The Oldsmobile 98 — spelled Ninety-Eight from 1952 to 1991 and Ninety Eight from 1992 to 1996 — was the full-size flagship of Oldsmobile, built from 1940 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1996. Its name referred to a Series 90 fitted with an eight-cylinder engine, and for fifty-five years it carried the division’s most advanced equipment.
Oldsmobile 98 at a glance
| Maker | Oldsmobile Division, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1940–1942, 1946–1996 |
| Generations | 12 |
| Class | full-size luxury car |
| Platform | GM C-body, shared with Buick and Cadillac |
| 1941 wheelbase | 125 in (3,175 mm) |
| 1942 wheelbase | 127 in (3,226 mm) |
| 1941 sales | 24,726 Ninety-Eights and 6,677 Ninety-Sixes |
| 1942 production | 6,659 before the wartime stop |
| 1946 sales | 14,364 |
| Notable equipment | Hydramatic, Autronic Eye, Twilight Sentinel |
| Replaced as flagship | by the Aurora in 1995 |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Oldsmobile 98.
History of the Oldsmobile 98
From the Custom Cruiser 90
Oldsmobile’s naming was in flux in the late 1930s. The larger C-body arrived in 1940 and was given the name Custom Cruiser; in 1941 both engines were offered in each series, so a second digit showed the number of cylinders and the Custom Cruiser 90 became the 96 and 98. The 98 was the eight-cylinder flagship, with a 125 in wheelbase for 1941 and a 127 in wheelbase for 1942, and it was offered as a convertible coupe, a club coupe fastback and a four-door sedan, plus a four-door convertible in 1941 only. Hydramatic, introduced in October 1939, was a popular option.
After the war
Production stopped in 1942 and resumed in 1946 with the Custom Cruiser 98 still at the top of the range. Three body styles were offered, all with the straight eight, and standard equipment included bumper guards, dual sun visors, a cigarette lighter, a clock and foam rubber seat cushions; 14,364 were sold in the first postwar year. The 98 kept the C-body platform it shared with Buick and Cadillac and, as the flagship sedan, received features such as the Autronic Eye automatic headlight dimmer and Twilight Sentinel, which switched the headlights on and off by a light sensor and a delay timer.
The long run and the end
The Ninety-Eight stayed in production for fifty-five years across twelve generations, making it Oldsmobile’s longest-running model. The Aurora went on sale in 1995 and took over as the flagship, and the Ninety Eight was discontinued after 1996; its styling lived on in the Eighty Eight-derived Regency.
Design and features
- C-body platform: the largest GM body, shared with Buick and Cadillac.
- Flagship equipment: Hydramatic automatic transmission and the latest trim.
- Autronic Eye: an automatic headlight dimmer for oncoming traffic.
- Twilight Sentinel: headlights switched by a light sensor and a delay timer.
Oldsmobile 98 versions
- Custom Cruiser 98 (1941–1947): the prewar and early postwar flagship.
- Ninety-Eight (1952–1991): the spelled-out name of the long postwar run.
- Ninety-Eight Regency: the luxury badge used increasingly in later years.
- Ninety Eight (1992–1996): the final generation, without the hyphen.
The 98 was the car above the Oldsmobile 88, and its place at the top passed to the Aurora in 1995. More models are in the Oldsmobile collection.
Video: Oldsmobile 98 with a 455 V8
Video by Terry Gilomen on YouTube.
Sources
- Oldsmobile 98, English Wikipedia: generations, equipment, production figures
