1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Club Sedan
When General Motors – Holden released “Australia’s Own Car” – the HOLDEN in 1948, it was time for them to consider rationalising the range of makes they were offering to the Australian motoring public. By the end of 1950 the message was clear. The new Holden was a winner and the need for the more expensive models like the Buick and Oldsmobile simply wasn’t there any longer. This was a fateful decision for Oldsmobile in Australia. As a result the last Australian built and assembled right hand drive 1950 Series “76” Oldsmobile Sedan would be completed for delivery and sale during May of 1951. From this time onward, only a handful of GM dealers imported small numbers of Oldsmobiles in Left Hand-Drive configuration, and had them converted them to RHD to meet Australian standards.
This Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Club Sedan was produced at GM’s Lansing, Michigan, facility, and is powered by a 303ci Rocket V8 paired with a Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The car is finished in Garnet Maroon over burgundy vinyl upholstery, and features include a 12-volt electrical system, Pertronix ignition components, lowering springs, and manually operated windows as well as a traffic signal viewer, Moon supplemental gauges, and heating and defrost. The car is said to have been refurbished in 2018 during previous ownership, with work reportedly including a repaint, interior refresh, and rebuild of the powertrain. Recently acquired by the selling dealer out of Washington State, this Oldsmobile 88 is offered in Oregon with a car cover, manufacturer’s literature, service records, and a clean Washington State title.
The two-door Club Sedan features fastback body styling as well as exterior details such as a ‘Rocket’ hood ornament, rear wheel skirts, and aviation-inspired trim.
The bench seats are wrapped in replacement burgundy upholstery and accompanied by black carpeting and a replacement headliner and windlace. Equipment includes manually operated windows and controls for heating and defrost.
A Guide traffic signal viewer was added atop the metal dashboard, and the three-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and frames a sweeping 110-mph speedometer. A supplemental Moon gauge cluster provides readings for coolant temperature, amperage, and oil pressure in lieu of the factory auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer is partially unreadable according to the seller, who notes the fuel gauge, clock, and radio are inoperative.
The 303ci ‘Rocket’ V8 was rated at 135 horsepower when new, and the seller states the engine was rebuilt as part of the refurbishment. The electrical system has been converted to function with a 12-volt alternator and is accompanied by a Pertronix ignition unit and coil.
The 88 model with its Rocket V8 was one of the hottest performers available.
Some at GM wanted to see Kettering honored by having the car named after him. However, top execs would have none of it, as the company had a strict policy against naming anything after an individual that was still alive, and Kettering was very much so at the time. The “Rocket” name was rumored to be hated by many GM executives at the time. Little did they know how successful the name and the car would become, with the 88 produced by Oldsmobile until 1999!
