In 1949, a new era began in the US automobile industry. This was the beginning of the horsepower race, super cars and finally muscle cars. In 1949, the Olds Rocket 88 was the first step in what would become the first sustained journey into the muscle era. Within a few years the little big engine concept car has become an industry wide trend.
In 1949 Oldsmobile basically kept the new body type that they had in 1948. Two months after the unveiling of the 49 Olds they “made the ultimate hardtop convertible.” This is the first body of this type to be made available on production cars with Cadillac. and Buick each produce their own versions. The hardtops debuted only on the top of the model of the Rocket 88 did not have a hardtop until the next year.
The Olds OHV V-8 engine was big news in 1949 when they, along with Cadillac, made the first OHV V-8s in sustainable quantity according to the Oldsmobile V-8 History site. From 1917 to 1919, Chevrolet produced the 265 CID OHV V-8, but production ceased in 1919. The engine that Olds came out with in 1949 was a very square design. That is, it was a gate rather than a plague. Thus the breathability was increased by the use of larger valves, while the reduced travel of the piston led to a decrease in friction. “Slipper” pistons were inserted between the crankshaft, lifting hydraulic valves were used to ensure quieter operation, and five main bearings for smoothness. It had 303 cubic inches and was rated in the 135th car market according to the editors of the auto Consumer Guide writing on HowStuffWorks.
The old engineers wanted to name the engine “Kettering” after Charles Kettering, who was so instrumental in building the engine, but not because Kettering was still alive, the name “Rocket” according to Gibson Butler who worked on the engine, at Auto History Online.
Other improvements for 1949 included larger brakes and a new carburetor designed to reduce the problem of vapor blocking. Hydra-Matic became standard equipment on all eight-cylinder models, and the inclined engine, literally called “Whirlaway”, contributed to blazing acceleration.
The new Oldsmobile Futuramic 98 line with a rocket V8 engine was announced, along with 76,000 cylinders, on November 27, 1948, and appeared at Oldsmobile shows in December, around the month of the new Cadillac. However, it was intended to use the new rocket engine only in the 98 models. But Sherrod E. Skinner, general manager of Oldsmobile, came up with the idea of a new V-8 in a smaller, 76 model, some 350 pounds lighter than the larger car. The new car was called the “Rocket 88” and fit between the 76 model with the 6 cylinder and the 98 model with the V-8. It was a real muscle car and immediately replaced the 98 as an Oldsmobile dealer.
The Rocket 88 was a last-minute addition to the 1949 line and featured the year’s new high-compression overhead-valve V-8 with 303 CID and 135 HP. It was quite a bit lighter than the old ’98, as it used a ’76 model that shared a Chevy/Pontiac body, and was a legitimate super car.
Rocket dominated 88 NASCAR race races in 1949. Although Oldsmobile’s official role in the race was limited, the 88 quickly went ahead to clean up the competition. 88 88 The Pace Car was selected for the 1949 Indianapolis D Memorial-day-holiday”>Memorial Race, and just stocking the car records all over the country. ] racing pretty much dictated what car would sell. the Monday after the Sunday of the stadium. Back to the beginning NASCAR winning car sales probably dictated more than today.
I had a red 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 convertible with a white top and black upholstery that was pretty much the same as it was in 1949. It was one of the nicest and best cars I’ve ever owned and I can honestly say it was all about Oldsmobile. I am advertising theirs.
Sources:
There was a lot of information above from Bill Vance at http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/bv/rocket88.htm
And his Reflections on Automotive History by Bill Vance, Volumes I, II & 3 available at www.billvanceautohistory.ca
Auto Editors At Consumer Guide at http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1948-1949-oldsmobile-futuramic-983.htm were also contributors of much information,
Dennis Casteele Olds Historian
Gibson Butler http://www.autohistory.org/feature_8.html
History of the Old V-8 http://www.442.com/oldsfaq/ofhst.htm
