1949 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

Post War automobile production at Oldsmobile included the entry-level Sixty Series (Special), the Seventy Series (Dynamic) intermediate, and the top-of-the-line Ninety Eight Series (Custom Cruiser). They wore post-war styling with minor updates with the Special resting on a 119-inch wheelbase and the Dynamic and Custom on a 125-inch platform. The Special and Dynamic came standard with a six-cylinder L-head, 238 cubic-inch engine, and the Custom Cruiser had a 257 cubic-inch L-head, inline-8 (optional on the Dynamic).

1947 was the final year that the Ninety-Eight series would wear the 1941 prewar bodies, and in 1948 - and for the first time since 1940, Oldsmobile offered totally different styling during a single model year. The styling of the Dynamic Sixty and Seventy Series had wraparound bumpers that stretched to the front wheelwells, front and rear bumper guards, a four-blade grille, a split windshield, and pronounced front and rear fenders with the fronts flowing into the middle of the front doors. The Futuramic Ninety-Eight Series wore all-new styling that would be adopted by all Oldsmobile models in 1949. It had pronounced rear fenders with streamlined fender skirts, a two-blade grille, a wraparound front bumper (ending mid-way to the front fenders), and bumper guards. The Sixty rested on a 119-inch wheelbase, and the Seventy and Ninety-Eight used a 125-inch platform.

Period advertising declared that the Futuramic offered 'the dramatic design of the future—the finest of functional modern design in any field.'

The 1949 Oldsmobile Futuramic Ninety-Eight Series
The 1949 Oldsmobile model lineup included the 'entry-level' Seventy-Sixty Series equipped with a 231 CID inline Six, the intermediate Eighty-Eight, and the top-of-the-line Futuramic Ninety-Eight. Both the Eighty-Eight and the Ninety-Eight were equipped with a 303.7 CID Rocket V-8 engine with overhead valves, a cast iron block, hydraulic valve lifters, a dual downdraft carburetor with an automatic choke, and 7.25:1 compression. The engine developed 135 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. All Eighty-Eights and Ninety-Eights came with Hydra-Matic automatic transmission as standard, while the Seventy-Six used a three-speed manual (the Hydra-Matic was a $185 option on the Seventy-Six). Oldsmobile had pioneered the Hydra-Matic automatic transmission in 1940, so fittingly many of its cars in 1949 were so equipped.

The Seventy-Six was priced from $1,630 to $2,740; the Eighty-Eight was priced from $2,000 to $3,125, and the Ninety-Eight listed at $2,360 to nearly $3,000. Body styles on the Seventy-Six and Eighty-eight included a 2-door club coupe, 2-door club sedan, sedan, town sedan, convertible and station wagon. Just like the lower series, the Ninety-Eight was offered in both Standard and Deluxe trim levels.

The Ninety-Eight came standard with a solenoid starter, an E-Z-I rear view mirror, foam rubber seat cushions, turn signals, windshield washer, safety glass, dual sun visors, dual horns, bumper guards, and a cigarette lighter. Deluxe equipment on the Ninety-Eight added an electric clock, a rear center seat armrest, chrome body moldings, stainless steel wheel trim rings, Deluxe steering wheel, front and rear floor mats, hydraulic windows, seats, and a convertible top. Even more upholstery options were available over the previous year and included leather, leather and cloth combination, broadcloth, and Bedford cord.

The most popular body style on the Ninety-Eight Series was the sedan, priced at $2,360, with 57,821 examples produced. A total of 20,049 examples were the two-door club sedan priced at $2,380, followed by 12,602 of the convertible ($2810), and 3,006 of the two-door holiday coupe ($2,975). A total of 93,478 examples of the 1949 Oldsmobile Futuramic Ninety-Eight were built accounting for approximately 32 percent of the company's total automobile production.

The Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, which first appeared in 1941, would remain part of the company's lineup through 1996. Throughout its existence, it was the company's top-of-the-line model, and lesser Oldsmobiles had lower numbers. After production of the Ninety-Eight ended on May 31, 1996, it was replaced by the Oldsmobile AUrurora as the top-level car in the company's lineup.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022