1949 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 Deluxe Convertible
Revolutionary engineering made the 1949 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 a strong contender for America’s first true muscle car, combining GM’s groundbreaking high-compression overhead-valve V-8 engine with a lightweight A-body platform. This innovative formula paired Oldsmobile’s powerful new engine with Pontiac and Chevrolet’s lighter chassis, creating unprecedented performance for the era.
General Motors introduced two advanced V-8 engines for 1949, with Oldsmobile’s version finding its way into the new 88 series. The “88” designation followed traditional Oldsmobile naming conventions, indicating an eight-cylinder powerplant in the 80 series lineup. This combination proved wildly successful, making the 88 the best-selling Oldsmobile series with 99,276 units produced in its debut year.
Available body styles included sedans, coupes, and convertibles, with modern styling typical of late 1940s GM design. Standard equipment often included Hydra-Matic automatic transmission, AM radio, and heater, representing advanced features for the period. This model established the muscle car template that would define American performance cars for decades to come.
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