History What the heck is it? - 1954 Oldsmobile Cutlass & a great article about the car.

Looking at the background we can ***ume the car is a GM prototype but this is the first time seeing it,I looked through GM prototypes and came up empty, Know anything about the car and able to share the history?

Or is this someones photoshop shenanigans? HRP

 

google 1954 Oldsmobile Cutl***

 

Thanks Jim, that's a pretty advanced styling for 1954, I was thinking it had a sixty's vibe. HRP

 

It sure looks early-mid 50s futuristic to me....

but then they were trying for a 60s look. I guess it worked on you!

 

Harley Earl must have liked the fins, he used a very close variation on the ‘61 Cadillacs.

 

Well, the top looks kind like the 40's & 50's the basic car seemed to have a early Caddy look.

It looks pretty sweet! HRP

 

I don’t have any idea what it is other than I think it’s ***y

 

The F-88 and the cutl*** leading a procession of '54 Oldsmobile Convertibles. HRP

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I found this in depth article in Hemmings Motor News, it answers a lot of questions. HRP

At the height of the jet-set Motorama era, the 1954 Oldsmobile Cutl*** show car was cutting edge
A look at the 1954 Oldsmobile Cutl*** Motorama show car



Photography Courtesy Gm Media Archive and Author’s Collection

Eight times from 1949 to 1961, General Motors staged lavish auto shows in major cities for the purpose of telling the public about its products. These shows included automobiles from GM's p***enger car and truck divisions, as well as its AC auto parts and non-automotive concerns such as Electro-Motive Diesel and Frigidaire. Essentially, GM's road-going show (under the names Transportation Unlimited in 1949, Mid-Century Motorama in 1950, and The GM Motorama for the remaining years), served as a marketing tool for selling the current crop of new GM automobiles and other products. Furthermore, it informed people of the company's latest developments in scientific research and engineering. The traveling show was well known for its array of dream cars, or concept cars in today's vernacular, which tested public reactions to innovative styling and mechanical features that would either be included in the near future, at some time in the more distant future, or perhaps not to this day (i.e., turbine engine power for automobiles). GM's vice president of the styling section, Harley Earl, knew the public did not respond well to too much change too soon, but knew people could and would view changes in most instances as desirable if given in the proper doses over time. This was accomplished through interactive exhibits, orchestras and troupes of dancers, lavish décor, and, of course, through the dream cars—all done at GM's expense and free of charge to the public.



GM Photographic took many publicity photos of the 1954 dream cars, including the Cutl***, on the beach—probably Key Biscayne—not far from the Dinner Key Auditorium located in the Coconut Grove Section of Miami. This scene shows the Cutl*** being unloaded from its enclosed transport trailer painted in General Motors Motorama livery. More than 100 trucks were needed to move all of the equipment and cars to the show.

The show brought hundreds of thousands to each venue, so lines were long, but attendees evidently felt the GM Motorama was exciting enough to merit the wait. Once inside, visitors got to see new cars for the current model year, and gaze in wonderment at dream cars like the Cadillac Le Mans, Chevrolet Nomad, and Buick Wildcat II, as well as a plethora of others. Many people wanted to buy these special cars, but were turned away in disappointment. Still, plenty of visitors were awed enough to place orders for new Chevrolets, Pontiacs, and so on. The GM Motorama proved to be a great sales tool and helped propel General Motors to number one in the industry, with as much as half the car market during this era.



The 1954 Oldsmobile Cutl*** occupied a turntable in the grand ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria along with five other GM dream cars. The remaining dream cars were displayed in adjoining rooms. This view of the car clearly shows the combination bumpergrille, driving lamps, and the polished stainless-steel front inner fenders with engine compartment heat vents.

One of the dream cars on exhibit at the 1954 GM Motorama, and other venues, was the two-p***enger, iridescent copper 1954 Oldsmobile Cutl***. It was one of the more unusual dream cars to be designed by GM Styling. Fittingly, it was named to honor the U.S. Navy's rather unconventional F7U Cutl*** jet fighter plane. Indeed, one can see a resemblance between the rear styling of the Cutl*** and the rear view of the fighter plane. Surprisingly, the only place Cutl*** script appeared on the car was on its steering wheel hub as well as a rear license plate plaque when the car was on display. A**** the styling characteristics of the Cutl*** were its aircraft canopy-like roof and louvered rear window. Neither of these features was adopted for production, but the car's combination bumper-grille design was used for the 1956 Oldsmobile line. Additional styling ideas appearing on the Cutl*** included twin, hood-mounted scoops to funnel air into the dream car's heater system; teardrop-shaped wheel openings; polished stainless-steel inner fenders and engine compartment heat vents in front; modest tailfins atop bladelike quarter panels outfitted with small "88" numerals; flattened dual-exhaust outlets, each simulating four outlets to give the appearance of one exhaust per cylinder; and deeply recessed split taillamps set into the chrome-plated quarter-panel extensions. Furthermore, the Cutl***' lower quarter panels were either detachable or hinged to swing upward like those of another dream car, the 1951 Buick XP-300, to allow easy removal of the rear wheels. A formed-in body side windsplit fitted with a narrow bright molding almost completely concealed the seam of the liftoff or lift-up panel. The 13-inch wheels of the Cutl*** were fitted with turbo-prop jet engine-inspired wheel covers (similar to those of the 1953 Olds Fiesta) and black sidewall tires.



The instrument panel of the Cutl*** was much like that of the F-88 (shown)—centrally located and vertically stacked. Note the steering wheel differed little from that of the 1954 Olds 88/98.




The 324-cu.in. V-8 of the Cutl*** gleamed with chromed components. It was advertised as providing a peak output of 250 hp.



Several GM dream cars of the period, including the Cutl***, featured swivel bucket seats. GM did not adopt the idea for any of its production cars until the 1970s, though.


The dream car's spare tire was stowed in a compartment behind the fold-down center section of the rear bumper. Since the Cutl*** had no decklid, access to the luggage compartment was through a panel in the body-colored filler ***embly, located behind the seats.

Oldsmobile's press releases stated that the Cutl*** was powered by a 250-hp, 324-cubic-inch V-8 coupled to a Hydra- Matic—exactly the same as its shorter companion, the two-seater F-88 convertible.

Also shared with the F-88 were the instrumentation layout and bucket-type seats. A set of compe***ion-style instruments were arranged in an upside-down "L" layout across the driver's position then extended vertically to the transmission tunnel. The vertical stack of instruments, fabricated from the 1953 Oldsmobile parts bin, was mounted within three round housings. At the top was an odometer combined with a 150-mph speedometer and a 6,000-rpm tachometer laid out concentrically; the center one was divided into the amp (above) and temperature gauges; the bottom housing contained the fuel gauge in the top half and the oil pressure gauge occupied the lower half. Copper and white leather upholstery covered the seats that swiveled to facilitate entry/exit. Fore and aft adjustment was allowed via cutouts in the bulkhead behind the seats. A console between the bucket seats carried a radio/telephone—a very forward-thinking innovation. Conventional rearview mirrors were not installed, but instead rearward vision was via dual, wide-angle mirrors mounted on the central control panel.



Like a number of GM's dream cars of this period, the Cutl*** was a functional car. This photograph shows it wearing a 1954 Michigan state license plate, though the plate with number HJ 29 18 was blacked out for unknown reasons.



The Olds Cutl*** and its companion F-88 convertible led a plethora of 1954 Oldsmobiles positioned three across, though the occasion is now unknown.

Auto Age offered an interesting comparison between the 1955 Starfire and the experimental Cutl*** in its February 1955 issue. The report presented speculation on the contribution the Cutl*** might make on the future of styling from GM: "…while the Cutl*** in its present form, is for the most part an entirely impractical vehicle, it does furnish us with the basis for an interesting comparison.

"Let us return, for a moment, to the Starfire. This car is … one of the largest on the road, a fact that is its very selling point to many people. But while the Starfire is long, powerful and impressive, it is by some standards rather clumsy and even impractical when it comes to garage or parking space, especially in the crowded city. What is the alternative? Smaller— but not necessarily skimpier or less stylish—cars.



This adverti*****t was used to promote the appearance of both the Cutl*** and the F-88 at various auto shows. In this case, it promoted the appearance of the two dream cars at the Automotive and Industrial Show in Lansing, Michigan in May of 1954.




This rendering by designer, Irv Rybicki, shows an alternative design for the Cutl***. The targa-style top eventually found its way onto the Corvette in succeeding decades.



A souvenir postcard, like many period photos of the Cutl***, accentuates the car's unconventional tail.

"This is where the Cutl*** fits into the picture perfectly. It represents a trend towards the smaller, and presumably more maneuverable, automobile of the future. True, the Cutl*** is only a two-seater, but it is really much smaller than the Starfire and yet has at least as much if not more room for each p***enger. Its utilization of space is definitely reminiscent of certain current Italian designs which are based on balance and beauty of line coupled with utility…."

Regardless of the opinions of the automotive press, the Cutl*** did not offer any major breakthroughs for transportation. Other than its bumper-grille combo, its wheel-cover design was adapted for use as the optional color-accent wheel disc for the 1958 Oldsmobile, and its lack of a decklid with storage behind the seats was a lot like the 1963-1967 Corvette Sting Ray Sport Coupe. Less than a decade later, the Cutl*** name was chosen for a smaller Olds with a back seat.


The jet aircraft canopy-like roof of the Cutl*** along with its louvered backlight was a**** the many ideas exhibited in this dream car. Louvers eventually appeared on some sporty models of the 1960s, though as an add-on rather than as a structural part of the roof. Rear styling was inspired by the dream car's namesake, the U.S. Navy's F7U Cutl***.



The February 1954 issue of Auto Age magazine published a story about the Cutl*** in which the editors judged the dream car as offering a practical alternative in terms of its smaller size and superior maneuverability compared to its contemporaries.

The Cutl*** was an operable vehicle—perhaps from the start, or converted to one after that year's GM Motorama concluded in Chicago. (In some instances, all that was lacking in GM's dream cars to make them driveable was the installation of a complete wiring harness and functional instrumentation.) This is clearly true judging by photographs—one from July 1954 showing the car with a Michigan state license plate (though with an attempt at censoring the plate number) and another of the car in a parade with the gold F-88. Other such cars had in the past been made operable, so for the Cutl*** to have also become functional is not especially unusual. The car went on to be shown in Canada in 1955. Research has not found another showing of the car beyond mid-August of 1956. Of course, it may have been shown again, but this simply has not been determined to date. However, its usefulness as a show car was certainly judged as very near an end by 1956 or 1957. Its useful styling features had found their way onto GM models by then. That last known showing of the car was at a 4-H Club fair in Des Plaines, Illinois—an event far removed from the glamorous settings in which it first appeared.

What became of the Cutl***? Bill Warner, the founder of the Amelia Island Concours, believes the Cutl*** may have been sold rather than destroyed like some of the other GM dream cars of that era. He has a drawing of the car in an old CARtoons magazine with a caption stating the car was then owned by a resident of New Jersey. Perhaps it might be discovered and brought into public view again one day.

 

surprised they didn't bury the battery someplace else. looks terrible there.
i worked the 100th olds anniversary for fusick automotive. olds repo parts.
the swap meet had a twin steering wheel setup for sale. 2k for it. almost bought
just for the heck of it. it was a r&d gadget for the early 60's car. olds had the
plexigl*** hood option for the early 50's. they really didn't sell well. but neat to see.

 

That dash is killer!

 

The plexigl*** hoods were meant only for the showrooms only. Not to be used daily.

 

I have seen the Cutl*** somewhere before, but it sure is great to see it (and with more pics/info) again! Thanks, Danny!

 

The Plexiglas hoods from For d, especially the '52-'54 are highly prized buy Skyliner (gl***top) owners.

I saw several cars other than the Skyliner's sporting the Plexiglas hoods at the '54 Ford of AmericaHRP convention.

 

Thank's for adding the article, I had seen a picture of the car in the past but I really enjoyed the write up and additional pictures.

 

I always liked how concept car names get used later, although wasn't the Olds an F-85 Cutl*** for the midsize? The 88 was the "Dynamic 88", right? Our storied history is rife with concept names brought to reality even though not every car made it thru. Good stuff...