1982

The Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera entered production on September 28, 1981 at the General Motors assembly plant in Doraville, Georgia. The car was officially introduced on January 14, 1982. Replacing the venerable Cutlass in Oldsmobile's lineup, The Cutlass Ciera (French for little princess) represented a dramatic shift for one of the best selling nameplates in automotive history. Lighter, smaller, and front wheel drive, these cars sold well and helped Oldsmobile move past the 1 million sales mark in 1984, 1985, and 1986.

The Cutlass Ciera's chassis was based on GM's "X-Car" (Chevrolet Citation, Pontiac Phoenix, Oldsmobile Omega, and Buick Skylark) that debuted in 1979 for the 1980 model year. Unlike the X -Car, the new GM "A-Car" (Chevrolet Celebrity, Pontiac 6000, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, and Buick Century) arrived without the nagging quality issues and unloved hatchback body styles of their siblings.

For the first year, the Cutlass Ciera came in three trim levels:

Base Coupe (G27) and Sedan (G19)

LS Coupe (J27) and Sedan (J19)

Brougham Coupe (M27) and Sedan (M19)

All models featured a standard 2.5 liter Tech IV "Iron Duke" four cylinder engine, developed by the Pontiac Motor Division, rated at 90 hp and 134 lbs/tq. Optional on all models was the 3.0 liter Buick built V6 rated at 110 hp and 140 lbs/tq or the Oldsmobile built 4.3 liter diesel V6 rated at 85 hp and 165 lbs/tq. All models featured standard automatic transmissions.

1982 Production Numbers

• Base Coupe (G27): 5,185
• Base Sedan (G19) : 9,717
• LS Coupe (J27): 10,702
• LS Sedan (J19): 29,322
• Brougham Coupe (M27): 12,518
• Brougham Sedan (M19): 33,876
• 1982 Total : 101,320

1982 Print Advertisements

Scans from the 1982 Oldsmobile Price and Specs Book, Effective October 30, 1981.

1982 Oldsmobile Full Line Brochure Excerpts, Published September 1981.

1982 Oldsmobile Trailer Towing Guide, November 30, 1981.