The Forgotten Wagon That Marked the End of Oldsmobile

The Last Traditional Oldsmobile

We now live in a generation in which people in the workforce were born after the demise of Oldsmobile. It's almost hard to believe that this once-proud carmaker was frequently seen in the top-ten best-sellers lists back in the day, only for it to go out with a whimper in 2004.

But even prior to that, the brand was already seeing many lasts. Case in point, the Custom Cruiser sold from 1991 to 1992 was the last full-size wagon to wear the Oldsmobile badge. It was also the final V8-powered, rear-drive vehicle the company ever produced, and the often forgotten sibling of the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster.

1991: A B-Body Revolution

1991 saw drastic changes to GM's B-body vehicles. While their chassis dated back to 1977, the body on top of the frames would feature radical redesigns. The Caprice featured a rounder, more aerodynamic look that garnered amusing nicknames such as the Bubble Caprice, jellybean, upside-down bathtub, Shamu, and, er, suppository. Meanwhile, the Roadmaster had a more formal and unashamedly traditional land-yacht design that still looks pretty cool today.

But while the sedans looked markedly different from each other, the same couldn't be said about their wagon versions. The Caprice, Custom Cruiser, and Roadmaster wagons shared the same panels and sheetmetal. The main differences were in exterior trims, grilles, wheel choices, and some interior details.

Facts and Figures

Unlike the Caprice and Roadmaster, the Custom Cruiser only came as a wagon. That aside, the mechanics were virtually the same across the board. That meant either a 5.0-liter V8 or a 5.7-liter that also packed eight cylinders. The base engine made 170 hp and 255 lb-ft of torque, while the bigger motor put out 180 hp and 300 lb-ft. The 5.7 would be the sole engine choice in '92.

Okay, it's not mind-blowing numbers even in period, but those V8s were made for smooth cruises and towing. It was paired to an equally understressed four-speed automatic that slushed through the gears. Again, it's for cruising and towing, not acceleration pulls.

Kids today probably won't be able to comprehend the size of these full-size wagons. It was 217.5 inches long, 79.7 inches wide, 60.3 inches tall, and had a wheelbase of 115.9 inches. To put things into perspective, it's a wagon about the size of a midsize pickup.

Doomed From the Start?

While the Caprice and Roadmaster are celebrated to this day, the Custom Cruiser is all but forgotten except by the few old enough to remember and car history buffs. It probably won't come as a surprise that it was far from a sales success, with just over 12,000 built from 1991 to 1992.

The official reason for its discontinuation was Oldsmobile focusing more on the Bravada SUV and Silhouette minivan, which were selling in far greater numbers. But perhaps an underlying reason was the Custom Cruiser being stuck between a rock and a hard place. The Caprice was the value-oriented option, while the Roadmaster was the plusher version.

The Olds? Well, there wasn't much to further differentiate it from its siblings. And whereas the Custom Cruiser had to contend with an SUV and a minivan within Oldsmobile's stable, the Buick Roadmaster did not. Sure, the Caprice wagon had the same challenge, but its sales weren't virtually non-existent. It is a rare sight then, and an even rarer sight now; there aren't a lot of them left on the road. That said, we'd like to think there are still a few examples out there being cherished by their owners.

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