| 1977 was a boom year for the automobile industry and its third place seller-Oldsmobile-cashed in with sales totals of 1,135,909. This was the first time Olds had moved into the million car annual production club normally reserved for Ford and Chevrolet. (In fact, Olds is still the only make other than the "Big Two" to crack that barrier.)
The Cutlass sales totals continued to swell, paced by an awesome 242,874 sales mark set by the Cutlass Supreme coupe. The downsized full size models also sold well this year. The divisional lineup had been slimmed to 28 models this year.
Prime money makers in the 1977 lineup continued to be the Cutlass cars. Eight different models were available. Changes included front end modifications, a new instrument panel and wider selection of engines. The 4-4-2 W-29 handling and apperance option could be ordered for $169. No Hurst/Olds models were produced.
The 442 option was just a handling package, but its presence was announced in huge block letters on the door panel, and deck-lid, along with a sloped aerodynamic nose, a configuration that would be used in NASCAR racing. The $169 W-29 option included heavy duty shocks and springs, seven-inch wheels, and beefy sway bars. The 455 big-block was gone, but there was a new 403 cubic incher that provided 180nhp. The emphasis for the 442 option, as in the previous year, was strictly suspension and flashy graphics.
Since there was no special performance Hurst/Olds model for this model year, this was the only way to go if you wanted even the suggestion of performance. Once again, the G-37 Cutlass S hardtop was the only model to receive the W-29 package, with some 11,649 being produced, the largest number during the seventies. |
