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1954 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

Ransom Eli Olds founded Oldsmobile Motor Works in Lansing, Michigan in 1897 and the company would last 107 years. From the beginning, Oldsmobile built a reputation for innovation and quality. In 1908, General Motors began its stewardship of Oldsmobile and rescued it from its financial turmoil. While under GM ownership, the Oldsmobile continued their reputation developed by the company's founder.

1954 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight photo
Starfire Convertible
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In the post-World War II era, the 1946 Oldsmobile vehicles were essentially the 1942 model. Innovation and engineering would return to Oldsmobile by 1949, however, with the new Rocket V8 engine - another first for Oldsmobile - with its first mass-produced overhead-valve V8 engine.

With the new-for 1954 bodywork and larger more powerful engines, Oldsmobile regained its place among American performance and style leaders. Strong sales positioned Oldsmobile in fourth place behind Chevrolet, Ford, and Buick. At the top of model line was the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Starfire Convertible. Its base price was nearly $1,000 more than the basic Olds 88.

The Series 98 consisted of a four-door sedan, two-door Holiday hardtop, and the Starfire convertible. The Starfire name first appeared on an Oldsmobile show car of 1953, which may have been inspired by the Lockheed F-94 Starfire interceptor used by the U.S. Air Force during the early 1950s.

1954 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight photo
Starfire Convertible
View info and history
The Series 98 models had a hood that was now almost level with the top of the front fenders. This low, long and wide styling theme continued across the rear fenders to the tail panel. In the front was a new panoramic wraparound windshield which it borrowed from the limited-production Fiesta convertible of 1953. Other exterior features included the bright side spear and two-tone paint finishes.

Standard equipment included dual horns, a cigarette lighter, turn signals, padded dash, and courtesy lights.

The other models in the 1954 Oldsmobile lineup included the Eighty-Eight and the Super Eighty-Eight. The Ninety-Eight shared its slightly higher horsepower Rocket V-8 engine with the Super Eighty-Eight models.


by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019
The original Oldsmobile Starfire named after Lockheed F9413 Starfire Fighterjet was first introduced as a show car in 1953 at the GM Motorama along with the Buick Skylark and the Cadillac Eldorada. All three nameplates became special top of the line models with fiber glass body and bucket seating for two. The Starfire Show Car (Prototype) had a wrap around windshield and a combination bumper / grill in The front end, in many ways it was a Corvette for Oldsmobile, however it reminaed a not-for production styling excercise.

Related Reading : Oldsmobile 98 History

The Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight was a full-size vehicle introduced in 1941 and continued in production until 1996 with only one interruption during that time period while efforts were switched to production of military equipment during World War II. The 98 had been formerly known as the Series 90. The 98 was the top-of-the-line offering for Oldsmobile while its siblings had lower numbers such as the....
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Related Reading : Oldsmobile 98 History

The esteemed flagship of the Oldsmobile division of GM, the Oldsmobile 98 or Ninety-Eight was a full-size model that would hold its place as the top-of-the-line model well into the 90s before the arrival of the Oldsmobile Regency in 1997. The 98 name first arrived on the scene in 1941 and was revived following WWII. It shared its GM C-body platform with Cadillac and Buick, and occasionally added....
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1954 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1954 Ninety-Eight
$2,960-$18,050
1954 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Price Range: $2,550 - $2,960

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1954 Oldsmobile Models

Ninety-Eight

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
93,325
126.00 in.
8 cyl., 324.00 CID., 170.00hp
$2,550 - $2,960
118,626
126.00 in.
8 cyl., 324.00 CID., 202.00hp
$2,830 - $3,280
90,439
126.00 in.
8 cyl., 324.00 CID., 240.00hp
$2,970 - $3,380

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