1977 Oldsmobile Omega SX: Favorite Car Ads | The Daily Drive

Numerous Present, Very Little Go.

1977 Oldsmobile Omega SX, Coupe, — 1977 Oldsmobile Omega SX

Would you purchase low cost tickets to see the Rolling Stone carry out stay, if the value discount meant the band would play very quietly? Wouldn’t it be sufficient to only see Mick and Keith, or would you wish to hear them as effectively?

Whereas this query could seem absurd, Oldsmobile determined to ask prospects roughly the identical query again in 1977. The Seventies have been a darkish time for auto followers, what with low-lead fuel cramping efficiency, excessive gasoline costs, and inflation-inflated sticker costs, automotive possession was by no means much less enjoyable.

1977 Oldsmobile Omega

Diminished Expectations

Worse, carmakers have been underneath stress from the federal authorities to enhance gasoline economic system, this at a time when Individuals had not but totally embraced downsized, or small-displacement engines.

So, in a delicate—and maybe misguided—try to lure sporty-car intenders away from fuel-thirsty engines, Oldsmobile provided customers free sporty stuff—however provided that they went with the bottom V6 engine. Let’s name the entire fiasco an experiment.

One Yr Solely

We’re speaking concerning the compact Olds Omega, a likable clone of the Chevrolet Nova, and doubtlessly sporty when correctly outfitted. And the “free” stuff was really fairly compelling.

For 1977—and solely 1977—Oldsmobile provided without charge the SX Options Group when customers bought 4 different enjoyable gadgets. That’s “9 gadgets for the value of 4” as famous within the advert seen right here.

Right here’s what you needed to buy:

V6-Sports activities Pack

Sport Gauge Group

Tremendous Inventory Wheels

Raised white-letter tires

Bucket seats

Right here’s what you bought free of charge:

SX Options Group

SX Décor

Customized Sport Steering Wheel

Twin Exterior Sport Mirrors

“Open Street” FE2 Suspension

Rocker-panel/wheel-opening molding trim

Good, however Gradual

What this obtained you, as an Omega proprietor, was a very nice, handsome automotive with a succesful sport suspension that couldn’t get out of its personal method. The automotive regarded nice, and the game suspension actually did enhance dealing with. However underneath the hood…nothing however remorse and disappointment.

Engines

As famous above, to get the free SX Options Group, prospects needed to follow the bottom engine. And that engine was the 105-horsepower Buick-sourced 3.8-liter V6. And whereas most have been hooked to a 3-speed automated transmission, a 3-speed handbook is also had.

Now, a 145-horsepower Chevy-built 5.0-liter V8 was additionally obtainable, however ordering it forfeited the SX Group low cost. Notice that California residents may additionally order a 170-horsepower 5.7-liter V8, which got here solely with an automated. Both V8 would have been a dramatic step up from the V6, and would have made this sporty-looking Oldsmobile enjoyable to drive, as effectively. One evaluation had the Omega with V6 and automated transmission reaching 60 mph from a cease in 14.5 seconds, whereas an analogous Omega fitted with the obtainable 5.0-liter made the run in about 10.0 seconds.

Worth

And what was that the free bundle value? For 1977, the SX Options Group retailed for $187, that’s about $1000, inflation adjusted.

No phrase on what number of customers availed themselves of the promotion, however it’s value noting the free-package deal disappeared for 1978. We suspect most SX-group-equipped Omegas have been ordered with one of many V8 choices, making for a great-looking, fairly sporty—by 1977 requirements—compact coupe.

“Rugged” V6

We hope the copywriter accountable for this sentence by no means discovered advert work once more:

“To make it go, there’s a rugged 231 V-6 that’s obtained loads of muscle…”

Undecided what’s meant right here by rugged, however we’re certain nobody conversant in the automotive ever described the V6’s output utilizing the phrase “a lot.” The man who wrote that line would in all probability purchase low cost Rolling Stones tickets.