1955 Oldsmobile Super 88

This 1955 Olds Super 88 (the second-generation model) has resided with its current owner (since 2013) in Boutersem, Belgium – a country that has long held a fascination for old American cars. The amount of US troops stationed in the country post-WW2 meant that a whole generation grew up seeing big, glamorous American cars on a daily basis. Though this 88 is no mere object of fancy or nostalgia, it’s been put through its paces…

The vendor took it on the Mille Miglia in 2015 and not only finished, but did so without a single mechanical breakdown; an amazing feat for any 66-year-old vehicle. This 88 has also had an accountable €10,000 spent on its upkeep in the past eight years; including (but not limited to) an automatic gearbox, brake and coolant overhaul. The vendor reports that the car now drives just as well as the classic song suggests.

If there’s a more evocative 1950s colour combo than this 88’s two-tone Grove over Mint Green then we’re not sure we’ve come across it. Fins and chrome everywhere you look reinforces the fact that this 88 was a bold product from America’s ‘Big Three’ post War. For example, we bet that hood emblem has more metal in it than most entire Mini shells. Cast your eyes a little further down and you’ll see another front-end (and rear) adornment, this time celebrating the model’s famous participation in the Carrera Pan-American. That’s right, the very same event that inspired Porsche’s famous model line-up also saw an Olds 88 win outright in 1950.

There’s so much chrome that it took a long time to inspect it all but we’re pleased to announce that it’s in very fine order. In fact, there’s barely a tarnish or mark worth mentioning beyond the odd light polishing scratch. It’s a similar story with the rest of the exterior. The paint is almost without fault and the only trim we could see in need of some TLC was the lens on the passenger side rear stop light, which was still hanging in despite considerable cracking. Tyres all appear in good shape too, even if their white wall bands are now more brown walls.

The cabin of this fabulous Oldsmobile could have come right off the set of American Graffiti. For our younger readers, think the ice cream parlour from Back to the Future. It’s every inch as period perfect mid-1950s Americana as the exterior. Chromework can be seen everywhere from the instrument cluster to the rear ashtray. Fluting on the dash is highly evocative but not as much as the entire grille that the lucky front passenger gets to stare at, once again sporting a commemorative Carrera Pan-America globe. Everything in here evokes a space-age future that was never really realised, yet it’s all the better for it.

As for faults, there really aren’t many. We did notice that the carpet has suffered a little sun bleaching on the top of the transmission tunnel. There’s also a little damage to the outer edge of the base of the driver’s seat; visible from the rear passenger footwell. One of the rear quarter window rubbers has perished but not excessively, yet despite this, the vendor has included a brand-new seal in the sale.

An awful lot of steel went into the manufacture of this Oldsmobile so there’s plenty to succumb to the elements, but we couldn’t see a lot wrong with the underside of this example. Sure, there’s surface rust here and there but it appears to have never been allowed to progress any further. The engine subframe looks good and strong and the block itself, still covered in the factory green paint, doesn’t show any signs of leaks either current or past.

We’re unsure whether the underseal is still from the factory (likely not) but its holding in there very well indeed. The mass majority of the underside is still protected. Even the usually corroded leaf springs appear largely free of any signs of rust. Everything under here looks crisp and correct. Oh, and the commonly worn Cardan UJ yokes have clearly been replaced, backed up by a bill in the history.

The party piece is, of course, that high-compression 324ci ‘Rocket’ engine. Developing a still useful 202bhp this was a ludicrous amount in the mid-1950s. If you can drag your eyes away from the motor (we struggled too) you’ll also notice a nearly new radiator and electric cooling fans have been fitted. The vendor reports that he’s never had to use the latter as the engine stays cool, whatever the weather or driving condition.

As mentioned at the top, this Olds has seen a vast amount of money spent on its maintenance. That’s backed up with bills to prove it, as we can see a bill of €3492,47 spent at Autotrac on the auto transmission’s overhaul back in 2019. A little further back, there’s another substantial bill for €986,15 for a new rad in 2015.

In addition to a FIVA passport, the vendor also had an independent condition report compiled in 2013. This backs up our observations that the car is in excellent order throughout. The assessor concluded that this 88 qualified as a condition 2 example just one level down from level 1, that’s reserved for concours examples.

Sadly, due to health issues the vendor is unable to retain this fabulous slice of American automotive history, otherwise he’d never part with it. We can’t say we would either. The car that was responsible for the muscle car movement is a fabulous addition to any collection and the condition of this one sets it out as even more desirable. As such, we’ve little doubt it’ll meet its €27,500 - €35,000 estimate.

Viewing is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and as stated this car is located in Boutersem, Belgium; and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing to make an appointment. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.