1957 Oldsmobile 88

Description

Despite the company's reputation for luxury, this 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 was one of the fastest cars you could buy that year. And it's a good thing it's fast, because nobody's going to think this hardtop is your mother's Oldsmobile. No, it's just too cool for that.

Big cars from the '50s are really the only ones that can wear pink and pull it off. Oldsmobile called it Sunset Glow in 1957, and it's most definitely pink. If you're man enough to drive a pink car, you'll discover that it has many other virtues as well beyond the usual glitz and glamor that come with a car like this. The doors feel substantial when you close them, the sheetmetal lines up nicely, and it's restrained, so the color really shows off the curves rather well. Styling looks familiar with a corporate GM look, but the Oldsmobiles featured unique details like the rounded quarter panels with big oval taillights, the unique "globe" insignia on the hood, and the exhaust outlets built into the rear bumper. On the other hand, it shares that cool three-pane rear window with its corporate cousins at Buick and Pontiac, but that doesn't make it any less cool. The paint has a wonderful shine and depth that you don't expect from a pink 1950s cruiser and obviously someone spent big on the chrome and trim, which has been recently restored, too.

Black and white works with the pink bodywork the way a poodle skirt works with saddle shoes. The upholstery is the right stuff, with a moderately funky 1950s texture to the black fabric. It's possible that it's original, but it's really just too nice to be coming up on 60 years old, although the dash was recently restored and looks amazing. Oldsmobile more than any other GM division was into the jet age (maybe it had to do with that whole 'Rocket V8' thing), and the dash shows an almost sci-fi look. The big, round speedometer is flanked by knobs and switches on either side with a clock perched up high like it matters. The steering wheel is probably original and really is in wonderful condition, and the factory AM radio is still in the dash. There's room for three to get comfortable in the back seat, and you can carry all their luggage in that massive trunk, which hosts a full-sized spare and jack assembly.

This Oldsmobile's real appeal lies under the hood, where the 371 cubic inch "Rocket" V8 makes big horsepower and torque without seeming to work hard. It was a favorite of certain Daytona Beach racers, Lee Petty and his son, Richard, and that should tell you all about why this car is special. It's smooth and unobtrusive most of the time, but in terms of 1950s cars, few can hustle like this Olds. Oldsmobile Gold paint on the block is a distinctive look, and with the smart-shifting Hydra-Matic automatic transmission behind it, it's a genuinely entertaining road car. It's also a good, solid, original car, as evidenced by the super clean undercarriage which shows a proper single exhaust and a new gas tank out back. Power steering and brakes are probably mandatory on a car this size, and while it rides on 225/75/14 radials, imagine how a set of wide whites would make it sparkle!

This swift Oldsmobile is more than manly enough to pull off wearing pink. The only question is whether you're manly enough to handle it. Call today!