The 1970s was an interesting automotive era because domestic carmakers had to change horses due to external factors like gasoline shortages and new safety legislation for domestic manufacturers.
Car builders had to contend with new rules regarding anti-smog exhaust systems and bumpers that could withstand 5 mph collisions without damage.
Most of the new legislation required time for domestic manufacturers to comply with the new regulations that affected both style and performance for their new products.
Jim Sutherland
For example, the new bumper rules introduced in 1973 meant many cars looked like a kid with a set of ugly braces, while smog rules and the Arab Oil embargo killed muscle cars during that same time frame. The net result was US car makers faced many obstacles during the Me Decade, but we at MyStarCollectorCar believe they evolved during the 1970s and produced some amazing car designs during the back nine of that tumultuous decade.
An excellent example of optimum Seventies-era style and luxury in one package is Wade Sohlstrom’s 1977 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Wade has always been a big fan of the Olds Cutlass models built during the late 1970s. So much so that he bought a 1977 Olds Cutlass when he was a kid and put 100,000 hard miles on it before he was talked into selling it. He still has a Cutlass T-shirt purchased when he was only 19 years old.
Wade had deep-rooted seller’s remorse and began a long search for a replacement Cutlass. Eventually he found the perfect replacement 1977 Olds Cutlass owned by a woman whose son was an RCMP member and wanted the car to go to the kind of owner who would respect it. Wade and his wife flew out to Kelowna, BC, bought the Cutlass, and drove it through the Rocky Mountains back to their Alberta home-with its T-tops in the trunk to enjoy the view.
Wade’s search for his replacement Olds Cutlass coupe ended when he found the remarkably well-preserved 1977 Cutlass Supreme Brougham with only 56,000 original miles on its odometer. A Brougham model was at the top of the totem pole for Olds Cutlass models in 1977, so Wade’s car has plenty of luxury built into it at the factory.
The overstuffed and plush seats are a dead giveaway on the luxury angle for Brougham models, but Wade’s car also has other creature comforts like power steering, power brakes, power windows, tilt steering, power seats, early mechanical digital clock, and even a factory 8-track AM/FM radio in the mix.
Perhaps the coolest feature on Wade’s car is its aforementioned T-top roofs, a very popular option on many of the sportier 1970s domestic cars built during the latter part of that decade. The body style of the 1977 Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe model was a perfect base platform for T-top roofs and Wade’s car is an excellent example of the unique removeable panels’ cool look.
Wade’s high end Olds Cutlass has a factory 403 cubic-inch engine that was also used by other GM marques such as Pontiac during the late 1970s. The 403 offered above-average performance during an era when horsepower was not king in domestic cars.
The Olds engine is still hooked to its factory 3-speed Turbo 350 Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, and the powertrain provides smooth performance for Wade whenever he gets behind the wheel. Wade told MyStarCollectorCar the Olds “cruises great and just floats like a dream”, in his words.
This 1977 Olds Cutlass Supreme Brougham is an incredibly well-preserved survivor car that has clearly led a pampered life and will enjoy the same treatment under Wade’s watch.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
- CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
