Oldsmobile is lengthy gone. By the point the model was phased out within the early 2000s it was a shell of its former self, however Oldsmobile used to make attention-grabbing vehicles just like the 442, Trofeo and Aurora. One of many model’s final attention-grabbing vehicles, and sure one of many rarest, was a badge job of Basic Motors’ full-size wagon from the early Nineteen Nineties: the Oldsmobile Customized Cruiser.
The Customized Cruiser wasn’t a brand new nameplate for the model. The mannequin had been round because the early Seventies, and it was at all times Outdated’s model of GM’s full-size B-body vehicles, fashions just like the Pontiac Parisienne/Safari, Buick Electra and Chevy Caprice. By the Nineteen Nineties, solely three of those full-size B-Our bodies have been left in GM’s portfolio: the Chevy Caprice, Buick Roadmaster and Oldsmobile Customized Cruiser. All had not too long ago acquired rounded, aerodynamic redesigns in 1991, making the earlier generations sq. designs look archaic as compared. Whereas the Caprice and Roadmaster have been accessible in each sedan and wagon physique kinds, the Customized Cruiser was solely accessible as a wagon. Olds did this so it may nonetheless market the Ninety-Eight as its full-size sedan.
Save for issues like brand-specific trim and options, the Customized Cruiser was practically an identical to the Roadmaster and Caprice. Up entrance, the Customized Cruiser had the identical precise grille because the Caprice, simply bisected by a physique shade panel with the Oldsmobile badge. The roof stored the second-row skylights that had at all times been a characteristic of the Customized Cruiser, however this time across the characteristic was shared with the Roadmaster.
Low-skirted rear fender wells have been additionally shared with the Roadmaster and made the wagon look decrease than it actually was. One huge distinction that the Customized Cruiser had over its platform-mates was the outside trim. Olds did away with issues like brilliant chrome trim, wire wheels and wooden paneling for the Customized Cruiser, as a substitute going for alloy wheels and two-tone or physique shade paint and bumpers.
Inside, the dashboard design was an an identical bi-level setup to the Caprice and Roadmaster. The one distinctive issues have been the seats, wooden trim, and analog gauges; Caprices and Roadmasters had an old-fashioned 85-mph speedo or non-obligatory digital gauges.
Fortunately, that replicate and paste engineering prolonged to the Customized Cruiser’s powertrain. One of many issues that made these wagons nice was their commonplace V8 energy. When the Customized Cruiser (and Caprice and Roadmaster) debuted for 1991, it was accessible with Chevy’s 5.0-liter Small Block V8 that made 170 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque. Energy was despatched to the rear wheels by means of a four-speed automated transmission. When 1992 rolled round, GM dropped in Chevy’s 5.7-liter Small Block V8. Whereas horsepower in comparison with the 5.0 was simply up 10, torque jumped to 300 lb-ft.
Sadly, this didn’t appear to be of curiosity to patrons. Gross sales of the Customized Cruiser in its first 12 months have been simply 7,663, lower than half of Caprice gross sales. In 1992 gross sales have been even worse, dropping over 43 p.c to simply 4,347. It appears patrons wished the Caprice and Roadmaster extra. The Customized Cruiser was killed after 1992, with the model focusing its efforts extra on the Bravada SUV and Silhouette minivan. Simply 12,010 Customized Cruisers have been ever constructed, method lower than the over 50,000 models of Caprice and Roadmaster wagons that have been revamped their 5 years of manufacturing.
It additionally turned the final rear-wheel-drive V8-powered Oldsmobile. This rarity comes up if you attempt to discover one on the market. Simply two 1991-1992 Customized Cruisers have appeared on Carry A Trailer within the final 12 months, and there’s just one presently on the market on automobile shopping for websites like Cargurus and Auto Dealer. Should you ever come throughout one and have an opportunity to get your palms on it for reasonable, seize it and by no means let go.
