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| 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Convertible |
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A Day at Pettibone Park La Crosse Wisconsin
with a 1957 Oldmobile 88 Convertible
La Crosse Wisconsin is known as "God's Country" with the Mississippi River valley and
thousands of acres of woods and farms surrounding the area.
Come with us as we spend an afternoon in La Crosse Wisconsin at Pettibone Park
with an Oldsmobile 88 convertible.
1950s Oldmobile Classic Car History
Oldsmobile entered the 1950s following a divisional image campaign centered on its 'Rocket' engines and its cars appearance followed suit. Oldsmobile's Rocket V8 engine was the leader in performance, generally considered the fastest cars on the market and by the mid 1950s their styling was among the first to offer a wide, "open maw" grille, suggestive of jet propulsion. Oldsmobile adopted a ringed-globe emblem to stress what marketers felt was its universal appeal. Throughout the 1950s, the make used twin jet pod-styled taillights as a nod to its "Rocket" theme. Oldsmobile was among the first of GM's divisions to receive a true hardtop in 1949, and it was also the among the first divisions (along with Buick and Cadillac) to receive a wraparound windshield, a trend that eventually all American makes would share at sometime between 1953 and 1964.
In the 1950s the nomenclature changed again, and trim levels also received names that were then mated with the model numbers. This resulted in the Oldsmobile 88 emerging as base Dynamic 88 the better trimmed Delta 88, and the highline Super 88. Other full-size model names included the "Holiday" used on hardtops, and "Fiesta" used on its station wagons. When the 98 was retired in 1996, its length of service was the longest of any model name used on American cars.
Car provided by owner Steve Netwal
Photos by Sean Callahan & SoCal Beaches Magazine www.socalbeachmag.net
all rights reserved-
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| Early Oldsmobile history
Oldsmobiles were first manufactured by the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan, a company founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In 1901, the company produced 425 cars, making it the first high-volume automobile manufacturer of the day. Olds became the top selling car company in the United States for a few years. Ransom Olds left the company in financial difficulties and formed the REO Motor Car Company. The last Curved Dash Olds was made in 1907. General Motors purchased the company in 1908.
The 1901 to 1904 Curved Dash was the first mass-produced car, made from the first automotive assembly line, an invention that is often miscredited to Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. After Olds sold the company in 1899, it was renamed Olds Motor Works and moved to a new plant in Detroit. By March 1901, the company had a whole line of models ready for mass production. Unfortunately, a mistake by a worker caused the factory to catch fire, and it burned to the ground, with all of the prototypes destroyed. The only car that survived the fire was a Curved Dash prototype, which was wheeled out of the factory by two workers while escaping the fire. A new factory was built, and production of the Curved Dash commenced.
Officially, the cars were called "Olds automobiles," colloquially referred to as "Oldsmobiles." It was this moniker, as applied especially to the Curved Dash Olds, that was popularized in the lyrics and title of the 1905 hit song "In My Merry Oldsmobile." From then on, the company and its products were known as Oldsmobile. Some two decades later, it was apparently the reputation of the vehicles that spawned a revival of the song for another round of popularity, essentially "returning the favor."
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| 1956 Super 88 Convertible Pettibone Park La Crosse Wisconsin |
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Oldsmobile in the 1950s
Oldsmobile entered the 1950s following a divisional image campaign centered on its 'Rocket' engines and its cars appearance followed suit. Oldsmobile's Rocket V8 engine was the leader in performance, generally considered the fastest cars on the market and by the mid 1950s their styling was among the first to offer a wide, "open maw" grille, suggestive of jet propulsion. Oldsmobile adopted a ringed-globe emblem to stress what marketers felt was its universal appeal. Throughout the 1950s, the make used twin jet pod-styled taillights as a nod to its "Rocket" theme. Oldsmobile was among the first of GM's divisions to receive a true hardtop in 1949, and it was also the among the first divisions (along with Buick and Cadillac) to receive a wraparound windshield, a trend that eventually all American makes would share at sometime between 1953 and 1964.
In the 1950s the nomenclature changed again, and trim levels also received names that were then mated with the model numbers. This resulted in the Oldsmobile 88 emerging as base Dynamic 88 the better trimmed Delta 88, and the highline Super 88. Other full-size model names included the "Holiday" used on hardtops, and "Fiesta" used on its station wagons. When the 98 was retired in 1996, its length of service was the longest of any model name used on American cars.
GM styling as a whole lost its frontrunner status in 1957 when Chrysler introduced Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" designs. When compared side to side, Oldsmobile looked dated next to its price-point competitor DeSoto. Compounding the problem for Oldsmobile and Buick was a styling mistake which GM called the "Strato Roof". Both makes had models which contained the heavily framed rear window, but Detroit had been working with large curved backlights for almost a decade. Consumers disliked the roof and its blind spots, forcing GM to rush a redesign into production on some of its models.
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Classic Cars, Hot Rods & Swimsuit Model Photos
from The Beaches of Southern CaliforniaCheck out some of the best in Classic Cars and Hot Rods shot
along the beaches of Southern California with local swimsuit models
  
A Day at Silver Strand State Beach Coronado with Jenni and a 1951 Ford Woodie
  
A Day in Pacific Beach at Tourmaline Surf Park
with Adriana & a 1947 Fleetmaster Woodie
  
A Day in Mission Beach with Tashia and a 1948 Hudson Hot Rod
  
A Day in Mission Beach with Nicolette and a 1957 Chevy Hot Rod
  
A Day in Pacific Beach and Mission Beach with Sirena, Cidney and a 1956 Chevy Convertible
  
A Day at La Jolla Shores with Desiree and a 1964 La Sabre Convertible
  
A Day in Oceanside with Heather, Nicole and a 1951 Mercury Hot Rod
  
A Day on Mission Bay with Jovon and a 1965 Chevy Impala Convertible
  
A Day at Tourmaline Surf Park with Stacy Brooke and a 1955 Ford Sunliner Convertible
  
A Day in South Mission Beach with Tiffany and a 1939 Ford Standard
  
A Day in Ocean Beach and Mission Beach with Cara,
Brooke and a 1947 Fleetmaster Woodie
  
A Day in Huntington Beach with Lindsey and a "WDN SUV" Woodie
  
A Day at Cardiff State Beach in Encinitas with Karis,
Stephanie and a 1954 Mercury Woodie
  
A Day in Oceanside with Heather, Nicole and a 1951 Light Blue Woodie
  
A Day at Doheny State Beach, Dana Point with Crystal,
Alicia and a 1946 Mercury Woodie
  
A Day in Mission Beach with Lorena, Naomi and a 1957 Thunderbird
  
A Day on Mission Bay and Mission Beach with Tashia
and a 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner Convertible
  
A Day at Tourmaline Surf Park Pacific Beach with
Cara, Jackie, A.J. and a 1937 Plymouth Woodie
 
A Day at La Jolla Shores Park with Michele
and a 1957 Chevy Convertible
  
A Day at Sunset Cliffs Ocean Beach with Sirena,
Cidney and a 1951 Woodie
  
A Day in Huntington Beach with Lindsey
and a 1951 Ford Woodie
  
  
A Day in Ocenside with Karin and a 1956 Surf Wagon
  
A Day with Teresa and a 1928 Ford Roadster
  
A Day at Moonlight Beach Encinitas with Karin and a 1947 Ford Woodie
California Classic Cars & Hot Rods Photos (only)Take a look at some amazing classic cars and hot rods!
  
A Day on Mission Beach with a 1953 Ford Wagon Hot Rod
  
A Day at Pettibone Park in La Crosse Wisconsin
with a 1956 Super 88 Oldmobile Convertible
  
A day on Mission Bay with a 1951 Mercury Hot Rod
  
1955 Packard Convertible
  
1957 Pontiac Chieftan Convertible
  
1957 Pink Thunderbird
  
1960 Chevy Impala Convertible
SoCal Beaches Magazine
Covering The Beaches of Southern California
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