Reference Manual

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Chapter 1: Engines: Oldsmobile V8s: 260

The 260 was Oldsmobile's answer to relentless fuel economy requirements set in place by the federal government in the early and mid-1970s. Like all other Oldsmobile small-blocks, the 260 has a stroke of 3.385", and has the smallest bore of them all -- 3.500".

Introduced in 1976, the 260 remained in production until 1982 after which the 307 had replaced it on all of Oldsmobiles RWD lines. When the redesigned Cutlass was introduced in 1978 and until the introduction of the 307 to the Cutlass line in 1983, except for a few noteable exceptions, the 260 was the largest Oldsmobile V8 available in a Cutlass.

It only generated a rated 105 horsepower and 195 lb*ft of torque and produced rather leisurely performance numbers when installed in a 1981 Cutlass Supreme Brougham. Car & Driver clocked a 16.5 second 0-60 time and a quarter mile run of 20.6 sec. @ 67mph in their November 1980 issue. (6) Their achieved top speed was 94 mph.