This is the car that in 1954 could have "killed" the Corvette. So, Chevrolet, being GM's big sales and profit division,campaigned to GM to "kill" this car. When Chevy was coming out with its 6-cyl. sports car with its 2-speed "powerglide" transmission and side curtains, here was a sports car from Olds with a big old V-8 and power windows. So, GM said no to Oldsmobile on building this car.

The world's rarest automobile: a 1954 Concept Old's Rocket F88 - the only one in existence. John S. Hendricks, (Discovery Communications founder) paid in excess of 3 million to acquire this 1954 Oldsmobile
F-88 Convertible Concept Car. After spending decades as a collection of parts stuffed into wooden crates, the F-88 was reassembled. In 1954, the F-88 was a Motorama Dream Car, and was one of only two, or an unconfirmed possible three, ever created. The F-88 seen here is literally the only car left of its kind, and was sold to John and Maureen Hendricks at theprestigious Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, for an unbelievable $3,240,000. This acquisition made automotive history, and is in the cornerstone of the Gateway Colorado Automobile Museum, in its own special room in a rotating display,worthy of the F-88!

 

Well we can't have the Chevy guys crying that an Olds is better ( which we all know they are )

Typical GM

 

Pontiac did the samething when the Olds tri-carb was a better design and the 442 W30 defeated the GTO at the drag races in 66. So GM said that no one (except Corvette) could offer a tri-carb as standard equipment. Pontiac offered the 389 tricarb as an option and Olds left the tricarbs and went on to create the 455 by 68.

 

And I suppose the new small-block that took 150+ lbs. off the front end had nothing to do with it!
It was on the drawing board, but trying to be kept 'under wraps'!
They[GM] were trying to compete with european sports car racing, and needed lighter weight to compete!
And Zora Arkus-Duntov had that motor putting out 1 hp per cubic inch within 3 years! [283/283]
Each division should have had their own model, as in the A body.

Wonder why Olds never got a F body?? [F/bird, Camaro]

 

Not sure about you guys, but up in these northern parts, every other canadian has a firebird, so i've decided to classify them as fire-chickens.

My stab at it is that we wouldn't have wanted oldsmobile to develop a car called the Oldsmo-chicken now would we :P

Cheers,

Tony

 

GM dropped the ball on this one...I personally think that this car would have been a formidable competitor to the TBird.