Car: Oldsmobile F85 2-Door Post Sedan
Year: 1963
What makes it special: The Cutlass was produced by General Motors’ Oldsmobile division between 1961 and 1999. At its introduction, the Cutlass was Oldsmobile’s smallest model; it began as a unibody compact car, but saw its greatest success as a body-on-frame intermediate. Introduced as the top trim level in Oldsmobile’s compact F-85 line, the Cutlass evolved into a distinct series of its own, spawning numerous variants, including the formidable 4-4-2 muscle car in 1964, premium Cutlass Supreme in 1966, and outright performance Hurst/Olds in 1968.
What made it famous: F-85’s were all V8 powered, featuring an all-aluminum block from Buick, but with Oldsmobile’s own heads with wedge-shaped combustion chambers. At just 215 cu in they were no big-block, but thanks to sky-high 10.75:1 compression, the little V8 developed 195hp at 4,800 RPM. That coupled with just 2,700lbs to push around made the F-85 offer performance unlike the competition of Ford’s Falcon or AMC’s Rambler Classic.
Why I would want one: Actually, had one for 14 years. A handsome looking car with great performance. I’d do it again without blinking an eye. I’ll own one again someday.
Fun fact: If you’re not one to “follow the crowd,” Oldsmobile’s F-85 is truly a unique choice in this particular segment of early 1960’s automobiles.
