Happy birthday, Oldsmobile!

Oh.
Oldsmobile was killed by GM.
If the car company was still alive, this would be the 115th birthday of the company that let us ride rockets, wield cutlasses, and vista cruise on down the road.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/olds-motor-works-founded

The very first rock and roll record, Rocket 88, was about the new Oldsmobile:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbfnh1oVTk0

Drinkin' and drivin' was celebrated by Kathy Mattea, singing about the Olds 455 Rocket:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQZV6q00sUc&feature=player_embedded

(Its on Mercury records. )

Circle the wagons, its Fiesta time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcDTgOCDk3o

 

That was enjoyable PB! Thanks for posting it up!

Of course we all know the 59 98 in Kathy's video didn't have a 455 in it....at least not from the factory......it had the first year edition of the 394 Rocket V8, up from 371 ci the year before. The first 455 appeared I think in 1968.

 

That was cool, I really liked the fist vidio.... never heard that song before.

 

It was probably before your time.

 

Yeah.
The 455 badge on the '59 Olds was from a later model Buick.
And at the end, when they show the shell car, did you notice the Buick LeSabre three hole ventiports on the front fenders?
And the bucket seats?
I know GM shared parts, but who cares?
Its a great song, and a cool car.
BTW, SWMBO used to be a title clerk for a Mr. Smith.
He owned a Dodge dealership.
His boys raced and drank real hard.
Or so I've heard.

 

Yup, noticed the ventiports on the shell. That 455 emblem did have a Buick look to it, prolly off a GS?

 

Pretty girls helped to sell Oldsmobile cars in the old days, too:
Sexy beach bound babes in 1950:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HPqUeytqew&feature=related

 

Doc Olds approves:

 

What a creepoid dude, though. Looks like Larry Storch after they grafted long legs on him.