1953 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Fiesta Convertible
Among the rarest of 1950s GM production cars, only 458 examples of the 1953 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Fiesta left the Lansing assembly line. It was the scarcest member of GM’s celebrated “trifecta” of Motorama-derived convertibles, joined by the Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado and Buick Roadmaster Skylark.
At $5,715, it cost nearly twice what a standard Ninety-Eight convertible commanded in 1953.
Distinctive styling cues separated the Fiesta from lesser Ninety-Eights: a wraparound windshield cut three inches lower than standard, “spinner” wheel covers, hockey-stick side trim, and exclusive two-tone color combinations.
Every example came loaded with leather upholstery, power steering, power brakes, power windows, and a power seat.
Under the hood sat a tuned version of Oldsmobile’s 303-cubic-inch Rocket V8, producing 170 horsepower (five more than the regular Ninety-Eight) through revised intake manifolding and higher compression. A four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission was standard.
Unlike its Cadillac and Buick counterparts, the Fiesta was a one-year-only model with no direct successor.
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