1957 Oldsmobile 98 Starfire Ninety-Eight Convertible
For 1957 only, Oldsmobile applied the Starfire name across all of its Ninety-Eight models, making it a brief designation that lasted just one model year before being retired as a Ninety-Eight trim name for 1958. The convertible was the flagship of the range, with 8,278 produced on a 126-inch wheelbase.
Styling for 1957 continued the prominent tailfin theme, featuring a flowing rear end with pronounced fins and chrome-wrapped three-piece taillights. Standard equipment was unusually generous, including power steering, power brakes, power windows, and the Jetaway Hydramatic automatic transmission.
Under the hood sat Oldsmobile’s 371 cubic inch Rocket V8, rated at 277 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque with a four-barrel carburetor. For an additional $83, buyers could order the J-2 option, a triple two-barrel Rochester carburetor setup that pushed output to 300 horsepower.
Lee Petty drove a J-2-equipped 1957 Oldsmobile to 144.927 mph on Daytona Beach in 1957, and J-2-powered Oldsmobiles won multiple Grand National races that season. Fewer than 750 Ninety-Eight convertibles were ordered with the J-2.
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