Oldsmobile Alero

Manufacturer	General Motors
Also called	Chevrolet Alero
Production	1999–2004
Assembly	Lansing, Michigan, United States
Predecessor	Oldsmobile Achieva Oldsmobile Cutlass
Successor	Chevrolet Evanda/Epica (In Europe & Canada)
Class	Compact
Body style	2-door coupe 4-door sedan
Layout	FF layout
Platform	N-body
Engine	2.2 L Ecotec I4 2.4 L LD9 I4 3.4 L LA1 V6
Transmission	Getrag F23 5-speed manual 4-speed 4T40-E automatic 4-speed 4T45-E automatic
Wheelbase	107 in (2,718 mm)
Length	186.7 in (4,742 mm)
Width	70.1 in (1,781 mm)
Height	54.5 in (1,384 mm)
Related	Chevrolet Malibu Oldsmobile Cutlass Pontiac Grand Am

The Oldsmobile Alero is a compact car produced by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors from 1999 to 2004. The Alero was introduced in spring 1998 as a 1999 model to replace the Achieva and Cutlass. The Alero went into production on April 6, 1998. All Aleros were built in Lansing, Michigan. The Alero was Oldsmobile's last compact car as well as the last vehicle sold under the brand. Production ended on April 29, 2004.

History

The design of the Alero was originally previewed in 1997 with the Alero Alpha concept car, a V6-powered sport coupe that featured many design elements seen in the production Alero as well as some that were never meant for production.

Oldsmobile Alero coupe

The Alero was sold either as a 4-door sedan or as a 2-door coupé. It shared its chassis and many parts, including engines, with the Pontiac Grand Am, the other compact N body sedan. All Aleros came in base GX, mid-level GL, or high-end GLS trim; GL trim was split into three levels: 1, 2, and 3.

The Alero experienced minimal changes during its 5-year run. Most of these changes were either in choice of engines or options. In 2003, the Alero's daytime running lights were changed from high-beam to low-beam.

The Alero was also sold in select countries in Europe as the Chevrolet Alero, and was only available as a sedan. The car still featured its Oldsmobile badges even though sold under the Chevrolet brand. Since most European consumers would not recognize the badging, Chevrolet badges were added to the grille and rear fascia for the 2000 model year. Since the phase-out of the Alero, it was replaced in Europe and Canada by the GM Daewoo-sourced Chevrolet Evanda/Epica.

The Alero's production ended with a special Final 500 Edition. These last 500 Aleros featured custom graphics inspired by vintage Oldsmobile logos, dark cherry metallic paint, and a plate featuring the car's number out of 500.

The final Alero Final 500 Edition (#500 of 500), a GLS 4-door, also happened to be the final Oldsmobile ever built, and was signed under its hood by the employees of the General Motors Lansing plant and then given to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum.

A preview of the planned replacement for the Alero was seen in 2001 with the unveiling of the Oldsmobile O4 concept, designed by Bertone. The car was an open top 4-seater with European styling but some Oldsmobile traits, and powered by the latest Ecotec I4 engine. The name had multiple meanings, including "Oldsmobile 4-Seater" as well as implying the year 2004 as a planned date for production.

Unfortunately, the O4 concept was unveiled a few weeks after General Motors announced that they would be phasing out the Oldsmobile brand, meaning that production possibilities of the O4 would never become reality. Because of this, a second generation Alero was never built and the car was phased out with the Oldsmobile brand in 2004.

Engines

Variant prototypes

Oldsmobile Alero OSV

General Motors commissioned the construction of Alero prototypes either for testing or to gather public opinion on possible future plans for the Alero. These variants include:

• Alero OSV - "Oldsmobile Speciality Vehicle", an experiment in an aftermarket parts brand for Oldsmobile. Featured a body kit, supercharged I4, custom interior, and special cherry red paint with ghosted Oldsmobile emblems in the rear quarter panels.
• Alero OSV II - Another experimental vehicle, this time featuring an LX5 DOHC 3.5 L V6 (used in the Oldsmobile Intrigue and Aurora) and featured custom dark green paint.
• Alero 442 - A set of show cars based on the Alero coupe fitted with a body kit similar in design to the Oldsmobile 442. Each Alero 442 show car had a unique color, including white with gold stripes and white with pink stripes.
• Alero California - A custom built version of the Alero coupe featuring parts including a large rear wing, racing seats, sport tires, and custom graphics painted in brown and yellow.
• Alero Convertible - An experiment in the possibility of creating an Alero with a convertible soft top to help broaden the appeal of the car to young buyers. The Oldsmobile O4 concept also hinted that the next generation Alero could have had a convertible model.
• Alero Pace Car - Built by General Motors as part of their fleet of Oldsmobile safety cars for the Indy Racing League, featuring custom yellow, blue and white checkered flag graphics.

Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 1999-2005 Grand Am (same platform as the 1999-2004 Alero) a Poor rating in its frontal crash test for its marginal structural integrity, a possible head injury, a potential right leg injury, and poor dummy control.^[1]

The following are 2003 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Crash Test Ratings.

Coupe^[2]

• Frontal Driver:
• Frontal Passenger:
• Side Driver:
• Side Rear Passenger:
• Rollover:

Sedan^[3]

• Frontal Driver:
• Frontal Passenger:
• Side Driver:
• Side Rear Passenger:
• Rollover:

Production figures

References

4. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Oldsmobile: Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International. 2006. p. 666. ISBN 978-1-4127-1354-2. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Oldsmobile Alero

• Oldsmobile Club of America
• Aleromod.com - The #1 Resource for Alero Owners & Fans
• Aleromod.com Upgrades - The Massive Compilation of Alero Modifications