This 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 is a car that I have mixed feelings about. I really like the look of the car, but to me, the color combination just seems a bit odd. It will be interesting to see what our Barn Finders think. You will find this Oldsmobile listed for sale here on Craigslist. It is located in Exeter, Rhode Island, and is being offered for sale with a clean title. The owner has set a price of $18,000 OBO for the Oldsmobile.
There is no question that this is a nicely presented car. The Shantung Beige and Citation Bronze paint is a nice combination, and the car itself looks to be in great condition. The seller says that the car has been the subject of a repaint at some stage. While there are no shots of the underside of the car, the seller states that it was repainted about three years ago and that no repairs were needed before this work was done. The seller does state that he is willing to supply photos of the underside of the car on request. The exterior trim looks to all be in good condition, and the front and rear bumpers have recently been re-chromed. The car also wears Fiesta wheel covers.
The interior is where I find things a bit odd, and I am torn by it. I’ve never seen a combination of exterior color and interior trim like this on an 88 before. It makes me wonder whether the paint colors are original to the car. The interior is going to require some work, as it doesn’t present anywhere near as well as the outside. The interior is complete, and the dash itself is in good condition. The seats may just be dirty, or they may need new covers. It’s a bit hard to tell. However, the owner is including material from an original bolt of Oldsmobile fabric for any future repairs.
Reading the description in the ad reveals that a lot of mechanical work has been performed on the car. The owner is so confident of its mechanical integrity that he states that you can turn up and drive it home. The brakes were completely rebuilt last Summer, with a new master cylinder, booster, and wheel cylinders. The generator has also been rebuilt, a new battery has been installed along with a new heater core, and the rear main seal has been replaced, so the car is leak-free. The owner has removed the air cleaner, but this was only to get this clear shot of the engine.
The seller states that it’s worth shopping around to compare this car at this price with others that are currently on the market, and he is right on that score. He is slightly out when he says that they are twice the price, but not by much. Clean examples are currently starting from around $25,000, while really good ones are selling for between $30,000 and $35,000. This one needs a bit of work on the interior, but the inclusion of the trim material means that this can be performed to original specification. As I said, I like that car in general, but the color combination confuses me a bit.
I can’t imagine the factory would have put that interior in anything but a white, red or black car (or two tone combination thereof) . Lot of expense to get the inside right.
You could order whatever you wanted.
Yes as a precocious child of 9 I was with dad in the fall of 55 ordering his first new car. No breaks, steering, air, windows. A 4 door hard top 88 with two tone paint. $2750
You never know. Back in the ’50’s you could order anything you wanted. There were some pretty strange combinations.
Sorry, I didn’t see your comment before making mine.
The manufacturer didn’t care about resale value of the car, as long as the person who ordered the car paid for it.
We can’t complain about odd color combinations like this as we live in a world that the manufacturer tells us what interior we can have and not the other way around.
I remember seeing a blue “69 Impala with a green interior. I always wondered if someone ordered it that way or if it was a computer malfunction…I doubt that 1 of 1 would make that car collectible.
Did these 88’s have a trim tag?
The interior color based on the steering columns surround and seat fabric appears to be to be original to my eye on a computer screen. I’m sure a simple question to the owner would answer whether the below the beltline/rear end color was changed…but I’d say its a better than even chance it used to be as Fred said , Black, Red, or a more complementary color to the interior. On a related topic I don’t know why sellers on Craigslist cant anticipate the kind of questions a serious and knowledgeable potential buyer might ask. I mean you want the car sold, right?
I have noticed as an occasional seller on Craigslist, as well as FB, it does not matter how much information you post in your ad. Most people do not read all the way through. Every vehicle I have sold on both, more than 1 person will ask a question that is answered if they just read the “entire ad”… that said, when I’m looking, if it is something I am interested in I read multiple times before inquiring and usually wish the seller had included more info in their ad.
Mid 50s had it all in colors. 3 tone Buicks and Chryslers, black and silver interiors in half of what General Motors made. My dad’s ’57 Olds 98 h’top was silver grey metallic, white top, red stripe in side trim and 3 colors in the interior.. black, silver and white. Now the pink, gray and black Buicks were a bit much….
Beats the heck out of a tri-five Chevy.
I prefer the look of a ’55 chevy, but, to each his own.
I think the ’56 Chevy is the prettiest of the three, and the ’55 isn’t unattractive, but at car shows they’re as common as Honda Odysseys. I was sick of them 30 years ago. I like seeing other GM brands that were similar but had their own take on styling. Tri-fives are nearly invisible to me.
I know what you mean. I prefer to see a first generation Barracuda, then the second generation.
Nothing sounds quite like a 56 Olds with straight pipes. I remember my dad bought one home I thought it was the coolest car ever.
I drove a 98 black 4bbl ‘56 Olds with red interior white top with Fiesta wheel covers dual exhaust brand new.
I still till this day remember that ‘blub-blub’ sound coming from that dual exhaust coming out of those chrome tips at the rear bumper at idle rpm speed from that Olds rocket engine !
What a sound and 👀 !
I like the interior colors and the exterior colors , just not together . Sort of like beer and food ,I enjoy both, but not together.
Used to see a gorgeous ’56 Chevy done in the same colors around. Looks even better on this Olds. That interior color set would look incredible with something like a white over black exterior but in this car it’s rather… disconcerting.
We had a gorgeous 57 Pontiac Star Chief 2 tone green and white when I was 5. I think it was a 347 4 barrel w/ automatic power steering am radio green interior parents traded it in for a 62 Bonneville hardtop. It was white and had a blue interior likely had a 389 4 barrel with factory air.
I too have seen some bizarre color combinations, but this was the era where the buyer could order whatever they liked.
Decades ago, we bought a close cousin. Used. A 55 Olds 98 coupe. XLNT interior and good exterior. Ivory over red. Striking deco of the times. Plenty of go, and cruised perfectly. The 4 speed Hydramatic gave it off the line go. Alas, we lived in Phoenix, AZ and it lacked AC!!! It gave way to a lessor car with AC !! Too bad, a keeper. A decade or so ago, a similar car at a restaurant. Gorgeous but in blue and white. Nostalgia hit good. .
Got in a head on crash in one of these. Seemed like a tank.
I remember Buick, in particular, as having odd color combos–for example, yellow and white outside, red and back inside. As Miguel said, you could literally anything you wanted whether it was tasteful or not
I agree about the color flexibility and one never knows, but this combo is very odd.
That beige shade is like the color “puce”, similar to ladies underpants!
Mid 50’s GM cars in general were capable of being ordered with just about any bizarre color combinations.
My Dad ordered a ‘56 Buick Special in white over yellow exterior with a black and silver interior.
When he went to pick it up it was gorgeous until my Mom opened a door and found a red and black interior.
The salesman kinda freaked out, ran inside the office and came back out smiling.
Our car was in service preparation and the one with the red and black gut was waiting for it’s new owner..
I also knew a kid who’s sister owned an all dark green exterior ‘56 Chevrolet with a red interior.
We called it “Carol’s Christmas Chevy”.
I think that there might have been a lot of color blind folks in the 50’s.
“ Carol’s Christmas Chevy “
Excellent !
We had a ’56 Olds Holiday when I was a kid. It had a white nose and black tail. The interior was red. I still think it was the prettiest car of my childhood. It lost oil pressure when the cam bearings gave out. We fixed it. Then my brother spun a rod bearing in an ill fated drag race. We fixed it. Then the tranny went out. We fixed it.
Then my mom got a ’59 Pontiac Safari wagon, and the beautiful Olds languished. I don’t remember what happened to it.
Good friends had one also, same color combination, sort of. Instead of white, the nose was a very pale pastel green. At night it looked white, it was so pale.
When these came out I did not like the grille. Thought it looked like a fish mouth with a stick holding it open. Time changes how we think. I like it now.
I always liked the ’56 and ’57 Olds, like the ’61 even more. My father-in-law was a Buick mechanic and remember him telling about a ’56 Buick the dealer took in on trade. The customer had ordered it new in ’56 as a two-tone with an interior that was not compatible the exterior. I can’t remember the color combination, but I do remember it was god-awful and the dealer could not get it sold until they repainted it.
Since Dad had the ‘56 Buick Special I’ve looked at a lot of those over the years and whenever I see a white over yellow one like his, I always check out the interior colors.
The absolute worst one I’ve seen was a white over yellow with…..
A GREEN interior..
Whoever bought it new and over the years had to have been seriously color blind.
My father purchased a 1956 in this style new in ‘56 same red and black interior with a two tone charcoal grey and white exterior. In ‘63 it was mine as he upgraded to a black ‘98. The ‘56 was great in snow and it was a tank. With tire chains it could go anywhere in snow. I loved driving that car. I am tempted with this one as I am in R I. I think my wife would be upset as we just finished a frame off restoration of our 1968 Cutlass S convertible earning best in class at the Oldsmobile National Meet in Gettysburg. Major problem I have is storage space.