Introduced for the 1973 model year, this nameplate began as an upscale, touring-oriented version of the Cutlass Supreme, aimed at buyers who wanted a more European-flavored luxury feel than the mainstream mid-size Oldsmobile offerings. The early cars appeared on the Colonnade-era intermediate body and were positioned as a dressier, better-equipped Cutlass with an emphasis on comfort, handling, and sporting style. After a gap in the early 1980s, the name returned for 1985 when Oldsmobile renamed the rear-wheel-drive top Coupe/Sedan variant in the Cutlass family, giving the Salon badge a second life on the G-body cars. That revived run continued through 1987, after which the nameplate disappeared again. Enthusiasts often remember the first period for its early-1970s grand-touring character and the later period for its role in the final years of Oldsmobile’s rear-drive Cutlass lineup.
MODEL HISTORY