1956 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight

1956 Oldsmobile 88 Holiday 4 Door Hardtop The mid fifties were an amazing time for General Motors. Each of their brands had a distinctive identity and business was booming. While almost everyone recognizes Chevrolet's Tri-Five collection, Oldsmobile's offerings of the day were equally impressive. In 1955 sales were way up for Oldsmobile, and it was due in part to this division of GM offerings to compliment, not rival the Tri-Fives. From upmarket to experimental to performance leader, Oldsmobile played a number of roles over the years.   For consignment, a 1956 Oldsmobile Holiday 4 door hardtop showing 92,251 miles, but the true miles are unknown. The Holiday designation indicates a pillarless hardtop of which 61,192 four doors were produced in 1956. The base price that year? The Rocket 88 would set you back about $2,900!  Exterior It's pure 50's in dramatic two tone fashion with Alcon White flowing downward to meet Tropical Green Poly and shooting rearward in with a pointed design delineated by polished trim that flows across the midline and becomes a spear. On par with grilles of the era, this one is wide and oval framed with a robust chrome bumper and topped by the Oldsmobile globe emblem and a jet age hood ornament jutting forward as if in motion. The globe repeats on the decklid and houses the keyhole, and a Rocket 88 emblem also aims skyward on the smooth, green paint. The windshield and rear window are curved for better visibility and 15-inch wheels have full covers, body matched rims, and wide white wall tires to complete the classic profile. Imperfections are few and include some minor chips, scratches, and inclusions along with some bubbles on a door.  Interior The green theme continues on the inside with two tone door panels consisting of Sputnik inspired green print under stitched white vinyl, silver hardware that's picked up by a trim line on the armrests and all four doors present nicely. That mid century cloth makes its way to the front and rear bench, once again layering under a stitched white panel of vinyl and other than some compression where the driver plants it, the seats are in very fine condition. White makes up the plastic rim of the steering wheel, suffering from many cracks but leading to a spectacular green over white dash with a chrome central band that houses an oval speedometer. Not round. Not rectangle. It's beautifully sculpted and the mirror finish houses an AM radio in the center, (although there is a modern radio in the car as well), and an oval clock to the right. Bright green low pile carpet covers the floor and the perforated white headliner not only keeps with the palette, but presents high and tight. The trunk is neatly lined with tan vinyl mats and houses a white wall spare.  Drivetrain An original looking 324ci Rocket V8 is under the hood with a 2-barrel carburetor and 230 horsepower, tied to a Hydramatic 4-speed automatic transmission that routes power to 3.42 gears in back. Power brakes and power steering are on board. Undercarriage Clean conditions and simple construction is found underneath where the dual exhaust runs through glasspack style mufflers and exits through chrome tips out back. Power drum brakes are at all four wheels and suspension consists of coil springs front, and leaf springs rear. Drive-Ability This big car provides a lofty ride, plenty of power, and a comfortable and clean interior from which to pilot it. We note it pulls hard to the right when braking but tracking and turning work well. Other than the clock, all functional items work as they should and just like that, our holiday is over! While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Everyday was a holiday for the family that owned this beautiful commuter. What was once a daily driver is now an artistic representation of an era in time and an at