I'm curious,
Having just purchased my vehicle a 1956 Olds Super 88 2 door sedan, I've been doing my research and gathering info from you guys,( I will post pictures after she receives the proper amount of pampering) I have confirmed through vin and trim it is a Super 88, looking at a chart I found I was very surprised at the low production #'s on this model vs other models 5,466 super 88 2 door sedans vs 59,728 Super 88 4 door sedans and 61,192 2 door hard tops, so while it may be considered a little less desirable it is kinda rare I guess whats your opinion on popularity vs rarity ? is there a balance , I've already decided to pass it down to my Grandson and I'm sure he wont care !!

 

Rarity does not equal high value nor high popularity. Few 2-door sedans were sold back in the day because it was not a popular body style then, and it's not popular now for the same reasons. The most popular body styles today are convertibles and two-door hardtops. Back in the day, as your chart shows, the most popular styles were generally four-doors because those were family cars with easy access to the rear seat.

 

I agree with the first response,
The rarity does not always effect the overall value.
But sometimes it does.
In our case, the 2 door sedan is almost always going to be worth more than the 4 doors will be, but usually less than the Holidays and convertibles.
the fact it you have a 56 Olds which is rare and different either way, I have probably seen less than 10 in all of my years. really only a few i distinctly remember.
your Grandson is gonna be a lucky guy !

 

I'm a little surprised at the low production number. If it was a Chevy it probably would be worth more than a hard top for a race car or maybe not (just thinking out loud). Either way it will make a great cruiser for the Grand Kid and at a show you will be the only two door Olds sedan there, probably the only Oldsmobile period Tedd
PS. in 20 some years I have only seen two other Super 88 convertibles like mine at a shows. sometimes it kinda neat to be unusual.

 

I'm curious where you got your figures for '56 Oldsmobiles because they don't match up with the data in the Appendix of Setting the Pace.

All of the weights and prices are different, and production figures are different for all of the 88s and all of the Super 88s except the convertible. The production numbers for the 98s are in agreement.









"Setting the Pace: Oldsmobile's First 100 Years," if you're not familiar with it, is an Oldsmobile commemorative book written in anticipation of Oldsmobile's 100th anniversary in 1997 and was given to anyone who registered a car for that event, which was held in Lansing in August of that year. (I attended the event with my '75 Delta 88 convertible, which I no longer own.) It was written by two long-time Oldsmobile employees and historians, Helen Jones Earley and James Walkinshaw (both now deceased) and is generally regarded as the most definitive source of Oldsmobile production figures, having data going all the way back to 1897. I've had this book on my shelf for many years, and I recommend it for any Olds enthusiast. It's readily available at .

 

I agree, rare doesn't mean valuable. You have the right attitude though. Pass on your 56 to your grandson and to hell with what the world thinks.

 

Just spent an afternoon with a teenager introducing him to car stuff. It was supposed to tire changing and safety, but he’s driving a car whose flat remedy was a can of fix a flat and air pump .

So I showed him where his (aging) battery was and also where the electrical charge points in the engine bay were. Then we set to clay bar and wax duty since he’d washed the car that morning. Clay bar blew him away and he seemed to enjoy learning how to detail.

Maybe schedule a “how to change a tire” or “how to change oil” session with him to see if he takes to it. Perhaps you need “help” with one of these tasks as a reason to get together and enjoy the time. There is a chance a ‘56 to a teenager today while just be “ugh, Dad, embarrassing!”

At least that’s what I get from my girls with my (comparatively modern) ‘66’s’.

cheers
cf

 

Imagine if you'd pulled into your high school parking lot in a Model T. How cool would that have been?

 

I believe the source was automotive history preservation society

 

That's interesting. The AHPS uses Setting the Pace as their source for Oldsmobile production figures. See what it says at the bottom of this page from their website.

They don't bother to copy or transcribe the production figures. They just directly scan and post the appendix from the book.