...with a Rocket 88!
Famous from the song, Oldsmobile's "Rocket" 88 was a precursor to the muscle cars of the sixties. Using the lighter body from Oldsmobile's six cylinder 76 model, and the company's new, powerful "Rocket" V-8 engines, the 88 was a fast, comfortable car, and a favorite on the burgeoning stock car racing scene.
That engine was the key to the car's success, and led to my favorite detail of the '53 pictured here. Rocket imagery was already popular in the fifties, and the swept-wing motif was a popular styling cue at General Motors. So it was natural that Oldsmobile would have rocket plane hood ornaments. What kills me are the contrails molded into the hood. You just don't see that anymore!
No comments:
Post a Comment