GM’s First Luxury SUV Emerged during a Brave New World

The early 1990s were a terribly rough time in General Motors' history. The most obvious place to look is at the top, when then-CEO Robert Stempel inherited a nightmare from his predecessor. Stempel seemingly wasn't prepared for the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane barreling towards at him, as his past experiences as a "car guy" and a GM lifer weren't going to satisfy those owning large amounts of GM stock. An unnamed GM director interviewed by Time Magazine at that time once said:

"We don't even have the luxury of thinking about a product strategy. We aren't going to be thinking great thoughts. GM has a three-year mission to restore its financial soundness."

Things were especially dire at Oldsmobile, where sales went from 1,066,122 units in 1985 to a paltry 402,936 vehicles just eight years later. But there was a savior afoot, as the burgeoning luxury SUV market proved itself profitable with releases like the leather-clad Jeep Wagoneer (XJ) Limited, the upscale versions of the Chevy Blazer (High Country) and Ford Bronco II (Eddie Bauer), and the March 1990 release of the 1991 Ford Explorer in Eddie Bauer livery.

General Motors could make one new SUV to both help the embattled Oldsmobile brand, and boost their bottom line by leveraging their proven GMT-330 platform. That platform was for the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer and GMC S-15 Jimmy, to which Oldsmobile most notably added Bilstein dampers and a "SmartTrak" electronic AWD system. The latter removed the extra lever found on "Instatrac" equipped GMCs and Chevrolets, as luxury SUV owners presumably prefer a computer to handle such distractions. But worthy functional upgrades aren't necessarily the stuff of luxury SUV success, as it was a brave new world that needed an Olds with bravado. Add in strong promotional pitch from a Hemingway, and you might have a clear path to victory.

And this was the backdrop of how the Oldsmobile Bravada came to life in 1991, most recognizable by its unique set of bumpers, chunky alloy wheels, and aggressively ribbed side cladding worthy of Pontiac Excitement. There were also fog lights, tail lights with the rocket emblem, and the brand's traditional split waterfall grille for onlookers curious to learn more about this not-Blazer in their field of vision. The monochrome look had some of the Detroit Euro flair that made the Pontiac 6000 STE so appealing to a niche audience, but sadly only 9,381 units were sold in the Bravada's freshman year.

The next three years of this generation weren't much better, with sales of 11,870, 9,671, and 17,681 Bravadas, respectively. But as we learned on the 25th Anniversary of the Cadillac Escalade, supply side constraints could have easily starved Oldsmobile dealers of a product they likely needed for survival.

As with the original Escalade, interior changes to the GMT-330 were limited. But less so than the copycat Caddy, as the Bravada's aforementioned SmartTrak software opened up real estate for a floor console to possess two cigarette lighters, and a pop-out cup holder for two soda cans. The optional leather seat covers were modestly different from the hides found on older High Country Blazers, while the steering wheel was pulled from an Oldsmobile parts bin.

It's unfortunate the Bravada's impressive digital gauges weren't fitted as standard equipment, and that they were still optional on its counterparts from Chevrolet and GMC. The more differentiation you can do for a luxury brand the better, just like how SmartTrak AWD was an Oldsmobile-exclusive. But GM was indeed operating as that quote above suggests: Product strategies need not apply when every hand on deck is bailing water out of a sinking ship.

Such a maritime analogy is not the ideal way to introduce a Retro Review from Motorweek, but it certainly contextualizes John Davis' introduction in a fitting manner. Their assessment of this "gussied up Chevy S-10 Blazer" is justified, as was their statement about the level of attention this Oldsmobile got from streetside gawkers. They noted the off-road performance was impressive even with street-savvy tires, while the ride is smoother (presumably thanks to those Bilstein shocks).

Even without the expected leather interior and digital gauges in Motorweek's tester, the original Bravada clearly behaved as the 1999 Cadillac Escalade of the early 1990s. Except not, because Oldsmobile benefited from significant technology and modest interior upgrades that Cadillac could not cherry pick for their first luxury SUV.

Too bad it was all for nothing, as sales never climbed higher than 30,202 units sold in 1998. The last Bravada rolled off the assembly line in January 2004, roughly three months before the storied Oldsmobile brand was put out to pasture. Looking back and seeing the parallels with the 1999 Cadillac Escalade makes the Bravada's story one of a tragic hero, as it was better suited to overcome its fundamental flaws. But refinements under the skin and monochrome coachwork wasn't enough to keep Oldsmobile on a sure footing. Perhaps there would have been a happier ending if this rig was sold as a Cadillac Bravada instead?