Some classic cars can be deceptive, representing an iron fist wrapped in a silk glove. Such is the case with this 1967 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan. It is a gentle giant at first glance, but its V8 provides surprising performance that belies its size and weight. This car has a genuine 70,000 miles on the clock and appears to need little. However, the bidding history suggests it could be affordable for someone seeking a 1960s classic.
The 1967 Ninety-Eight was Oldsmobile’s range-topping model, offering space, size, and a luxurious motoring experience. Our feature car can’t be considered a genuine survivor, with the seller admitting it wears an older repaint in its original shade of Bimini Blue Metallic. The original owner also selected a Black vinyl top, to give the car a classy appearance. The paint shines extremely well, with only the occasional small chip to prevent perfection. The panels are straight, while the rear fender skirts and lower body trim accentuate the car’s length. The first owner had this Olds undersealed when it was new. Therefore, the complete absence of rust is unsurprising. The tinted glass is crystal clear, and the trim looks excellent.
The 1967 model year was the last where buyers received the 425ci Super Rocket V8 under the hood of their new Ninety-Eight. The company increased the capacity to 455ci the following year, but this motor was still no automotive lightweight. It punches out 365hp and 470 ft/lbs of torque, with the remaining major components include a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission and power-assisted steering and brakes. This Olds is a surprise packet because while it tips the scales at 4,497 lbs, it can still cover the ¼-mile in 15.5 seconds. It is a case of good news/bad news with this Ninety-Eight because it is in excellent mechanical health. However, it is no longer numbers-matching. The engine block was replaced and the cylinder heads were rebuilt with hardened valve seats when the car’s odometer showed 60,000 miles. The V8 exhibits good oil pressure and doesn’t run hot. It has clocked a further 10,000 miles since the refresh and is a turnkey proposition for its new owner.
If you thought this Oldsmobile’s exterior presents well, you can’t help but be impressed by its interior. The carpet exhibits a dirty area on the driver’s side which might respond to deep cleaning. Otherwise, there is little to criticize. The Blue vinyl and cloth upholstered surfaces are remarkably free from wear and marks, and the dash and pad are spotless. The faux woodgrain hasn’t faded or lifted, and there is no visible wheel wear. The seller confirms the radio is inoperative, but the remaining features work as they should. The winning bidder receives ice-cold air conditioning, power windows, a power front seat, and enough space to comfortably accommodate six people.
The seller listed this Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan here on eBay in Cleveland, Ohio. The action on this classic has been intense, with twenty-seven bids pushing the price to $4,050. However, that figure is below the reserve. I would be unsurprised if things become frantic as this listing draws to a close, and a price of around $13,000 could be a realistic expectation for a car of this standard. That still represents a lot of steel for the buyer’s money and keeps it in the affordable bracket. If a 1960s luxury cruiser has been on your Wish List, is this Olds one that you might consider?
People back then usually bought cars every 2 years. Had the old man done that practice, this would have been his next car. He had a ’63-98, a ’65-98, 4 doors, and at that point, he bailed on Olds, and went with a Lincoln. The trailer hitch looks a bit stout for this car, not that the motor couldn’t handle it, just not designed for such duty. Bumper hitch pulling a rowboat maybe. These were “dads cars”, and not many women drove these. My mom did, but never liked them. New, these carried a hefty price tag. I read, this car cost over $4500 new, when a ’67 BelAir was almost half that. But it was the “you get what you pay for” dept. and this was no BelAir. GM sold almost 80,000, 98s in ’67, including 8900 convertibles, 35,000 were 4door Luxury Sedans like this, the biggest seller. ’68 even more were sold. Without going the Caddy route, which was usually next, this was as good as it got for mainstream America, that had just a little better job than Mr./Mrs. BelAir. Great find, I swear, for $4grand, this hobby doesn’t make a lick of sense.
That 425 in ’67 was a MONSTER! Had a Delmont 88 with a 2 bbl. That was all that motor needed.
We had a 70 Olds 98 4 door hardtop. I was just remembering going to see Herbie goes to Monte Carlo in a drive in move theatre in it when I was a kid. I remember hanging out the windows since there was no post to see it better. That 455 would MOVE that big heavy car with authority. Im glad to see this 67 is so well preserved. I sure hope it gets kept that way. And I know I’ve said it before, but that is my all time favorite gas pedal ever. That has got to be the absolute bigest gas pedal ever installed on a passenger car. Oldsmobile I think was trying to say something with that Rocket V8. And Howard is dead on with the price. I have the window sticker from our 70 and it was about 5500 dollars if memory serves correctly. We didnt have the Luxury Sedan, ours was the base model with manual windows and a manual front bench seat, no tilt wheel. No cruise. We had an A.m. radio with the Bi phonic rear speaker and a remote trunk release in the glove compartment. Dad always said that all that extra stuff was just more stuff to break.
The 88 version was selected by the California Highway Patrol as their patrol vehicle for 1967. So, it would make sense that 98 versions would have some get up and go as well.
What a car. Always loved the Ninety Eight and Electra. Roomy enough for a big kid like me to ride in the back and not be all folded up. Olds got a lot of mileage out of those stand up taillamps even appearing on the 73 Cutlass.
1967 and 1968 were very good design years for GM. The integrated bumpers on their cars, as such on this 98 were gorgeous. Just basically useless. Not only were they paper thin and would dent and crease by a strong wind (I’m slightly exaggerating) but the first thing you hit in the front is the fenders. You gotta go in about a foot before you actually use the bumper for what it was originally intended for…… bumping things.
But all in all, functional or not, beautiful cars with great power behind them.
I had a 1965 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 convertible in 1970 that I drove out to California from New Jersey. GM at its peak in the mid sixties.
Hey,I just got back from Ventnor, spent a week on the beach.
What. A. Beast. Love it. And it’s in Cleveland, probably minutes away from me. So tempted. Hard to believe it’s so rust free even with rust proofing. We salt our roads quite a bit here in North East Ohio.
I often wonder if the designers of these cars from the 50s & 60s are still alive and kickin’ after 60-70 years. Possibly reading comments on here and other publications about their designs.
Just a thought.
After designing boheimus’ in the 50s to land yachts in the 60s & 70s, makes me wonder what they think of the downsizing of the late 70s and 80s and on.
Any old time designers from that Era on
here?
What do people in Europe think of the huge American cars as they primarily had small cars?
These are the things that fill my head.
What an old bomber. The ’68s looked much better in front, but if you wanted to cushion around in comfort – this sled would do it. Per an earlier comment – Cleveland did have a LOT of rustbuckets from all the salt in winter.
I swear, if I was to build some kinda’ street rod (& that’ll never happen) ’67/final year, large pump/switch-pitch T400, & that bulletproof 425 would be my choice for the drivetrain. That switch-pitch auto was a real hole-shot, neck snapper! And that swan song 425 had a forged-steel crank which though being a big block, it revved like a hi-po small block. My ’65 Starfire w/an almost duplicate drivetrain would get sideways in the road @ 35 when you gave it a bag, even w/a 3.23 axle!
I don’t know where you get your performance figures. An 88 couldn’t do 15.5 in the quarter mile, much less a heavier 98. Acceleration times of 17.0 in the quarter mile is more like it. These were not sleds by any means. One of my classmates drove his father’s 1967 Delmont 88 with a 425 engine and 3 on the tree with manual steering and brakes.
I don’t know about any other Oldsmobile, I only have had two a 1965 Dynamic 88 convertible that would burn rubber all the way down the street and a 1972 98 LS Regency that was no slouch either.
Can’t give you quarter mile numbers as that never interested me. As long as it had power for me, and they did, I was happy.
So, can we assume you were “Angel Oldsmobile Diva” then? Far as designers of these cars being around, good heavens, they were all old men when they designed these cars, probably all smoked like a Studebaker, I doubt many even saw the 70s. New cars are designed by younger folks, hence the designs of today. Far as what other countries think of our shenanigans, I’d bet they think we’re all nuts, and I’d have to partially agree, but an unfair assessment. We had different roads and driving situations than Europeans, we needed, nay demanded 400 horsepower, for what I’m not exactly sure.
@Howard
I’m the Land Yacht Diva. If it’s 18 feet or longer, lower & wider, it’s MINE! I love big cars with big horsepower, full power luxury amenities. All my friends in school either had Mustangs for the girls or Camaros for the boys but I drove to school in a Lincoln 4 door convertible.
Angel, I’m sure we would have been friends in high school. LOL I have always loved the big cars with all the doodads. I drove a black LeSabre and blue Toronado to high school, and a ’63 Fleetwood with eight power windows to college. One of my girlfriends had a yellow 98 convertible. Can’t be big enough or have too many power accessories for me.
@ Michael,
Agreed. Big, powerful and loaded with power everything. That’s us.
We could have been friends in high school, but I see no reason we can’t be friends on here.
Welcome to the GALYS MLG!
Welcome to the club.
A Fleetwood with 8 power windows is my dream. Whoever ordered that car had class. And a ton of money.
Learned to drive on a 1965 olds 98. Thing could comfortably hold like 6-7 people. The 425 was very capable. Oh and it had a am-fm radio. How I miss that rear center seat speaker. It had fender skirts which were a pain to remove. Great survivor. Oh the memories!
These big 4 door Oldsmobiles reminds me of the spinster school teacher that lived across the street from us. Every once in awhile, she would load us kids up in the back of her 98 and take us for ice cream.
We had a blast playing with the power windows – we did not have such luxuries like that in our station wagons / vans. That, and A/C.
Dad had a gold ‘68 which was almost identical to this one. What memories. Dad used to drive me on my paper route in it when the Chicago weather was too cold or snowy to use my bike. As a newly licensed 16 year old who was working at the grocery store and hadn’t yet bought my first car, it got me there and back and was especially handy for make out sessions after work on the back roads with one of the cashiers in that big front seat. And every November I got to wrestle with those fender skirts when we put on the winter snow tires, studded back then of course. The buyer of this one will enjoy it.
These cars were fantastic road trip vehicles. In about 1971 I was working as a computer operator on the night shift for a hospital in the Boston suburbs, but I lived about 50 miles away to be near my family. The hospital had several nurses who lived in the same community I did and wanted to work the night shift but wouldn’t drive 50 miles each way. The hospital asked if I would be willing to drive a car which they would provide and maintain and transport the nurses to work, I said sure. It saved me gas money and wear and tear on my car and I had other folks in the car to help keep me awake on the way home in the morning. The hospital purchased a Olds 98 four door just like this one except it was silver with a black interior. I drove that car five days a week for a couple of years and then went to days and my brother took over driving duties. Definitely a great car.
This was my first car. My grandmother gave it to me in 1985 and I drove it all through high school.
It was a definite gorgeous behemoth, a land yacht, that we referred to it as an air craft carrier as it was way bigger than any boat. Ha ha.
It drove so very smooth, could hit the gnarliest of pothole or speed bump and the suspension would eat them up and you’d not know in the car.
I at over 6’ tall could lay down in the front or back seat with the doors closed and be oh so comfy and the trunk could hold 5 of your best friends for those trips to the drive ins.
I do miss that car as I’d smoke (to their chagrin) many a mustang, Camaro, MOPAR without batting an eyelash. That 425 had a lot of giddy up.
Sold with a high bid of $8700.00.
Steve R