Oldsmobile celebrated its 60th anniversary in automobile production in 1957. One of its offerings was the Holiday Coupe, produced across all three series (88, Super 88, and 98). The seller has a beautifully restored and customized (lightly?) Holiday Coupe, but neglects to identify the series. We’re going with it being a Super 88, of which more than 31,000 Holiday Coupes were built in a solid year for Oldsmobile. Located in Enid, Oklahoma, this beauty is available here on craigslist for $81,500. A thumbs up to Tony Primo for the tip!
Distinctive styling cues on the Holiday Coupe, including a 3-piece split rear window that also wrapped around to the sides. A 371 cubic inch V8 was standard equipment, with the Super 88 receiving a 4-barrel over a 2-barrel. This car appears to have the J-2 setup, which brought triple 2-barrel carbs to the party. As a result, rated horsepower jumped from 277 to 312, and the engines were supposedly tuned to NASCAR specs. We’re told this beauty was totally redone within the past 15,000 miles.
According to the seller, this Olds is a show winner, yet the listing comes up short in terms of both photos and description to truly do the car justice. When you’re looking to score 80 large or more, you should be willing to put maximum effort into the job. That being said, what we can see of the Olds is impressive, from the white-over-red paint with a white interior that includes bucket seats.
The beastly 371 V8 has been blinged out and paired with a recent 700R-4 automatic transmission. Vintage air conditioning was added to the mix, so this 88 should be better than new. The seller or a predecessor seems to have gone all out here, with a car hauler that matches the automobile and is offered at separate cost (so how much?). If you’re looking for a vintage Olds from its 60th year in business, they might not come any nicer than this.
$81k?
I like it, but not that much.
As a bonus, you also get to be the last person on earth willing to pay $81k.
All day long 81k
My favorite car ever was a 98 holiday that was all original. This is pretty but way too custom and too much bling for my tastes. For over 80 large, I would hold out for a correct restoration (and one where the hood fit was better). Part of the charm was the Jetaway tranny. I do not like the custom interior with buckets and a center console – if you ever sat in an OEM bench seat, you would not be changing to buckets – they were only a small step below Cadillac in creature comforts. I think this one started as a plain 88 with no padded dash & wind-up windows. It’s nice but I think they ruined a good car.
I agree that this car is a Golden Rocket 88, the base model. The side trim on this car stops where the door begins. On Super 88 and 98 models, the trim ran up at a different angle and ended by the vent window.
“Too much bling for my tastes.”
Yeah, for mine too.
Nice,,,think back, if you will, what it must have been like with a good job, the possibilities. GM without question, was top of the heap. Olds was one notch above Pontiac, and this car cost about $3500, or $300 more than the Pontiac. The J-2 option was a paltry $83 dollars, yet few were sold. Of the almost 400,000 Olds sold, only about 2,000 had the J2.
I’m with Dave^, this car never left Lansing like this, and if chrome water pumps are your thing, here you go. Amazingly, the car was great without all that.
Tell the man working in 1957 that $83 was a paltry sum of money. It’s equivalent to about $970 today.
Absolutely beautiful automobile. Was then and is now.
57 olds is a nice car. this is just too much though. his best bet is to put in that trailer and take it to Scottsdale in January. there will be plenty of booze and people with deep pockets that would buy this gaudy 57 olds.
Obviously this car is owned by someone who has a very strong emotional attachment to it. Is it “collectible”?
We can all stereotype the profile of the current owner. Maybe they grew up as an “Olds guy”, or had their first date in his dad’s version of one, or whatever. That’s all water under the bridge, really. The next owner will probably not have the same level of emotional attachment.
The problem here is finding that next guy who has the same nostalgic feelings about a 1957 Oldsmobile (highly unlikely these days) and is also willing to submit themselves to the additional cost and endless curse of owning a trailer queen version of one.
All while knowing full well that there is now very little price appreciation left, if any. More likely, the new owner is staring into a soft market going forward.
As the saying goes “Each to their own”, but this trailer queen does NOT trip my trigger.. A gaudy, over blitzed, car that is only good for a certain show Nitsch. At $80 grand the seller would have to include the trailer and a tow vehicle with it..
Very sweet looking Olds!! Lots of chrome,it won’t get you home…
Pretty car, but I would be afraid to get it dirty. (In other words, drive it)
At least dirt washes off. Rain leaves wet spots behind. That can be dealt with with some extra elbow grease after each drive.
Pebble chips aren’t easy to fix. Road tar is nasty. Birds are indiscriminate. The sun is hot. Trees shed branches. Trucks on the interstate lose stuff off the back.
Run an old engine for a while and soon you have all manner of fluid leaks and other sticky residue to deal with, all hiding in little crevices you can’t reach. .
People at car shows wear metal belt buckles. They touch things while eating a chili dog. Their shoes are caked with who knows what.
So this apple needs to be polished after every outing. You don’t just get in and ride around and then park it until next time. Some people like that, I guess.
as for even dear Russ’s write up, i must comment :
NO
a seller, whether $8k or $81k does not have to provide a ton of pictures.
Just one picture and a decent description is plenty.
The reality is, most on this site and in most, are just looking, entertainment, not actual buyers.
If someone who is actually looking for one of these AND has the money,
need simply contact seller and further explore its condition.
The paranoia and need to find a flaw is not the type of person a seller wants to deal with anyway.
Yes, its a ‘mint’ car, but NOTHING is
perfect, its got a chip, something is crooked, etc.
This isnt a new car lot, ots a used car lot, of cars from 60 years ago.
For me, for example, Im seeking an big block wagon. Im open to GM makes, a solid body, doesnt have to be perfect, i cant afford perfext anyway, but it must have power windows.
So, all i need is one or two pics and basic description. From that i can quickly determine if its what im seeking or not.
As is with this Olds, you either want a ’57 red, restored or you dont.
Picking it apart because you cant afford it doesnt make you the bearer of ‘truth’ it just makes you a peanut.
This car is one of nicest in the world, so step up or shut up.
Its absolutely gorgeous, a labour of love, someone cared for alot.
It and its owner deserve respect.
Yes honey I’ve listed the car just like you told me too. I don’t understand why I’m not getting any calls
I like Oldsmobiles of this era. I like them for their build quality, their styling, and their performance. This one, though, repels me. Someone thought his sense of aesthetics superior to that of Olds’ design engineers. So he customized it, making it into.something tastelessly loud and showy. Too bad. This car could have been a real find. It could even have been worth its $81,500 asking price.
Beautifully restored car with too much shiny stuff under the hood and the price tag tells me he doesn’t actually want to sell it. Maybe his wife told him to list it or she’s leaving.
81,000.00? Dollars? Yeah, no. Way too much chrome, white and red for me, but it definitely is well done. My dad had a Coral/White car; I think he’s up there looking for it so he can tell me where it is in a dream – just like the asking price for this.
This definitely isn’t my cup of tea. From the outside it’s a beautiful old Olds, but the interior shot of the dash is garish, not to mention the engine, and looking at his house explained why. He has what looks like a two story colonial mansion, but it’s actually an add on to a brick Kansas house that doesn’t work. Same as the car, so it looks to me like he’s about bling. What it comes down to I guess is a case of “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”, but I wouldn’t want it even if the trailer was thrown in.