Co-worker scanned in a bunch of pics from a race in West Virginia around 1960. Most were of compe***ion cars- Allards, Lotuses, Jags. This custom based on a Corvette, most likely was pretty unique and looks like a completely new body. Anyone recognize it?
I remember the car but I always thought it was a "little bird" 55-57 Thunderbird. I never cared for it but admired the work involved. The 59 date on the picture says when it was developed.
Neat car, although the cowl vent and front fenders say Cadillac to me. I'd like to know more about it.
That's the '59 Olds F-88 Mk III - a GM concept car. It (along with the F-88 MkII) was not publicly shown. Harley Earl used to drive it personally for a short while; it was his 'gold watch' retirement gift. FG body, fuel injection, retractible SS roof, O-59 front suspension, experimental auto trans. It did get a s**** order (via Bill Mitchell coming on board for '59), tho a number of 's**** order' cars escaped. However, I don't believe this one survived. There's only a handful of pics out there of this car- it may have only 'lived' less than 2 years.
I think WQ59B is correct. From what I could find on Google there were a couple of versions, Mark II and Mark III at least. I think the scoop and headlights were changed between the two.
several sites that states it is the 59 f-88 mark III http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1959_oldsmobile_f_88_mark_iii/images/10541/ http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1959_oldsmobile_f_88_mark_iii/
The original F-88 was a '54. 3/4 were built, many may remember when the gold version sold at BJ for like 3.8 million a few years ago. The F-88 Mk II was a '57, I have read from a credible source that the '57 was created by re-boding one of the '54s. The F-88 Mk III was a '59. It likewise very well may have been the Mk II, rebodied again. I suspect this because they were stylistically similar - tho something about the Mk III looks a bit larger overall to my eye. There are very few pics of either the Mk II or Mk III- all from the period. With all the concept car hunting over the last 25 or so years, you'd think a whisper would've surfaced by now if one survived. IMHO, neither the II or the III was up to 'GM concept' snuff- a bit jumbled, IMO. The original is the peach, IMO (this is the 3rd '54 F-88):
One of the biggest clues (RE the bones of an unknown build) (and this includes the OP pic) is the windshield. Even the T-Bird, as pe***e as it was: pales with the delicately-thin & so well settled (not to mention: raked) windshield on the Mk III. The gl*** obviously isn't regular production, and the chromed frame is high skills. That's a manufacturer there vs. an amateur builder, in 90% of the cases. In my observations. I truly 'nerd' off concept cars.
Great info. The .ru site says that Harley Earl drove the car around in his retirement after 1958. As the picture is dated 1959, it may have been his car at the time.
The car in the first picture was featured along with Harley Earl in a short article in Hot Rod or Car Craft back then - I have the issue here somewhere in my collection.
No worries- as long as we get the car right. Like I said- these two (Mk II & Mk III) weren't publicly shown, so they are quite obscure. Jimmy B - thanks for the article; going into my reference file. Nice to see other angles/details I never could from other pics.
The Jalopy Journal
