1959 Oldsmobile 98

The 1959 Oldsmobile was completely restyled from the 1958, which itself was completely redesigned from the 1957.   The 1959 Olds was also devoid of the globs of chrome covering the 1958. But the 1959 had “fins.” They were not as extreme as the 1959 Cadillac, but they were fins nonetheless!

The 1959 Oldsmobile grew in length and weight. The 98 was now 223 inches long,  up from the 216 inches of the 1958 Olds 98. The Oldsmobile model line for 1959 was comprised of the Dynamic 88, the Super 88 and the flagship 98, which came in four body styles. The two- and four-door hardtop, a four-door with pillars and the top-of-the-line 98 convertible seen here.

One of the unique styling features of the 1959 can be seen on the front end with the placement of the dual headlights being horizontally far apart and separated by the parking light/turn signals. In all other 1959 cars the dual headlights were set together.

The quickest way to differentiate a 98 Olds from an 88 is the taillight. In the 88 the tail light is flush with the rear fender, while the 98’s lights are set deep inside a chrome housing. Under the hood, the 98 has the 394 cid V-8, while the 88s have the 371 cid V-8. All Oldsmobiles had a semi-unitized body and frame from the cowl to the rear. Unlike other GM makes (such as Chevrolet and Cadillac), Oldsmobile continued to use a full perimeter frame, instead of the GM X-frame.

One option available in 1958 but not in 1959 was the “J-2” option of three dual barrel carburetors. Some of the options available in 1959 were power steering, power brakes, power windows, six-way power front seat, air conditioning, autronic eye, power antenna, electric clock, driver’s side remote control mirror, rear window defogger, air suspension, leather seats and seat belts. One “feature” of the cruise control was a buzzer that warned you when you exceeded the preset speed of the cruise control.

The car seen here was bought from the second owner in 1992 and was restored by its owner in 1998. The engine was rebuilt, since the owner knew he and his wife were going to drive the car (“The car was not going to be a garage king,” the owner said). The transmission was resealed, but other than that it needed no work and operates smoothly today. The paint was stripped off and painted its original red. The front bumper was re-chromed but not the rear as it was in good condition. The original red leather with white trim seats were re-placed with new leather; the original leather was cracked and dried out from too many days under the sun combined with neglect by the second owner. The convertible top was replaced and new hydraulic lines installed, but the original power top motor is still in the car.

The power window switches and motors never needed replacing, and the same for the power seat motor. The 98 was never used in the winter, which resulted in a rust-free body and frame.

With its low stance the 98 rides and handles more like a late 1990s car than a late 1950s one. By 1959 American cars were closer to the ride of a car at the end of the century than one that was being made prior to the early 1950s. As for “performance,” that 394 V-8 can still leave many newer cars eating its “smoke!” The ride is true 1959, smooth and effortless. With its cushioned-spring-coiled, deeply-padded-seats and excellent boulevard ride, passengers are isolated from the imperfections of the road.

There is also the advantage of the pre-2000 tires. The 1959 bias tires are now 235/75 x 14 radials riding on solid iron wheels. The sidewalls are high and wide, unlike many of the new low-profile performance tires on aluminum wheels. Anyone who has had the misfortune of hitting a curb or a pothole and has experienced sidewall cut or worse – such as a bent aluminum wheel – knows all too well about this “built in feature” of low profile tires and billet aluminum wheels. The owner of a 1959 Olds 98 never got to experience this.

Then there is the “smiles-per-gallon” of riding in a red 1959 Olds 98 convertible.  When was the last time someone smiled at you when you were getting out of your car or gave you “a thumbs up” while stopped for a red light? This  is a built-in feature of a 1959 Olds 98, which no new car can match or duplicate!

Oldsmobile sold 383,000 cars in 1959, which was seven percent of the U.S. car market.

Oldsmobile was founded in 1897 by Ransom Eli Olds. When R. E. Olds sold his company to GM in the early 1900s, he sold his name. He had to use his initials R. E. O. when he started his new motor company, REO.

In 2004 GM phased out production of the Oldsmobile. In 107 seven years 35.2 million Oldsmobiles were sold. •