1972 Oldsmobile Product Introduction Film Commercial - Full Line

This promotional film was probably about as twice as long as it is. It was found in a film collection but sadly, cut up into many pieces. This is the best we could to splice it all together and have in a form close to what it was. But again, sadly, about half of the film is lost forever.

[@robertortiz8540]

My first car I brought in 1978 was a 1972 Oldsmobile 98, two door hard top in black and silver the inside was black vinyl interior seats it had powers seats, powers windows, power locks, power truck button, and AM & FM Radio with 8 Track Tape player with a 455 engine 4 barrel carburetor I remember putting 10 dollars of gas it would give me 16 gallons Thank You for posting.

[@kerryincolumbus]

Osborn - you did a fantastic job putting this all together, just great!

[@will2993]

I love how the 350 was the moderate, money saving motor

[@rightlanehog3151]

Those 350s also lasted a long time.

[@walterweddle7644]

@@rightlanehog3151 mine still runs strong on my 72 Malibu. been in family since 8/12/72.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@walterweddle7644 Cool. How many miles on the Malibu? Please correct me if I am mistaken but I believe the Oldsmobile Rocket V8 was a quite different engine from the Chevrolet 350. I think those were the last days when GM's Divisions actually had their own engines.

[@jamesslick4790]

Well, When a 455 was a "thing", a 350 seems like an economy choice! 😊

[@jamesslick4790]

@@rightlanehog3151 Yes! the Oldsmobile "Rocket" 350 engine, was different from the Chevrolet 350. Also little known today is the fact that the Oldsmobile 455 (also, technically a "Rocket" Olds motor.) is NOT the same engine as the Buick 455. (and NEITHER of those are related to the Chevy 454.).

[@marjoriemorris5849]

I love Oldsmobiles! These are so beautiful 😍

[@19553129]

Thank-You For The work to bring this film to the you tube .

[@gralykmeno]

The 1972 Olds 98 that I owned once upon a time shall never be forgotten. Absolutely the most beautiful car I ever had.

[@jamesslick4790]

5:38 Olds full size cars (and Buick's too in the same era) had driver oriented IPs. Every thing was in front of you, no reaching over to the other side of the dash, and no dang "center stack of confusion" like today's cars and space wasting "consoles". The focus was on the DRIVER, as it should be in a CAR! 😊

[@MerleOberon]

The Olds Cutlass was the biggest selling car in the 70s.

[@rightlanehog3151]

The Cutlass from the early 70s was also very durable. They were on the roads in decent numbers well into the 80s and long after most cars of that generation had disappeared.

[@xavierdh2000]

Right Lane Hog You are so right there was alot on the streets in the 80's

[@imperial73]

Especially the 1976 model year, with 515,000 units sold.

[@MICHGO1]

FOND MEMORIES OF ONE OF THOSE. LOVED THE RASPY SOUND OLDS' MADE FROM THAT TIME PERIOD.

[@Victoria3232-j7o]

Along with the 1974-1978 Mustang ll.

[@sodiebergh]

What a buffet!! Thank you for this. I had no clue they retooled the song "Raindrops..." for their campaign 💙

[@davidallen5776]

The Cutlass became the unadulterated favorite throughout the decade!

[@garys8990]

Great video for great cars! Since GM killed the Oldsmobile I became a Ford fan. I grew up with several Oldsmobiles and the Delta 88 was my favorite. Thanks for posting.

[@NoName-ik2du]

As time marches on and we move further and further away from beautiful luxury machines like that Ninety-Eight, I become sadder and sadder. I recently sat outside my house and watched the traffic on the highway for about an hour. Hundred and hundreds of cars drove by, and not a single one of them was attractive or luxurious.

[@山本淳司-x2u]

カッコいいねぇ👍😉🎶美しい🎶😉👍素敵ですねぇ。👍😉🎶✨ 、

[@francispotter5300]

Had a 1970 supreme white black vinyl top thanks for the memories ( Doug in GA ) great car

[@melvinstewart5876]

Damn you General motors. Give me all these 72 olds

[@whatever2379]

The 98 was a beautiful car. I use to love GM cars, owned a 76 Buick Electra 225, 73 Chevy Classic (my favorite) 76 Pontiac Grand Prix, 79 Regal Buick, 82 Eldorado Cadillac (worst car I ever owned) and much much more. Slowly but surely I noticed that I was spending more time in repair shops then I was, enjoying these cars. I realized GM was screwing it's loyal customers, so I decided to go foreign, temporarily. Till GM got it's act together, by building more reliable cars. But after owning a foreign car I never went back to GM. My last was a 1976 Monte Carlo. Today GM is planning to sell trucks only. Claiming cars don't sell as well in todays market. Not true! The fact is that GM can not compete with foreign cars, PERIOD. Today people have realized what I realized decades ago. At the time people tried making me feel guilty by saying I should buy American. My response was " when GM learns to respect it's loyal customers by building cars worth my hard earned money I'll buy them again" other wise they can kiss my ass! Today it has all backfired on them, as they struggle daily to keep their heads above water as more and more people abandon them. I am however realizing the same thing I realized with GM, in that the last of the best foreign cars built was up to 1995. Reliability has been slowly but surely declining, ever since. Yet the prices continue to sky rocket to the point that they too are not worth buying. Bottom line is that we the American people are getting screwed on the daily basis with higher prices for increased garbage. Foreign and domestic, alike!! Today money has become the God of greedy pigs who will stop at nothing to rob it from us.

[@OsbornTramain]

It is true that Trucks sell better. all marketing shows the direction of the USA market is in Trucks and SUV's. Not cars. FCA, Ford and GM are all leaving the car market gradually......Even AMC did the same thing in 1979 when they aligned with Renault, Renault was to design cars for USA and AMC would focus on the SUV market........Cars simply don't have the profit margin and are best left to the Chinese and Koreans in the future.

[@whatever2379]

Exactly "Cars (AMERICAN) simply don't have the profit margin and are best left to the Chinese and Koreans in the future."...…..Because American cars can not compete with Japanese cars, the fact that American trucks sell better then American cars does NOT mean that cars don't sell, only the American ones don't. Japanese are selling just fine. You might see this as a win win for GM. I see it as a shameful defeat to Japanese manufactures.

[@OsbornTramain]

I would say, a shameful defeat to the NOT Japanese, because they are only one step behind Detroit, they can't compete anymore either with Korea or China.....hence you see them sadly trying to break into the Truck and SUV market. They too are in trouble...they are getting killed by Kia and Hyundai......they too branched out into the luxury market 20 years ago because they saw the handwriting on the wall too, they too needed higher margins with luxury cars, like Acura, Infiniti and Lexus. Hyundai is scaling back their Luxury market play, it's not gone well, but if they can crack that code, Japan is done too as a player in that high profit margin market. The third world will be buying Korean and Chinese, not Japanese, they will always go for the lower price car simply due to resources. So it's a defeat to the Chinese and Koreans in my view, not the Japanese..

[@whatever2379]

OsbornTramain, you nailed it right on the head. I see the same exact thing happening in the future.

[@seoulkidd1]

I own a VW and its a German version of GM

[@sterlinsilver]

The license plates saying "olds" is such a nice little touch

[@lordpicho]

That 98 had me drooling! Memories of all these olds on the streets when I was a kid.

[@alangeldart4942]

to drive one of them new!!! how i would had love that!!! i was only 7 in 72

[@jjsrt8]

Alan Geldart I wasn't even born but I'm buying one this weekend. 1972 Coupe worked my but off to afford a classic.

[@alangeldart4942]

good for you!!! you will like it iam sure

[@chuckgates1171]

Alan Geldart same here. I owned 3 olds The 76 delra 88 350 R was the best.

[@jbird4461]

@@jjsrt8 I had a 72 Cutlass S in the 80s, I loved that car! I've been looking for a decent one now with no luck. Enjoy your new ride!

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

R.I.P. Oldsmobile.

[@TheSpritz0]

In my estimate, I'd need 2 parking spaces in my Condo's underground parking to park a Olds 98!!!

[@nathanwilkie3697]

Nifty little car! Love the rear taillights

[@georgeszaslavsky]

excellent work and thanks for sharing

[@tobycleo]

I had a "1976" 98 the last year of the big 98s in my opinion the nicest looking in burgundy red

[@Oldsmobilef85]

I don't own an oldsmobile but I have a 72 pontiac catalina coupe I saved from a junkyard I'd like to have that red oldsmobile cutlass s that would be sweet. Long live oldsmobile and pontiac.

[@fortyfour6626]

Ahhhhhhhh, the bench seat and ashtray.

[@spacetrucker2952]

I remember when B pillars were optional.

[@jackoddie]

SPACE TRUCKER 2004 Cadillac

[@MICHGO1]

THE CHEAP MODELS HAD THE B PILLAR.

[@rightlanehog3151]

MICHGO1, You mean the B pillar was available with no extra charge?

[@reginaldwilson2532]

I always loved these old commercials. "Oldsmobile, new for 1972" lol

[@toronado455]

"all new 72" was used in a lot of commercials that year.

[@georgewilson1184]

Those were the days someone please tell me they invented a time machine so I can go back to a bygone era so so sweet yeah I know there was problems then too but I don’t like things going on now in the present so vica versa hither tither & yon

[@jeffreyalman]

My grandmother had a 72 88 Royale. Best car ever.

[@kerryincolumbus]

E X C E L L E N T Video!!!!

[@bradleygoode116]

i bought a 72 88 royale 455ci brown 4 door, that was a real car, i buried the speedometer at 120mph. torque monster. very smooth well built car.

[@rightlanehog3151]

"But there's one thing I know, 5:20 the blues they send to meet me won't defeat me, It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me ;) "

[@rsstrazz6261]

"What the hell you think yer doin'?" - "Stealin yer woman" - - - " -Take her"

[@OsbornTramain]

No, sorry, I don't. I upload what I find as soon as I find it and convert it.......I'm always looking so maybe in the future I hope, subscribe, you never know!

[@woodyofp8574]

It gets the name "88" because that's the length, in feet.

[@kennybranshaw7526]

The dashboard on that '72 Cutlass is just niiice!

[@elmowilson298]

Yes sir. Many of these Oldsmobiles had a square single dashboard throughout the years even thw Custom Cruiser wagons.

[@robd7365]

Early 70's full sized olds are beautiful cars

[@eltonjohn3236]

The Cutlass models sold very well into the 1980’s as well. I’m not sure where GM went wrong with them. Just too much badge engineering I suppose.

[@OsbornTramain]

1978, that's when things went off the rails. They had their first big decrease in sales on the 4 door Aero models vs. the previously styled 4 door model. They did rebound a bit in 1980 with the restyled knotchback roof line on the four door sedan, but from that point on, they slowly decreased in sales. But again, it's not just the Cutlass that declined in sales. Everythign practically at Oldsmobile was called or named Cutlass, Cutlass Ciera, for example.....things just slid very badly very quickly at Oldsmobile thru the 80's.

[@BELCAN57]

@@OsbornTramain Downsizing killed a lot of GM's standard cars.

[@walterweddle7644]

I prefer the 72 Cutlass over the 73. In a 72 two door coupe you could roll down all windows front and rear. Not in 1973. I just didn't like those safety bumpers on the 73 models, however let me say this, the 73 is in my opinion better looking than anything today.

[@Progrocker70]

@@walterweddle7644 Agreed I loved the 68-72 body. The '73 seemed bulkier and just didn't look as good to me.

[@Progrocker70]

@@OsbornTramain The 2 door Cutlass was king in sales, and I think by mid or later '80s that two door personal luxury segment was declining in sales.

[@mattskustomkreations]

I prefer the formal roofline on the Cutlass models.

[@brandancooper385]

Hum...9:13 he said .."computer selected Springs"...in 1972?....computer?

[@xavierdh2000]

lol that instrumental playing that's Shirley Bassy song where Do I begin playing for the 98 commercial lol it was a big hit for her that year! in 72 lol

[@OsbornTramain]

It's not Shirley Bassy's song, it the Theme Song to the Film "Love Story", written by Francis Lai introduced in 1970. Andy Williams took it to the no. 1 spot on the USA charts (being a USA song). there have been covers from many other singers, from Jim Nabors to Englbert Humperdink. Shirley Bassy did a cover of the song too, one of just about 32 people alone covered the song in 1972 and had hits with it.

[@xavierdh2000]

OsbornTramain yea i new it was from the movie, And that Andy Williams had done it but i am more familiar with Shirley Bassey version and when i heard it that's who i thought of

[@ketoninja]

I had a 72 Delta 88 in college for a while, Rocket 350 2bbl., think I paid a few hundred bucks for it. I remember walking on the hood and over the whole body from stem to stern. Lots of steel there. I took the air cleaner off while it ran to listen to the sucking sound it made as I revved it up. Wasn't a very fast car, and boy did it suck gas, but it was a tough old beast. I hit a deer once and it didn't even leave a dent in the bumper. I remember removing one of the massive turn signal lenses in the front and OMG it was huge. Fun times.

[@pwrfl2357]

Do you have the olds line for 1973? One of my favorite cars ever is a 73 cutlass supreme

[@OsbornTramain]

what you see is what I've got. I upload when I find new material....I wish I had a stach but I don't....just search on my channel, what you find is all I've got (at that moment)

[@Marco-lv8co]

I had a 1970 cutlass supreme sx, see ring yellow with White vinyl top, and White interior with consol. 455 dual exhaust. 400th. I put A holley 4 barrel on it. Blue printed the motor, repainted and restored the whole car. I loved it. But somebody desided to put the car at fire one night.10 years ago. So there it went. Bought a 69 Corvette and a 99 camaro z 28 for the insurance money. Regretted the Corvette, changed it for a 71 Impala conv, with a 454.still miss that olds.

[@robertorossi5979]

I miss our olds 98 coupe

[@raymondhaley6185]

The luxurious rocket 🚀,a wild combined combination of big car room and stylish but commanding presence and a big block short block engine that was more than capable of hurling a big 4600lb/coupe or4700lb sedan like midsize cars regardless of horsepower, upgrade the entire engine and all I can say is hold on for dear life my friend, because then you'll have a rocket 🚀 that's hard to control.

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

Where are the wagons? It was the last year for the "real" Vista Cruiser, and the clamshell tailgate Custom Cruiser was still the talk of the wagon buyers because of its tailgate, its immense size and its immense towing capacity.

[@OsbornTramain]

sadly, as mentioned, this film was cut up and broken apart, I was able to secure only parts of the film and restore it. There's no Toronado stuff either. I never get why people take film and cut it all up?

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

@@OsbornTramain - Sad. It would have been worth more intact.

[@briansmith8361]

The lost footage is a shame, but wagons are indeed gaining in popularity among collectors. There are many beautiful vintage wagons I would be pleased to own.

[@LakeNipissing]

"15 exterior colors" . . . just imagine!! What have advances in paint technology brought us 45 years later? Choices of black, white and a few shades of gray, even for a 60,000 plus dollar car. Pathetic! But 1972 must have been a difficult year to push car sales, with engine outputs almost cut in half vs. 1971 models, which were essentially identical cars with much better performance and fuel economy.

[@OsbornTramain]

wow, spot on!

[@xavierdh2000]

LakeNipissing Thats so true!

[@MICHGO1]

YUP AND YOU CAN CHOSE FROM A BLACK OR A BLACK INTERIOR. YOU CAN'T FIND A DECENT COUPE TO SAVE YOUR LIFE. GIVE ME A '76 LIGHT BLUE OVER BLUE CUTLASS SUPREME ANY DAY.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Lake Nipissing, You should see Lou Cosatabile's Channel with the recent video of a '75 Buick convertible. It actually features the dealer catalogues that let the customer choose the specific features of their own car.

[@75aces97]

You can also get shades of beige and tan. This is a very exciting time in exterior paint. 🧐 I've wondered that too though. From the late 70s most models of car got super conservative in their paint colors. Except for a short time in the mid-late 90s, exterior colors have been really boring. The choices we get for most models anymore, only a fleet service can love. Maybe that's who gets catered to anymore.

[@johnxaviere]

6:58 someones gonna get some...

[@jamesslick4790]

The 1971-72 98's seemed to be "channeling" the 1960 Cadillac. An early example of intentional "retro" styling?

[@Sashazur]

Back when you could get a car in colors besides black, silver, white, and dark red - and when you could get an interior other than black or ... black?

[@OsbornTramain]

On my driveway today, I have an Orange AMC Matador, a bright Yellow AMC Matador, a Beige Fury, a Brown Fury and a White with wood grain Royal Monaco.....on the new cars of mine, I went kinetic Blue on the Bolt, Gomango Orange on my Challanger and dark red on my Ram. I refuse to go silver, black, white......so boring

[@mattskustomkreations]

Grandpa had a string of ‘98’s.

[@mason5540]

The Osborn Supremacy, featuring the Cutlass Supreme

[@67marlins]

Nice but I was hoping for the whole lineup including Toronado....and I guess the Nova-based Omega came later?

[@OsbornTramain]

I can only show what's been saved and still remains.....film is fragile, time will damage it. This is all I could use. Omega was 1973

[@papocam3853]

Hey!!! Where's the top of the line,the personal luxury coupe; TORONADO, if you can see me NOW!!!!!

[@OsbornTramain]

Yes, in my description I mentioned that this film had been cut apart and separated, not all the pieces survived, clearly the Tornado is not in this and neither is the Custom Cruiser or Cutlass Wagon too....these parts of the film were lost for ever.

[@soundwavs1961c]

7:26 We had a Green one.. This car fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@davidgarris2513]

Yes, you to may be able to actually afford this car. Because we actually employ people here stateside!

[@BootHillStompers]

Hello Do You have similar stuff for the 1978 line up?

[@pacbeltrr38]

These were great Cars! Then after 73, they became overweight and underpowered....

[@johnborges5938]

The chassis of the '71-76 were all substantially the same, and already horribly bloated and overweight compared with the earlier models. The massive bloating was yet another bizarre and poorly timed design decision from GM, and quickly followed by Ford and Chrysler. From about 72 on, in response to the Clean Air Act of 1970, American car companies introduced poorly designed, half-hearted modifications to engines to meet new anti-pollution requirements, damaging economy and performance. It really took Volvo's creation of the closed-loop engine control system, universally adopted by the 80s, to rectify the situation. Like you, I still have fond memories of these cars, though. Seeing these ads is almost as good as a time machine!

[@waterheaterservices]

I became over weight and under powered after 53.

[@lindycorgey2743]

If you were working a decent job. You could afford most any American Mid or Large Car. Also afford to fuel them.

[@glenselenselv1756]

Where can I order one?

[@Joeyland]

there was a time when they showed you and informed you about a car in a commercial, now they photograph it artistically and give it a stupid name

[@jamesslick4790]

Buick would use "Little Limousine" to describe their FWD X-Body Skylark abut a decade later.

[@houstoncowdog]

I agree, the 76 98’s were the best looking. I’d actually like to own one but the prices have skyrocketed in the last 3 or 4 years. As recently as 2017-2018, really nice examples of the 76 98 could be found for less than $10 but not anymore.

[@egold1006]

I knew wrestler Chief Jay Strongbow, he had a loaded 1972 98. I thought he would be more of a Pontiac guy.

[@sweetdaddy77]

Eighty Eight was probably best bang for the buck

[@jorgehuerta9593]

When did you hear about these cars being riddled with transmission problems well before 100000 miles!?!? Never!!!!

[@ralstonmathews3543]

I'm a Buick man...however I sure miss Oldsmobile and Pontiac/🙄

[@TheCanigitar]

❤I ilke it. ❤

[@phoenixinfinity595]

Insurance cost

[@markjohnston3502]

Nothing on the Toronado

[@OsbornTramain]

Yes, if you read the description you would understand that this was a film that was cut up and then the pieces that survived were restored. Clearly there was a Toronodo print, but it's lost forever

[@markjohnston3502]

@@OsbornTramain Si! I know.

[@tommywatterson5276]

Awful young couple buying the 98. The market for the 98 were in their 50 and 60's

[@jorgehuerta9593]

IMHO the olds 350/455 engines way better than the Chevy 350/454, respectively....Way better.....

[@matthewennen9311]

😊😊 N

[@terrymeadows1827]

You could get a higher trim Plymouth Fury with a better-looking, more substantial interior than that for a much lower cost. And the '72 Dodge Royal Monaco was gorgeous outside and in. Chrysler ruled the late '60s and early '70s as far as style and value, IMO.

[@OsbornTramain]

But you were paying for the Name. Oldsmobile was an upper middle priced line of cars, Plymouth was the low price three, with Ford and Chevy.......so even if it was nicer, it still didn't have the status of an Oldsmobile. Dodge was middle priced, Chrysler was upper middle price and competed directly with Buick and Oldsmobile. Mercury, Dodge, Pontiac were basically going head to head against each other.

[@terrymeadows1827]

Yep and that's why I say the Plymouth was a better value. I don't like paying for names, although the '96 Olds Cutlass Supreme was a more substantial-looking car than its Chevy counterpart--the Baretta (which looked cheap, again, IMO). Thanks for posting your vintage videos, Mr. Tramain. It's a lot of work which many of us car nuts really appreciate.

[@chrisxaf1237]

Terry Meadows Those 69-73 chryslers were bland and ugly with poor quality. Thats why most of these didnt survive the 80s while even nowadays there are tons of unrestored oldsmobiles from the 70s

[@glennso47]

All the GM cars of that era were oversized battle ships. I had a 1973 Chevrolet Caprice and it was just over sized and one of the worst cars I ever had. GM did the right thing by downsizing their cars in 1977. As the 1977 Chevy commercial said “Now that’s more like it “

[@solidbreed9767]

You probably didn't take care of it

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@@solidbreed9767 I like their description "it was just so oversized and one of the worst cars ever". Immaculate real experience, I bet I purchased it in 1999 and expected it was going to work just as perfect as it did when it was new.