(EXPANDED FROM 2/14/2024)
This is one of Indie Auto’s more hotly debated stories. Here I question Paul Niedermeyer’s (2024) contention that the 1966-67 Cutlass Supreme brought the “Great Brougham Epoch” to the mid-sized field.
“With the possible exception of the well-appointed 1965 Pontiac LeMans sedan, this is the very first mid-sized ‘Brougham,’ and the first to carry a specific name to point that out: Supreme,” Niedermeyer concluded (2024).
I agree that Oldsmobile’s top-end intermediate nameplate would become one of the most iconic of an era dominated by luxury models with modern interpretations of classical styling. Even so, I would point to three other cars that began inching in this direction before Oldsmobile (or Pontiac) did.
This article’s comment thread debate illustrates how readers can have divergent ideas about how to size up a car’s influence. What I think is most important about this discussion is that it sheds light on how a trend gradually took shape. Perhaps just importantly, how multiple automakers contributed to its development in a variety of ways — some more obvious than others.
Brooks Stevens was ahead of everyone else
As early as 1961, consultant Brooks Stevens was experimenting with how to broughamize the Studebaker Lark. A proposed 1963 redesign shown above was simultaneously prescient and hilariously incongruous.
Stevens developed the Splendide concept car after the Lark had been repositioned from a compact to an intermediate for the 1962 model year. The wheelbase on four-door sedans was stretched to 113 inches and the entire lineup received a luxurious new grille that mimicked a Mercedes-Benz. A range-topping Cruiser model was priced in the same ballpark as the Rambler Ambassador, Mercury Meteor Custom and downsized Plymouth Fury.
In 1964 the lineup was given an even more neo-classical facelift, replete with a squared-off roofline that evoked the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental — early pioneers of the brougham look among bigger U.S. cars. The Studebaker’s radiator grille was modernized but it still echoed the Mercedes-Benz’s, both because of its shape as well as a stand-up hood ornament.
One could argue that Studebaker’s contribution to the Great Brougham Epoch was muted because it was a dying automaker. True, but it nevertheless helped to plant a seed that ended up growing in more fertile soil elsewhere.
American Motors does brougham with the Ambassador
American Motors anticipated the brougham era with a new 1964 Ambassador model. The 990H was priced at $2,917, which was above equivalent body styles from the Pontiac LeMans ($2,556) Buick Skylark ($2,680) and Oldsmobile Cutlass ($2,784).
In 1965 the Ambassador was given a four-inch-longer wheelbase and a more formal look than its lower-priced sibling, the Classic. Then in 1966 the 990H was replaced with the DPL. The new model was priced at $2,756, which was $29 below the previous year’s 990H.
This was American Motors’ halo car, so it was a more ambitious effort than the Cutlass Supreme, which played second fiddle to Oldsmobile’s big cars. On the outside, the DPL had brushed aluminum lower-body trim and a squared-off vinyl roof. The interior was highlighted by the usual woodgrain as well as something unusual in a car — throw pillows.
If you think the houndstooth fabric didn’t look broughamy enough, check out the more subdued alternative to your right.
The DPL had a tacked-on quality despite the advertising slogan, “where quality is built in, not added on.” For example, the brushed aluminum didn’t align well with the body sculpting around the rear wheel cutouts. However, the new top-end Ambassador was arguably more luxurious than the Cutlass Supreme even though it was priced roughly $100 less.
1966 Cutlass Supreme had advantages over the DPL
The Oldsmobile trumped the AMC in a number of ways, such as by offering a four-door hardtop. GM was the only automaker that gave its intermediates this body style until Ford followed suit in 1970.
The 1966 Cutlass also sported new sheetmetal that looked trendier than the Ambassador’s rather conservative attire. However, the Supreme’s interior trim was arguably not as fancy as the DPL’s — or even the Cruiser’s.
Also see ‘Did smaller cars cannibalize GM’s premium-priced big cars in the 1960s?’
For 1966 Oldsmobile built almost 31,000 Cutlass Supremes. That was a pretty good showing — more than three times the output of the less-expensive Cutlass four-door sedan or the F-85 Deluxe four-door hardtop.
The Cutlass Supreme also sold much better than the Ambassador DPL, whose production failed to reach 11,000 units. The less-expensive Ambassador 990 four-door sedan did somewhat better, hitting almost 26,000 units.
Cutlass Supreme goes mainstream in 1967
The 1967 Cutlass Supreme had few changes but production soared to over 93,000 units, eclipsing the F-85 and base Cutlass series (not including the Vista Cruiser wagon). The reason why is that the Cutlass Supreme was given a full range of body styles while the Cutlass was downgraded to a mid-level series replacing the F-85 Deluxe.
The Ambassador DPL was only given a new convertible. And even though the Ambassador sported a major redesign, DPL output only grew to almost 14,000 units, while total Ambassador production was less than 63,000 units.
Why did the Ambassador do so poorly even though it had new looks while the Cutlass had a carry-over design?
I wouldn’t blame the Ambassador’s clean styling. One problem may have been that the Cutlass Supreme was marketed as a more luxurious mid-sized alternative to a big Chevrolet, Ford or Plymouth. In contrast, for 1967 the Ambassador was positioned as a big car even though it was less roomy.
Perhaps Ambassador sales also suffered because American Motors was too closely associated with its plebeian Rambler roots. Another factor may have been quality-control issues such as a gas-tank leak that led to a “not acceptable” rating by Consumer Reports (go here). And as AMC sales fell, some potential buyers may have worried about the automaker going out of business.
What about the Buick Skylark and Pontiac LeMans?
Another car that deserves consideration as the first broughamtastic intermediate is the Cutlass Supreme’s corporate sibling, the Buick Skylark. This is partly because Buick’s high-end series was similarly positioned in the marketplace. Indeed, the 1966 Skylark four-door hardtop was priced slightly higher than the Cutlass Supreme.
Another factor in the Skylark’s favor was that it was arguably America’s first compact luxury coupe. Introduced in 1961, the Skylark’s persona contrasted with that of the Cutlass and the Pontiac LeMans, both of which placed an emphasis on sportiness (go here for further discussion).
One might reasonably speculate that the 1964-65 Ambassador 440H was a response to the success of the 1962-63 Skylark.
And what about the LeMans, which was first offered in a four-door body style in 1965? Whereas two-door models continued to offer bucket seats, the four door came with a bench seat. Although interior fabrics looked upscale, the car didn’t have a center armrest like the Cutlass Supreme and Skylark. And in general the LeMans had more of a sporty than a luxury vibe.
Line blurred between mid-sized and big cars
One of the arguments against the Ambassador being the first intermediate brougham model is that American Motors shifted the nameplate to compete in the full-sized field. That’s true from 1967 onward, but not before then.
The 1965-66 Ambassador was situated squarely in the middle of the intermediate class when it came to dimensions. In addition, its price range was similar to the mid-sized lineups of Buick and Oldsmobile. A 1966 brochure touted the Ambassador as a “luxury car that isn’t oversized, overweight and overpriced.”
Part of the challenge here is that as intermediate lineups expanded, the line between them and big cars blurred. For example, the price graph above hints at the relative positioning of the mid-size nameplates in relation to full-sized cars such as the Chevrolet Caprice and Pontiac Catalina. In 1966 the Cutlass Supreme was situated between the LeMans and the top-end Skylark but a meaningful notch below the Caprice.
Although the 1966 Ambassador DPL was roughly comparable in price to the likes of the Cutlass Supreme, by 1969 the list price of the then-top-end SST had ballooned due to it being positioned as a full-sized car and offering standard air-conditioning and automatic transmission.
Skylark cedes luxury crown to Cutlass Supreme
The Skylark could have evolved into GM’s most broughamtastic intermediate. And up through 1969 Buick’s top-end smaller car tended to outsell Oldsmobile’s.
That changed in 1970, when the Cutlass Supreme gained a hot-selling notchback two-door hardtop. Buick didn’t follow in Oldsmobile’s footsteps until 1973, perhaps because it was more focused on big cars (as we further discuss here).
The Skylark Custom tended to be priced slightly higher than the Cutlass Supreme through 1972. Yet the mid-sized Buick didn’t exude the luxury of the Oldsmobile, particularly after a 1970 reskinning that tilted toward a youthful sporty look.
The Cutlass Supreme may have also sold so well in the early-70s because it was usually more affordable than Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix. Here Oldsmobile may have had more room to maneuver price-wise because, unlike these other two brands, it already had a halo personal coupe — the Toronado.
Whatever the reasons, the Cutlass Supreme went on to become one of GM’s biggest successes of the 1970s. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t give the nameplate credit for launching the Great Brougham Epoch in the intermediate class.
The Skylark was arguably the granddaddy of them all, followed by the Cruiser, Ambassador and Cutlass Supreme. We might also give the 1965 LeMans an honorable mention.
Oldsmobile management’s genius wasn’t in inventing a whole new market niche. Rather it was to learn the right lessons from these pioneers and apply them the most effectively in the 1970s.
NOTES:
This story was originally posted on July 13, 2021 and expanded on Dec. 1, 2022; Feb. 14, 2024; and March 5, 2026. Dimensions, prices and other product specifications were from the Automobile Catalog (2021), Flory (2004), John Gunnell (2002) and auto editors of Consumer Guide (1993, 2006). List price graph does not include wagon models.
Share your reactions to this post with a comment below or a note to the editor.
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993, 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- Automobile Catalog; 2021. “Full detailed specifications listing and photo gallery.” Accessed July 10.
- Flory, J. “Kelly” Jr.; 2004. American Cars, 1960-1972. McFarland & Co., Inc.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised 4th Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Niedermeyer, Paul; 2024. “CCCCC Part 3 (1966-1967): Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme — America’s Love Supreme Starts Here.” Curbside Classic. Reposted Feb. 14.
PHOTOGRAPHS & ADVERTISING:
- autohistorypreservationsociety.org: Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme (1970)
- Milwaukee Art Museum Brooks Stevens Archives
- oldcaradvertising.com: Ambassador (1964, 1966, 1967); Oldsmobile Cutlass (1967)
- oldcarbrochures.org: Ambassador (1963, 1966); Buick Skylark/Century (1962, 1967, 1971, 1973); Cadillac Seville (1976); Oldsmobile Cutlass (1966); Pontiac LeMans (1965, 1972); Studebaker (1964, 1965, 1966)
The Oldsmobile wins here becaue Buick fumbled the ball. The 1967 Ambassador was a great car, but not marketed well.
AMC trying to separate the Ambassador from the Classic/Rebel, and then marketing it as a full-size car, were ultimately mistakes. Giving the Ambassador distinctive styling initially boosted its sales, but that came largely at the expense of the Classic/Rebel.
Trying to sell it as a full-size car, without it being truly full-sized, was another error. The 1969 and later Ambassadors, with the extended front clip to differentiate them from the Rebel/Matador, looked awkward in profile.
AMC would have been better off keeping the Ambassador as a luxurious trim level of the basic Classic/Rebel/Matador. AMC could have saved a lot of tooling expenses if it had taken this route. More money could have been spent on actual improvements to the basic platform (for example, the front suspension retained outdated trunnions through 1969).
A further point: Studebaker could have introduced an up-market Daytona renamed G.T. Hawk-like roofed Land Cruiser-based coupe and sedan in 1962…but didn’t. Further, after 1963, A.M.C. was entering its slow spiral toward extinction. Neither A.M.C. nor the dying Studebaker had an effective dealer network. With Pontiac focused on youth and performance and Buick not communicating an effective marketing image, Oldsmobile combined the best of G.M.’s intermediates structure, style and performance to get the Cutlass Supreme into the minds of the consumers !
I owned a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera Brougham Holiday Coupe
DNA testing suggests that Brougham might have been fathered by Landau in the form of the ’62 T-Bird.
https://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/ford/62fugl.html
That car was mid-sized but not mid-priced, which raises the question of whether Brougham as mockingly applied today, is somehow tied to price in that it superficially dresses up an otherwise cheap or average car. Is the ’75 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham a real Brougham or a cynical Brougham? What about a Rolls-Royce of the era with a leather top?
The ’62 Lark Cruiser had dashboard woodgrain overlay. And with Broadcloth upholstery, very luxurious and TONS of rear seat room.
Also re: the Skylark being the first luxury compact coupe, please look at the ’59 and ’60 Lark V8s with their upscale vinyl interiors that was very much praised by the press. Performance and luxury in 175 inches! My ’60 Lark V8 has the optional split reclining seats too. And padded dash.
I’m astounded at the price gap between the 69 DPL and the Caprice/Catalina. The 300 dollar price gap is around 2400 today. As a survivor of the 60s and actually able to remember it, I have a feel for the mood of the day. The Caprice and Catalina were both longer and with a longer wheelbase, an important thing for the buying public. The older demographic who was the market equated wheelbase with comfortable ride, and most of the car buying publoic still called them Ramblers. It’s a marvel AMC sold so many.
The ’69 Ambassador SST had air conditioning and automatic transmission standard, which accounts for the seemingly large price jump from ’66 as well as the premium over the Caprice and Catalina.
In ’66, Powerglide + Air Conditioning added nearly $600 to the price of a full-size Chevy.
Right. For 1968 they added standard air conditioning on all Ambassadors and for 1969 an automatic transmission and V8 engine was standard on SST models, according to an AMC brochure. (I clarified the story’s text on this.)
Thanks for the reminder on that. I couldn’t believe it came with a standard manual 3 speed until I looked it up. That must have been a rare build.
An automatic transmission was optional on even some medium-price full-size cars in the late 1960s. Dealers, however, would simply order their stock with automatics, as they knew that is what customers expected.
I’m guessing that a dealer would have been reluctant to even special order a medium-price full-size car with a three-speed manual by the late 1960s, as it would have been stuck with a virtually unsaleable car if the buyer backed out of the deal.
In the auto industry, pioneering a new segment often isn’t as important as being the first to offer all of the necessary ingredients in an appealing package. With the Cutlass Supreme, Oldsmobile achieved the latter.
A big obstacle for Studebaker and AMC was that, by the time they offered a mid-sized brougham, neither was an aspirational brand, which hampered their ability to conquest customers. The 1966 Ambassador offered the best interior out of any of the cars in the article, but it was ultimately still a Rambler. Oldsmobile was still a brand that plenty of people aspired to own at that time.
Don’t discount the name… what was a 440H, an SST, a Cruiser or a Custom, compared to a Supreme?
Geeber – well said – and l agree completely.
Aspirational. That was the concept I was thinking of. Thanks for jogging what is left of my memory.
AMC opted its midsize 990h/ambassador line because that was the largest car in their lineup. Made to compete with the larger big three offerings, not to be an early entry into mid sized luxury. The DPL was in response to the Caprice LTD and VIP. Again, not an early competitor to the mid sized Cutlass.
“The 1966 Ambassador DPL was only offered as a two-door hardtop. Although it was mid sized, ads compared it to the big Chevy, Ford and Plymouth in price.”
‘70 Cutlass Supreme got the “G” body GP/Monte roof line like the ‘71 up Granville was a “B” body with a “C” body roof. “G” body was a “A” body coupe with a 4 inch wheel base stretch in front of the cowl for the long hood look. “G”s were also called “A specials”. Olds had a winner( a million seller in ‘76!)
But the Lloyd Bridges picture in the Skylark is downright creepy ! (Mandelbaum ! Mandelbaum !) That picture alone should have cost Buick thousands of sales !
The Supreme wins because it had a stand-out name and a first-year exclusive body style. It further stepped out from the crowd with the 1970 restyle that adopted the Monte Carlo/Grand Prix roofline. The Studebaker doesn’t make the cut because it was a 4-door sedan and also, the Cruiser had been around for quite some time, as a 4-door sedan. The 990-H did not have an exclusive roofline or come as a 4-door hardtop. The 1964 Pontiac Bonneville with the Brougham option beat Ford’s LTD to market but was largely ignored because performance was the division’s main selling point, not luxury. The upgraded, compact Skylark was a 2-year only model. Oldsmobile stuck with the Supreme and it paid off. If only GM had known how to take it into the 1980’s and beyond, there might still be an Oldsmobile division.