The architecture, on which these cars were built, was known internally as GM10. GM10 development began in 1982. The front-drive GM10 was designed to replace a very successful line of rear-drive mid-sized cars. The Cutlass Supreme had been America's best selling car just a few years earlier (In fact, Olds kept the old Cutlass Supreme in production for the 1988 model year as the Cutlass Supreme Classic). Because the previous models were best known as two-door coupes, the GM10 models were first introduced as coupes. However, coupes were losing popularity in the overall market, so GM also introduced four-door GM10s for 1990. The four-door Cutlass Supreme was previewed in the 1989 Oldsmobile Aerotech III concept car. In addition to the Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac models (which rolled out in the 1988 model year) a Chevrolet version, known as Lumina, debuted for the 1990 model year in two- and four-door body styles.

A key goal of the GM10 program was to make each model visually distinctive. According to the October 1988 Car & Driver, designers were given more latitude than usual to differentiate each model from other divisions offerings. Each model had unique sheetmetal and rear-quarter glass. Ed Welburn, who later became vice president of GM global design, worked on the 1988 Cutlass Supreme design.

GM10 debuted with only a 2.8 liter V6 engine but would later offer a range of 4 and 6 cylinder engines. For 1991, the Twin-Dual Cam V6 debuted on the GM10 platform.

The four original GM10 models were facelifted over the 1994-95 model years. All got new interiors, and the Lumina received a complete exterior makeover as well (at this point the Lumina coupe was known as the Monte Carlo). Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac replaced their original GM10s over the 1997-98 model years, but the Lumina soldiered on until 2001.