I absolutely love these Retro-Reviews because they are perfect for putting us back in the right context of looking at old cars when they were new. Cars that we think were OK, cars that we think were awesome, cars that we think were garbage. Were they really any of those things? Sometimes our memories let us down when we see the machines in they fresh, gleaming paint and when they were cutting edge means of transportation. In this case the subject is a 1987 Olds Cutlass Calais International which had a rowdy Quad 4 engine and a five speed manual transmission to get your blood pumping. As it turns out, the car did just that with a 0-60 time well quicker than the norm and the 150hp Quad 4 raring to go at all times.
The one thing that is really interesting to us about this car is that it was sold as an Olds and not a Pontiac. This was the “Pontiac Excitement” period of GM’s 1980s revival and it would have seemed like a Grand Am on the same chassis would have been a more performance minded choice. We know guys who had those cars with the Iron Duke and a five speed and those cars were nowhere near as entertaining as this thing was!
The “International” line of trim that Olds offered was a way for them to fight against some of the imports head on. Offering power, technology, and luxury not found at the other levels of Oldsmobile badged stuff. Olds had good years in the late 1980s and these cars sold like hotcakes. We cannot say this model specifically but if we were in the market back then this is exactly what we’d have been shopping for.
I think I had one of these in the mid-90s. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but I bought it from a lady I worked with for $300 and was completely surprised by how much fun it was to drive because of the five speed. It reminded me of my 1974 Vega hatchback 4 speed I’d had 15+ years earlier. I may have even made money when I sold it.
You could also get the Grand Am version with a turbo 2.0l or the H.O. Quad 4. They were fun cars.