1942 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser 98 Convertible
The 1942 styling update brought Oldsmobile’s “Fuselage Fender” design to the Series 98 (stretched pontoon fenders that carried through the front door opening and tapered toward the rear), giving the body a swept, continuous line in contrast to the separate-fender look of earlier years.
A new two-tier grille, built from layered horizontal components rising to the hood line, completed a front end with considerable visual presence.
Riding a 127-inch wheelbase, the Custom Cruiser 98 was Oldsmobile’s flagship for 1942, powered by a 257 cu in L-head inline eight producing 110 hp.
The Hydra-Matic automatic transmission (one of the earliest fully automatic transmissions offered on an American production car) was among the features that positioned the 98 at the top of the market.
Production ran from August 29, 1941, and ended February 5, 1942, when the factory converted to war production. Total Series 98 output for the model year reached 6,659 units, with the convertible the rarest of the three body styles at just 216 examples.
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