1958 Oldsmobile Dynamic Eighty-Eight Convertible

Cadillac represented General Motors top-of-the-market vehicle while Chevrolet served as its entry-level model. Oldsmobile helped bridge the gap between the two line of cars. The Oldsmobile vehicles had contemporary styling, were luxurious, and designed for the upper-middle-class market.

The 1958 models were newly styled, with the dramatic use of chrome trim on the sides to accent their considerable length. The Dynamic Eight-Eight was the entry-level Oldsmobile, moving up to the Super 88 at the mid-range, and the larger 98 at the pinnacle. The Super Eight-Eight was available in five models, which included a station wagon, a four-door sedan, a Holiday four-door hardtop, a two-door Holiday hardtop coupe, and a two-door convertible. They had a growing list of standard and optional features, in addition, the 305 horsepower, 371 cubic-inch V8 engine was now standard equipment for both the Super Eighty-Eight and Ninety-Eight lines. The engine was optional on the Dynamic Eighty-Eight in 1958. A three-speed manual transmission was standard on the Ninety-Eight and available as an option for all other models.

For 1958, calendar year sale totals approached 311,000 units, which put Oldsmobile into a fourth place industry ranking.

This particular example is a Dynamic Eighty-Eight Convertible and one of only 4,456 produced in 1958. It is finished in Banff Blue with a white and blue interior. There are rear fender skirts, wide whitewall tires, painted steel wheels, and stylized wheel covers. Inside, there are power seats surrounded by tinted glass, as well as the desirable Trans-Portable radio, which can be removed to accompany the owner. It also has the correct jack and spare. The current mileage is 49,845, which may be actual mileage from new.

The engine is a 371 cubic-inch overhead-valve V8 engine fitted with a single four-barrel carburetor rated at just over 300 horsepower. There is a four-speed Jetaway Hydra-Matic transmission and four-wheel hydraulically assisted drum brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2014