I’ll drive almost anything, but at heart, I’m a big proponent of the BOP trio of Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac. However, like many collectors, I think that the 1958 models, especially the Oldsmobile and Buick, were overwrought. But we don’t always collect cars for logical reasons, and the postwar era of Sputnik, Explorer, the International Geophysical Year, and the like symbolized an exciting time in world history. Very little in the automotive world represents that exciting and anxious time like the wild 1958 models produced by most of the auto industry. Barn Finder Curvette found this nice Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe here on craigslist in Duncan, British Columbia, with a price tag of $22,000 (about $16,000 US).
Of course, Oldsmobile buyers got the “Rocket” V8, a 371-cubic-inch unit with a “Quadri-jet” (not the later “Quadra-Jet”) four-barrel carburetor. So equipped in Super 88 trim, the 371 gave the Olds buyer an eager 305 horsepower and 410 lb.-ft. of torque. The car was recently purchased from an estate, and although it runs and drives, the seller says that “needs a tune up” and a going-through before “taking it on a nationwide tour.” The mileage is listed as approximately 82,000.
The seller was told that the car had been stored for decades before they purchased it, and the clear seat covers tell us that the Super 88 was cherished as a member of the family. As most Oldsmobiles did, this car has the Jetaway Hydra-Matic transmission, which was a four-speed unit, but not in the way one might expect. Since the transmission’s fluid coupling wasn’t a “torque converter,” the Hydra-Matic’s first gear was very low to help the car get off the line. In a 1956 brochure, Oldsmobile bragged that “Hydra-Matic is the only type of automatic drive that employs gears exclusively for torque multiplication,” perhaps a subtle dig at Buick’s Dynaflow.
And just look at that dashboard in all its space-age glory. Actually, it’s surprisingly tasteful for something that came out of 1958. Who wouldn’t love this view?
Apparently, the car has never “lived off Vancouver Island,” so the seller would prefer to sell it to someone who lives there. It was supposedly repainted once, “likely in the ’80s.” The color doesn’t seem to quite match any of the 1958 Oldsmobile color chips (I’d say it’s closest to “Tropical Mist”), but either way, it’s a beautiful color with dark accents. There is some light rust in the rocker panels (no pictures shown), but it looks pretty solid overall.
Yes, the 1958 Oldsmobile’s styling is a little controversial, and it’s not going to appeal to everyone, but if it appeals to you (and you live on Vancouver Island), it’s a rare treat.
I’ve always thought the ’58 Olds, especially the 2 door hardtop had a nice design. It just maybe could use a chrime reduction. I read once, amd I am NOT saying this is true, that the Olds designers were looking at the chrome designs on a slide projector, and that 2 slides stuck together, they liked it and Bob’s your Uncle. Personally, I’m not so sure that actually happened, but you could almost see it. This one looks fantastic, and I’d be very happy to have this “Rocket 88” in my garage.
Ditto, Dave! A glitzy cruiser, it’s a good looking design though it’s be a killer to wipe it down.
And as far as the “chrime reduction” you spoke of here, was that a reference to the change in drivers attitudes when they see Scotty’s Super Bird super trooper on the road? 😝 👍🏻
Absolutely!!! 4 door Crew Cab Superbird!!!
From a time when chrome was applied with a patching trowel. No surface was left unchromed. There’s a 5 mph bumper for ya’, when bumpers were really for just that, bumping. They even chromed things you didn’t see. You can just see the 1958 progression, from a mildly glitzy Chevy, next Pontiac, a bit more, then Buick/Olds, slathering it on, and finally, the Caddy. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with this era GM, it was too much.
Remember “Uncle Bill”, from the farm in N.Wis. ?The guy that never married and never left the farm for NINETY YEARS!! Anyway, as a younger man, he bought a ’58 Olds, 4 door, purple, drove it very little, and it sat outside for like 30 years. “Bills Olds”, was always sitting there, like many farms. The paint was faded, but very low miles. Like this, may have even had the plastic on the seats. After he died, the farm had a “metal drive”, and the fathers ORIGINAL Model TT Ford dump truck, several tractors, and yep, Bills Olds, all gone. They were wonderful cars.
`58 was GM’s 50th anniversary year, and also Harley Earl’s final year in charge of design. I’ve heard (more corp. rumors) in `56 when the `58 designs were in full swing, Earl, who loved chrome, basically told the designers to go all-out. Not sure what was in their coffee back then, but these bloated steam cruisers were already locked up when Chrysler’s swept-wing beauties hit the market in late summer of `56. They (the `58s) actually ended up looking like something 3 years old! IMHO, the crash program GM had to fully restyle the `59’s was a better effort.
HATED and STILL HATE those terminally-UGLY 1957-1959 Chrysler “Forward-look” “Swept Wing” FIN-mobiles!! And the 1959 G.M.s were utterly HIDEOUS!!! actually, my favourite 1950s year for most American makes was and is 1953 — before things began to go totally crazy.
Oh yeh. Back in the 50s when auto design was more about artwork than transportation. Gotta love the 50s!
We always said they drove through PEP Boys with a magnet.
It looks like I’m in a minority here but I’ve always thought the ’58 Old’s was an ugly beast with the Buick’s not far behind.
Beautiful boat for bargain bucks. I love it!
My friend’s parents had one of these Christmas trees circa 1960. Even then, as a ten-year-old, I thought the excessive and gratuitous use of chrome tasteless. And despite a lifelong affinity for old Buicks, I think the blindingly festooned ’58 models were even more kitschy than that year’s Oldsmobiles.
Love them Fingerhut Seat Covers.
This is a little like the Rambler that I didn’t know I wanted. Nice Olds
gone. cool looking. i would not want the bill for the chrome
Beautiful machine. 58 was the year that all of GM’s cars were gorgeous. They ruined them all in 59 except the Caddy.
Already Sold
Also- the carb would have been a “4-Jet”
Also called a 4GC
I was using the terminology Oldsmobile used in their sales materials.
The ’58 GM cars were decidedly chunky, and the Buick Limited had so much tinsel, Christmas in 1958 was almost cancelled. Still, I like this Olds. The hardtop gives it a little grace and it looks quite well preserved. A word or two about driving that HydraMatic..It starts off very low, goes to second normally, but the shift to third is a big RPM drop off, then it goes to fourth. It’s actually a good setup because low gets you going very quickly and high lets the engine loaf at highway speeds.If this car runs at least as well as it looks, it would be worth the asking price.
Terrry, the two things that has always impressed me about the 58 Limited is 1) the primary finish is chrome, and 2) the secondary finish is a color off the 58 Buick color chart, preferably black. And never had the patience to count the number of “squares” it took to make up the grill.
There is nothing better looking than black and chrome.
The 1958 Buick Fashion Aire Dynastar Grille had 160 individual squares.
The story goes that Harley Earl rejected the 58 Buick design, telling the designers to add more chrome. They did, but had to go a couple more rounds until there was enough chrome to satisfy him.
160 squares
My neighbor had a 58 Olds and I had a 58 Buick back in the day , side by side we could see a lot of parts would interchange doors trunk lid hoods engine and tranny way diffrent , lots of chrome , both were gas hogs the Olds maybe a little better on gas than my Buick , the good old days
Well it seems there is some departure on the question of aesthetics here. I’ve loved them since I was a kid-big flashy unmistakably American jukeboxes on wheels! Nothing like them will ever be seen again. Just a whimsical thought here-what if Musk put more chrome on his big rockets? Wouldn’t that be kinda cool? (I think I’m coming down with a fever)
I think GM encouraged it’s lineup to be over-the-top in 58 to celebrate GM’s 50’th anniversary.
What a beautiful part of US automotive history. I hope this rocket went to a preservationist. Not my favorite year for automobile design, but you have to respect the quality of our workforce at the time. This would not be an easy production car.
I really miss chrome
This is a nice example. There was a story about a Ford exec that bought one of these to show his stylists what not to do. It seems like you love it or hate it. I own a 68 442 convertible and it’s interesting to see how much things changed in 10 years. For 50’s era Oldsmobiles, I kind of like the clean styling of the ‘57 2 door hard top. Still, a really nice car and a lucky owner.
Not uncommon for the manufacturers to buy the others product. Often to see how it was put together and to durability test under their standards. Or, as you said, to learn other lessons.