Featured Hot Rods AMERICA’S VERY FIRST MUSCLE CAR CELEBRATES ITS 75th ANNIVERSARY!

I have often thought how it must have been neat,
to use that Rocket Power when running the two lane single lined crown top.

 

Manufacture's largest, most powerful engine in a lighter, smaller sized, more affordable car, .... thus the start of the muscle car.

 

I thought the original muscle car were the Buick Century...smallest body biggest engine? Or are you referring to V8s?

 

I also immediately thought Buick Century. Now I want one of those Oldsmobiles!

 

My Dad had the first Olds 98 in Saskatchewan back in ‘49....

 

You mean it's not the '64 GTO?!?! ....man I get tired of hearing that. Those who know, know. Just because the term didn't exist yet, there's plenty of examples of the same formula 10-15 years before 1964.

 

You skipping the 49 Olds?

 

Maybe because they were only available as automatics in '49? No sticks until '50.

 

My Dad bought a new 1949 Olds 98 Holiday 2 door hardtop. Being the dumb 3 y/o at the time, I kept putting up the rear power windows on my head. He had to have the rear windows disconnected to save my life.

 

My old man bought a new Olds in 1949, too. It was a black 2 door fastback. Unfortunately, it was 76. What I remember best about it was my dad was fascinated with the passing gear in the Hydramatic. I remember distinctly that GM called it "Whirlaway" (at least that's what he told me).

 

When I was about 10, my Mom's boyfriend bought a new '50 fastback. Took me for a ride and put the pedal to the metal. Thought sure we were going to go airborne. I was comparing it to Mom's '39 Dodge.

 

Ain’t nothin better than a 50 Olds coupe , manual trans !

 

I'm so old that when I was young, early fifties Oldsmobiles were the tri-five Chevy's.

 

in early 50s drag racing if it wasn't an early Ford hot rod it was a Rocket 88, King of the late models

 

Rocket power! The OHV V8 was big news.

 

I love the '50 Oldsmobile, I really do. But a musclecar? No. Just because it was fast for it's day, or had a V8 in a body that was smaller than something else (Olds 88 is still a full size car) doesn't make it a musclecar. If it did, you could apply that name to a bunch of other stuff that came earlier.

 

It has always puzzled me that some car writer decided the muscle car era started with 1960's cars? It's like they never heard of or were around in the 50's when car makers began to build factory cars with higher HP V8 engines?

 

In building my '37 Century, i have heard that alot- bigger ohv engine in the "small" body, factory ifs, , big series transmission and good rear gear, etc

 

Well, I dunno about "Muscle Car" status, but my '49 Cad Sedanette had a 331 c.i. V8 in it when the Olds only had the 303 c.i.! Just say'n..

 

'50 Olds : 3500 lbs/303 ci = 11.5 lbs/ci., '49 Cadillac : 3955 lbs/331 ci= 11.95 lbs/ci. Pretty even. When my Old man bought his new '53 Super 88 two door, the consensus was that a Caddy might get close, but the Olds would take' em in the long run. Also, if I had to guess, I would think the Olds had lower (higher numerically) rear end gears, which I have found are quite helpful in increasing performance.

 

Great year of Oldsmobile, great lines and much appreciated by a lot of gear heads!
As seen at the CHRR at FAMOSO a number of years ago.

 

And it's a coupe, too. I believe that in general, the early fifties coupes come off as much better styled than the rather frumpy 2 door sedans.

 

My Dad bought a used 50 Olds around 1955 or 56, street raced in Flint (he was about 30 yrs old) beat anyone who would race. He always said it was the stick shift that left em all behind! lol. And that was before the term “musle car” became known.

 

How much horsepower did these “ muscle cars” produce from the factory?

 

'50 Olds? 135 HP.

 

‘50 Oldsmobile Legends:

Keith Berg
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/retired-rocket-1950-oldsmobile-futuramic-88-holiday-coupe/

Gene Adams
https://patganahl.com/2021/06/14/gene-adams-olds/

Woodie Hyde
https://www.socaloldsmobile.com/club-history/

 

So many learning opportunities here. I mean, I thought the Hudson Terraplane was the original muscle cars. How many records did the Olds break?