User:Regula1/Oldsmobile F85
The Oldsmobile F85 was a product of the Oldsmobile division of General Motors that was in production from 1961 to 1972. It started out as a compact vehicle, but soon became a side model line to the Oldsmobile Cutlass.
History
[edit]The F85 came to Oldsmobile as a result of the turbulent auto market of the 1960's. The demand for compacts was met by GM first by the Chevrolet Corvair in 1960. Soon after, compact models were being added to Olds, Pontiac, and Buick.[1]
Production Years
[edit]1961
[edit]- The first year ,year of the small land yacht. F85 offered a four door sedan, and a hatchback stationwagon, and was smaller than any other postwar Oldsmobile. Soon after this, two coupes were introduced, one of which was named Cutlass, and it would soon become the Cutlass line instead of the F85 line. Sales were peaking, because of the increase in sales with the Ford Fairlane. The car was powered by a unique aluminum 215-cid V8 [2], and weighed, depending on the body style, form 2666 to 2816 lbs. Standard equipment included many things such as foam-cushioned seats, self-energizing brakes, and turn signals. The standard tire size was 6.5 by 11 inches. The car was built in GM's Lansing and Southgate factories.
1962-1963
[edit]- For 1962, much of Oldsmobile's sales success was with the F85, which had introduced a Cutlass convertible and a sports convertible for the year.[3] Major styling changes for the year were focused on the front end, with a changed hood as well as grille and headlamp housings. Also, the rear end recieved twin tail lamps on either side. The standard engine in the F85 was the 155 horsepower Rockette V8, as compared to the Cutlass package, which recieved a 185 horse aluminun V8. Options consisted of an anti-spin differential unit. In the 1962 New York Automobile Show, an F85 was equipped with a fuel-injection turbo-charged V8 engine, and was known as the Oldsmobile Jetfire.
In 1963, the car got new steetmetal underneath the beltline, and its length was increased by 4 inches. Also, it got new standard features such as: self-adjusting brakes, aluminized mufflers, fiberglass hood insulation, and tubeless tires. A new addition to the F85 line was the Jetfire coupe, derived from the concept car from the previous year.
1964-1965
[edit]- For 1964, the option lists grew even bigger, with new features such as the Tilt-Away steering wheel, 4-way electric bench seat adjustments, the Jetaway HydraMatic transmission, along with the length of the vehicle, gaining 11 inches. Also, replacing the aluminum block 215 V8 was a cast-iron V6 or V8 Rocket engine. A new model variant made its debut in 1964, the 442, which stood for 4 barrel carburetor, 4 speed transmission, and 2 (dual) exhaust. Along with the Lansing and Southgate plants, the F85 was now being manufactured in Atlanta, Kansas City, Linden, and Arlington.
In 1965, few changes from the previous year were offered. There were design changes in the front grille and front bumber as well as redone tail lights and different side trim. The only major alterations in the interior were the addition of a brushed aluminum strip in the intrument panel and new fabric options. The two differing engines in this year were the 330 Jetfire Rocket V8, which produced from 250 to 315 horsepower, and the Econ-O-Way engine, producing only 155 horsepower.
1966-1967
[edit]The F85 continued to be a popular model line in 1966, with several sub-models beneath it: the Standard, the Deluxe, the Cutlass, and the 442. However, the F85 was eclipsed by the revolutionary Toronado. However, the F85 had some new items too, such as offering the first inline-six engine since 1950. New to producing the car for 1966 was Fremont.
- For 1967, Oldsmobile was slightly reeling from a drop in sales. The F85 had downsized to three body styles, but the Cutlass got five. The Cutlass Supreme got a new option in '67, and that was cruise control. Also in 1967, various new safety features were added across the board, such as a padded glareproof rearview mirror and shoulder harness anchors.
1968-1969
[edit]While in previous years the expansion of the F85 line was due to its other branch-off lines such as the Cutlass and the 442, a two model F85 was kept for 1968. The engine choice was between either an inline-six provided by Chevrolet or the Oldsmobile Rocket V8. Not much extra was included on the options list for this year except a padded dash, dual master brake cylinders, and seat belts, with the interior being either cloth or vinyl.
- In 1969, Oldsmobile sold 655,241 cars, which moved Olds ahead of Plymouth. Along with this, the larger of Olds' cars got major restyling, while the F85 only got minor refits. Also for 1969, famed political comentator Ralph Nader was forcing GM to publicize the addition of safety features on all their cars. Furthermore, the F85 was reduced from a two models to a single coupe for the year, with minor alterations to the car itself save for only offering vinyl interiors.
1970-1971
[edit]While the F85 remained as a sports coupe only for 1970, it did recieve a brand new option package: Option W-45, or the Rallye 350 package, which included Sebring Yellow paint, along with custom decals and a special 350 c.i engine.
- 1971 heralded the switch for the now one-model-only series from a sports coupe to a four door sedan, with only a few minor changes to the equipment list.
1972--Final Year
[edit]It was Oldsmobile's 75th birthday, and soaring sales had pushed it into the industry's third highest position. This year also heralded the demise of the 442 as its own series to become only an option package on the Cutlass. In its final year of production, the F85 got a new grille as well as a choice between the 350 c.i and the 455 c.i Rocket V8 engine, plus an aluminized exhaust system.