Oldsmobile made a major impact on automotive engineering in 1949 when it introduced its Rocket V-8. Like the Cadillac V-8 that appeared almost simultaneously, the Olds engine was made up of a set of design features that led to its being described as the modern overhead-valve V-8.
Again like the slightly larger Cadillac V-8, it moved the valves from the block to the heads and used oversquare proportions as each piston’s stroke was shorter than its cylinder’s diameter. Efficiency was improved as size decreased; the new 304-cubic-inch engine produced 135 horsepower, according to Motor’s Manual, compared to the earlier inline eight’s 115 horsepower from 257 cubic inches, and the years would see it grow.
Big Engine and Small Body Add up to 1949 Olds 88
Oldsmobile used two wheelbases for its 1949 models, with the six-cylinder 76 series measuring 119.5 inches and the V-8-powered 98 measuring 125. The smaller 76 chassis naturally was also lighter – about 300 pounds lighter in the case of convertibles – so giving it the new V-8 guaranteed that the new 88 would be fast. It wasn’t just the weight difference, of course; to become the 88, the 76 body gave up a 105-horsepower six that, according to Setting the Pace, coincidentally displaced the same 257 cubic inches as the old eight.
That the V-8-powered 88 was the right idea was illustrated by the 76’s disappearance after 1950, but having made its point, the 88 was gone before the end of the 1951 model year. The Deluxe 88 and Super 88 replaced it, according to the Standard Catalog, and with the 98, continued to use the same Rocket V-8.
Upping the Rocket’s Horsepower
For 1952, Oldsmobile returned to the use of two engines and two bodies with an overlap for performance. The Super 88 took that role by sharing the 160-horsepower version of the 303 with the 98 while the lesser Deluxe 88 got along with just 145 horsepower. From there, it became complicated.
The Standard Catalog lists 150 horsepower at the bottom through 160 and then 170 as the possibilities in the 1953 Rocket V-8, which was still at 303 cubic inches. The Super 88 again shared the 98’s version at 160, while the new Fiesta convertible in the 98 line received the 170. The 1954 Oldsmobile went back to two offerings, according to Setting the Pace, but both the 170- and 185-horsepower engines were now displacing 324 cubic inches. The Super 88 and the 98 once again had the higher-output unit.
1955 Olds Stands Strong as More Competitors’ V-8s Arrive
No one ever formally declared the start of the horsepower race, but it was as much a part of 1950s cars as tailfins and two-tone paint. The 1949 Oldsmobile 88 had helped to launch it and that car’s descendants were not about to give up, so according to Motor’s Manual, 1955 saw the 324’s output raised to 185 horsepower in the 88 and 202 horsepower in the Super 88 and 98.
The Super 88 continued to benefit most, given that its 122-inch wheelbase was four inches shorter than that of the 98 and it weighed less than the bigger car with the same engine. The difference between the convertibles in the two lines was only about 170 pounds, according to Setting the Pace, but for those drivers who esteemed performance, 170 pounds mattered.
Interestingly enough, the performance-oriented 1955 Super 88 convertible was more of a mainstream car than might be expected; its sales hit 9007 and that compared nicely to 9149 for the 98 convertible with its focus on luxury. Either was a good value, the Super 88 costing $2894 and the 98 listing for $3276.
Rocket V-8 was About to Take Off
It was a good time for V-8s in general. Chrysler had been building its hemi V-8s for several years by then, the 1955 Buick had already moved away from the straight eights and Ford had switched from flatheads to overhead-valve V-8s, but in a way, the 1955 Chevrolet stole some thunder from Oldsmobile – and nearly everyone else – with introduction of its small-block V-8. Even the 1955 Pontiac and Packard V-8s were overshadowed by the Chevy.
None of the manufacturers were willing to sit it out and the 1956 Olds boosted the 324’s horsepower to 240. Things only got better, as Setting the Pace puts the 1957 Oldsmobile J-2 option at an even 300 horsepower from what was now a 371-cubic-inch Rocket V-8.
Within a few years, the horsepower race would evolve into the muscle-car era and Olds would focus even more sharply on performance with models such as the 4-4-2 and the Rallye 350. It would be an especially good time for Rocket V-8s in particular.
References:
- Blanchard, Harold F., Ed. Motor’s Auto Repair Manual. New York: Motor, 1949.
- Early, Helen Jones and Walkinshaw, James R., Setting the Pace. Oldsmobile’s First 100 Years. Lansing, Michigan: Oldsmobile Division of General Motors, 1996.
- Gunnell, John, Ed. Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1987.
- Ritchen, Ralph, Ed. Motor’s Auto Repair Manual 1962. New York: Motor, 1962.
Bob Tomaine - Automotive writer and photographer Bob Tomaine is a regular contributor to Auto Restorer, AutoWeek and Old Cars Weekly as well as a ...
