When Chevy was coming out with its 6-cyl. sports car with its 2-speed "powerglide" transmission and side curtains, here was a sports car from Olds with a big old V-8 and power windows ! So, GM said NO to Oldsmobile on building this car. The world's rarest automobile: a 1954 Concept Old's Rocket F88 - the only one in existence. (read the story below) John S Hendricks, (Discovery Communications founder) paid in excess of 3 million to acquire this 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 Convertible Concept Car .. After spending decades as a collection of parts stuffed into wooden crates, the F-88 was reassembled. In 1954, the F-88 was a Motorama Dream Car, and was one of only two, or an unconfirmed possible three, ever created. The F-88 seen here is literally the only car left of its kind, and was sold to John and Maureen Hendricks at the prestigious Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale , Arizona , for an unbelievable $3,240,000. This acquisition made automotive history, and is the cornerstone of the Gateway Colorado Automobile Museum, in its own special room in a rotating display, worthy of the F-88!
Back in "the day" - GM didn't want the Cad, Pontiac or Olds lines to acquire a "performance" image (no 2 seaters with ragtops). It was a throwback to their corporate idea of who their customers were. A sports car was a risk for US mfrs at the time - nobody had anything as small as an Austin-Healey, MG or Jaguar and they sure weren't going to take a chance on a brand new chassis, etc. So, they figured Chevrolet could afford to fall on their face, after all - that's what "Joe Sixpack" bought. Marketing of upscale cars couldn't afford to take a hit with an unsuccesful venture. Chev got the job - installed the only engine they had on the only suspension they had, created new "plastic" bodies and stuck 'em in the showrooms (after a modicum of fanfare). I recall reading an article in Popular Mechanics when I was 9 or 10 showing a picture of a man with a sledgehammer striking the side of a Corvette. Anyway - that's why Corvette didn't get a big old 324 Olds engine. dj
That car could have been bought at the Olds 100th anniverasry show for around 15 to 20 thousand,a friend was trying to line up the money to get it with a couple other people but it did not happen. It needed restored at that time but he is kicking his self in the ass for not buying it after seeing what it went for.
Wasn't this posted before? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=535623&highlight=olds+f88
It's ugly. There I said it. They took a Corvette and made it look just as bloated and overdecorated as a stock Oldsmobile. Tons of chrome, a fake hoodscoop and some fake louvers where real ones don't need to go. Just what a sports-car buyer always wanted. And how many bumperettes does a car need? GM was clueless even then.
Nice story, got any toilet paper to go with that. The Corvette was and is Chevrolets idea. Other GM brands always have to copy Chevrolet: Olds with the f-88, Pontiac with the Safari (nomad lookalike) and Firebird (Camaro) The only ones that didn't copy Chevrolet is Buick and Cadillac. So where is Oldsmobile and Pontiac today?!
Does anyone have the issue of Hemmings old "Special Interest Autos" that told the history of the Corvette project? I believe they stated that it was an Oldsmobile project initially.
where are Oldsmobile and Pontiac... 51 BIRD, I think you're right... Chevy, however, got the job and made it affordable. The other GM brands didn't copy Chevy, they made the process of moving up the GM 'success' chain more affordable. Entry level: Chevy then move up to Pontiac Hey mister, you've made it,... get yourself an Oldsmobile; no well resppected business man owns and Olds, he sells adding machines out of one, time to move up to Buick,... Now you'll look swell at the links. You're now at the top of your game, nothing says you've made it to the top like Cadillac,; they are, after all, the standard of the world. That was the 50's, that was Harvey Earl, that was how you sold cars, it certainly wasn't "copying." That Olds, while kinda cool and novel now, and undoubtedly historically relevant, would have stalled in the water. That Rocket wouldn't have taken off. Too expensive, too much like the green lit 'Vette and too flamboyant for the times. Personally, I love the interior and the color is unreal. I also really like the flow of the Olds front end. The V-8 was a real plus...
It looks too much like the Olds production cars. It doesn't look bad, but not as nice as the 'vette. The 'vette had its own look from the beginning, and it had a bare essentials type of styling perfect for a 2 seater roadster of the 50's. However, if the vette could have been had with the Olds V8, I think it would have sold much better and not had to wait until 55 for Chevy's little 265 V8 to start a sales turnaround.
That's the other thing, it was competing against the European sports cars which were very basic, The Olds has a heavy load of American all over it's chrome surfaces.
Another GM SNAFU was not producing this Buick sports car in 1954...would've had a nailhead V8 where Corvette had a 6 cyl !
Yikes, that's even worse! Now if I saw the Olds on fire, I might be persuaded to piss on it depending on my mood, which hasn't been great this winter. Not so the Buick. What, no continental kit? That's all it needs to really set it off!
Steeling from chevy ? did the song go cruzing in my bel-air 6 banger no I dont think so, As i remember it was my rocket 88. And it was a coffie colored cady not a green chevy.all joking aside I thought Harley made all the designers work in diffrent building and there was a no contact with any other divisions
You're incorrect sir. GM parent company felt that the GIs desire for sporty cars could and should be met within our shores. Chevrolet got the nod, the others didn't necessarily 'copy'...those were concepts for a version of their own.
I have a weakness for Olds so I like it. And if Olds stole everything from Chevy don't forget that Ed Cole developed the first slipper piston V8 as the Olds, 6 years before chevy got their version. Chevy couldn't even sell the first 300 vettes, they were underpowered, had no side windows and only came with a powerglide. Sports car? Hardly.
GM did a lot of dumb stuff Why the low end brand was given the crown for sporty and performance was a mistake ….. Could have been a bunch more cool cars
I will say that initially I thought this car was quite Gaudy. However when I saw this thing in person, I was quite impressed. It does need a set of white walls (my opinion), but for me ( I am 100% ford) I would love to hop in this thing and take it around the block. If anyone ever gets the chance to go to the Gateway museum, go it is a wonderful museum with a great drive to get there. Also they have one hell of a burger for a damn good price.
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