1950 Olds Rocket 88 Holiday Coupe Make a Date

1950 Olds Rocket 88 Holiday Coupe Make a Date Oldsmobile introduced the 88 badge in 1949. It was named to complement the alreadyexisting 76 and 98, and took the place of the straight8 engined 78 in the model lineup. The new car used the same new Futuramic Bbody platform as the straight6 engined 76 but paired it with the new 303 cu in (5. 0 L) Rocket V8 engine producing 135 horsepower (101 kW). This combination of a relatively small light body and large, powerful engine made it widely considered to be the first muscle car. The Rocket 88 vaulted Oldsmobile from a somewhat staid, conservative car to a performer that became the one to beat on the NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) circuits. It won six of the nine NASCAR latemodel division races in 1949, 10 of 19 in 1950, 20 of 41 in 1952, and was eventually eclipsed by the lowslung, powerful Hudson Hornet, but it was still the first real King of This led to increased sales to the public. There was