The skylight roof was gone by 1973, replaced by a single flat vent panel over the front seats only.
Lead trim: Vista Cruiser 403 cu in Rocket V8 (1977)
Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser1973–1977
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe skylight roof was gone by 1973, replaced by a single flat vent panel over the front seats only.
For 1973 the GM A-body intermediate platform was completely redesigned and the separate longer wheelbase used by the Vista Cruiser and Buick Sport Wagon was eliminated: all A-body wagons were built on the 116 in sedan wheelbase, and while its Buick counterpart was replaced by the Century Estate the Vista Cruiser became the woodgrained version, with the new Cutlass Supreme Cruiser joining the station wagon list for 1974. Three-row seating returned, with the third row now facing rearward, the "Dual-Action" tailgate was replaced by a one-piece hatchback with a fixed rear window, and the distinctive skylights gave way to boxy "Colonnade" styling with a single flat venting moonroof over the front row (a pop-up sunroof was optional). Standard equipment included a 350 cu in (5.7 L) Rocket V8, the three-speed Turbo Hydramatic, power brakes with front discs and power steering; the 455 cubic-inch Rocket V8 was optional through 1976 and replaced the following year by a 403 cubic-inch (6.6 L) Rocket V8. Wheelbase 116 in, length 211 in, width 76.5 in, height 58.6 in, curb weight 4,392 lb; the listed price before options was $3,901.
Collectors Spotted in the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Cruiser 350 cu in Rocket V8 (standard) | 1973–1977 | 5.7 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Vista Cruiser 403 cu in Rocket V8 (1977) | 1977–1977 | 6.6 L V8 | 185 hp | 320 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Vista Cruiser 455 cu in Rocket V8 (optional 1973–1976) | 1973–1976 | 7.5 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The skylight roof was gone by 1973, replaced by a single flat vent panel over the front seats only.
In 1969 the Vista Cruiser got a clever 'Dual-Action' tailgate, standard on three-row wagons, decades before power tailgates were common.
The Vista Cruiser's famous glass-roofed skylight wasn't a new idea for Oldsmobile — it borrowed the raised-roof, split-skylight concept straight from the 1954 GMC Scenicruiser intercity bus.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
Cooling the C6 RS6’s twin-turbo V10 took seven separate radiators and four electric fans under the bonnet.
The original RS6 debuted Audi's clever hydraulic Dynamic Ride Control suspension — and enough owners got tired of its leaking dampers that they ripped the whole system out for plain coilovers.
The C7-generation RS6 Avant never officially reached America at all — buyers there got the RS7 Sportback instead, running the exact same engine and platform in a different body.
For a few years, this Outback's six-cylinder trim came with genuine McIntosh audio — the same esteemed hi-fi name found in home theaters, one of the only cars ever to get it from the factory.
Subaru didn't have the budget for an all-new SUV, so it dressed up a Legacy wagon instead. A Subaru of America executive later put it bluntly: "[the Outback] saved our company."
The new Outback's full-width tail light bar has a 2 ft ruler built in, for measuring whatever you are about to load.
This Outback shared Top Gear's Car of the Year crown — an unusual honor for a jacked-up wagon to split with the Ford Mondeo in 2007.
A wagon beat the SUVs at their own game: this Outback generation won Motor Trend's Sport/Utility of the Year award for 2010.