sold for $2,000 to a now-retired White House gardener named Mike Lawn. The car had approximately 33,000 miles on its odometer in 2016 when the owner was selling it. It sold in April 2016 for $60,100 on eBay.

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