1959 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

The 1959 Oldsmobile lineup consisted of the Dynamic Eighty-Eight, Super Eight-Eight, and the top-of-the-line Ninety-Eight resting on an exclusive 126.3-inch wheelbase platform and offered in four body styles. It was offered as a convertible, sedan, and 2- and 4-door Holiday Hardtops. Prices ranged from $3,890 for the sedan and rose to over $4,360 for the convertible. The most popular body style was the 4-door holiday hardtop which found 36,813 willing buyers. Next in terms of popularity was the sedan which had 23,106 sales.

The Olds Ninety-Eight was very well equipped and included all the standard items found on the other two models, plus an electric clock, additional chrome trim and moldings, power brakes, a Jetaway Hydra-Matic drive transmission (optional on the other models), power steering, and 9.00 x 14-inch tires. Among the list of options were power seat, power windows, Wonderbar radio, and power antenna. It shared its 394 cubic-inch V8 engine with the Super 88. The overhead-valve unit was fitted with Rochester 4GC Quadra-Jet carburetors and developed 315 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 435 lb-feet of torque.

Oldsmobile had introduced new styling for 1958 which proved to be short-lived, as its new 'Linear Look' styling greeted Oldsmobile enthusiasts for 1959. Although the wheelbase remained the same, the length grew from 216.7-inches in 1958, to 223 inches the following year. Visibility improved thanks to a new vista-Panoramic windshield. The interiors were restyled with the most notable change being the Safety Spectrum Speedometer. Speed was indicated by a moving band of color - 'green' from 0-to-35 mph, 'orange' from 35-to-65 mph, and 'red' for speeds in excess of 65 mph.

Styling features of the 1959 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight include the fins that started atop the front fenders, traversing the body side, and culminating in rocket-shaped appendages at the rear. The overall appearance was much cleaner than its highly chromed 1958 predecessor.

1959 was also the last year that Oldsmobile won the Daytona 500 - thanks, in part, to Richard Petty's driving talents.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020