Pace cars were a big deal in the golden muscle car era. Not only because they set the pace at iconic races like the Indy 500 but also because many of them morphed into limited-edition production models. Some, like the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS, are sought-after and expensive nowadays.
The 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass you see here might not be as desirable as its Chevrolet counterpart, but it’s much rarer. While Chevy made 3,675 units of its orange-striped pace car, Oldsmobile built just 626 examples. And not all of them were of the Cutlass Supreme variety. That figure also includes 268 Olds 442 pace cars, leaving only 358 Cutlass models out there. And the fact that this specific car packs a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 makes it even scarcer.
You see, of the 358 pace cars sold in 1970, almost 300 left the assembly line with the big 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) V8 in them. The entry-level mill found its way into only 60 examples. This finely restored drop-top is one of those cars. And the fact that it showed up at the drag strip is also rare in itself.
So what set the limited-edition pace car apart from the regular Cutlass Supreme? Well, the black-striped livery with Indy 500 decals is the first thing that catches the eye. But the muscle car also came with a fiberglass hood and aero-optimized mirrors. The Y74 bundle also included a Hurst Dual-Gate shifter, power everything, Rally gauges, and Super Stock II wheels.
The 350 V8 did not get any special treatment, but it was plenty powerful at 310 horsepower and 390 pound-feet (529 Nm) of torque. This example sports an automatic gearbox. What’s this pace car doing at the drag strip? It joined a Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race (PSMCDR) series, which brings together stock-appearing muscle cars from 1955 to 1979. And it took on a 1974 Chevrolet Corvette.
The sports car is also powered by a 350-cubic-inch V8. The mill in question is the optional L82, which came with 250 horsepower and 285 pound-feet (386 Nm) of twist on tap in 1974. But while these figures may seem notably lower than the Oldsmobile’s, I should point out that carmakers had switched to net output ratings in the early 1970s. This basically means that the two contenders are pretty much on par.
Assuming there are no notable mods under the hood because this racing series allows several modifications to the drivetrain. Unlike the Olds, the Corvette sports a four-speed manual gearbox. And it’s also notably lighter than the Cutlass Supreme at 3,800 pounds (1,724 kg). The convertible tips the scale at a whopping 4,120 pounds (1,869 kg).
But while it may seem that the Chevy may be the quicker car, it’s the Cutlass pace car that covers the quarter-mile distance quicker. The drop-top crosses the line in 16.16 seconds, with the Corvette posting a 16.28-second run. The second race has a similar result, with the Oldsmobile hitting the finish line almost three-tenths quicker. Interestingly enough, while the Cutlass snaps off the line with a significant advantage, the Corvette also catches up toward the finish line. Watch the drama unfold in the video below.