(first posted 2/12/2013) To continue on the trajectory of early -’60s Oldsmobiles that continues to haunt me, I present this Dynamic 88, which I first met under the cover of night. While I continue my daytime errand-running drudgery, let’s pause to examine where Oldsmobile was in the early 1960s.
Oldsmobile entered the 1960s with sharply-styled behemoths that kept a footing in ’50s flamboyance but extended a pinky toe toward 1960s rationality. While the vista roof and skeg fins (the latter predating Cadillac’s use in mainstream models) would disappear within a few years, a more concentrated focus on economy remained undercurrent at Oldsmobile throughout the early 1960’s.
It may be hard to believe, but the 1961 big Oldses were actually downsized, ever so slightly, in length and width. Also, one gear was now missing from the Hydra-Matic, which had gone on a diet at Oldsmobile and gained the “Roto” name in the process. The new Roto-Hydramatic would be the first dim-witted transmission to hold that storied family name. The weight loss didn’t do wonders for performance–or economy, for that matter.
The 394 Rocket bulked up a little bit for 1962, producing no less than 280 horsepower for the most thrifty of Oldsmobile customers. Oldsmobile relied on a variety of axle ratios to achieve tolerable performance or maximized economy according to individual customer preference.
This was one step into the ever expanding “Goldilocks” tendencies of Oldsmobile in the 1960s. Zero-to-sixty times could be all over the map (from high nine-second runs to 12.5 seconds), as could fuel economy (as dreadful as 10 mpg, although the possibility of squeezing out 18 mpg remained a hope). What’s more, this was just for the Dynamic 88–we aren’t even considering the variables presented by the Super 88, Ninety-Eight, Starfire, or the “Junior Olds” F-85/Cutlass/Jetfire family.
If all this seems schizophrenic, wait ’til we get to 1964: I’ll say only “Jetstar 88.” I have to note that this was long before the Mustang was touted as comparably customized on the build sheet. At one time, this was typical of all American cars and led to some of the curiously optioned classics on the streets today.
No matter how you optioned it, a 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 was a solid-citizen choice. There was enough good to be had to make up for its step-sister of an automatic transmission. However, according to a number of forums, other than the tendency to pee on the rug as it ages and its lumbering, sloth-slow 1st-to-2nd shift, it isn’t as bad a transmission as some think–well, at least compared with other efforts like the Turboglide and Flight Pitch Dynaflow. Granted, by the time this transmission made it into my family history books in 1963, it probably had been re-engineered to do the best it could.
Although it shares the basic B-body shell of the most basic Chevrolet Biscayne, it has enough unique styling details that say “Oldsmobile.” The “Red Spot of Jupiter” ovoid tail lamps, seen first in 1959, are among my favorite styling traits of the 1962 Oldsmobiles.
I’ve also grown to appreciate the “chin strap” layered front bumper. While not as extravagant as the 1961 version, it provided a transition to the peaked-fender look of 1963 that gradually softened as the 1960s marched on. These aren’t the most beautiful of 1962’s full-sized cars, but are certainly handsome in their own right. What’s more, this face is neither as extreme as a 1962 Chrysler’s nor as bland as a 1962 Mercury’s, assuming that Mercury Montereys and Oldsmobiles were being cross-shopped at this point.
Inside was middle-class comfort and quiet to match the suburban environments that most of these Oldsmobiles would occupy. Thus is the humble Holiday Hardtop largely forgotten today. Despite the ever-expanding sea of Mid-Century Modern artifacts, practically no one specifically cites any early 1960s Oldsmobile as an example of automotive excellence. Pity those fools. On the other hand, and thankfully, that keeps prices for the more workday versions of these beautiful behemoths quite reasonable.
To me, the 62 Olds was sort of the ugly middle child. I have always loved the 61, but maybe that is just a family thing from my Uncle Bob’s white 61 hardtop from when I was a tot. I was, however, old enough to remember that it was transmission ills that got it traded off in 1967 on a 3 year old Ford Galaxie 500.
The 63 was so much cleaner and crisper, just a more cohesive design overall. The 62 is complicated without being either really ugly or really attractive. The electric-shaver front end is just sort of odd, Also, those side creases that start and end from nowhere. The big chrome slab at the front of the door is also sort of strange. Stare at these pictures for a few minutes, and there is just one conclusion possible: there is just so much going on, and so little to show for it.
That lower side body sculpting is really strange. It starts from the front as an indentation, then out of nowhere, picks up a ridge at the rear wheel well. This car just looks like Olds stylists couldn’t decide what to do and at 4:30 on Friday afternoon, they decided to go with all of the unfinished ideas, stick them on the car, and go have a beer.
I suppose that every one of the 3 GM mid-price sisters was in an annual beauty contest. For me, Buick was the winner, Pontiac a close runner-up, and Olds was by far the laggard for 1962.
> The big chrome slab at the front of the door is also sort of strange.
I think that the long horizontal chrome strip bisected by the vertical piece at the leading edge of the door is supopsed to look like a giant Oldsmobile logo.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. It seems like the stylists were just trying to figure out ways to make it look different without any genuine inspiration. They were probably thinking about the ’63s…
From the receding gums headlamps to those big blobby tail lamps, I think Buick didn’t have any ideas to begin with for 1962. At least the Olds designers put down some ideas before they clocked out until the 1963s were due. If there were ever a “generic early 60’s big car” it was the 1962 Buick…
At that time, all of GM’s 1962 big cars were considered to be a breath of fresh air. The people who bought these cars brand-new remembered the 1958 models, which were only four years old when this car debuted.
This car looked very clean and modern compared to what went before. By the fall of 1961, your perfectly good 1958 or 1959 Dynamic 88 looked outdated, which encouraged a visit to your friendly Oldsmobile dealer.
Call me crazy but I loved the 62 Olds, then and now. As I recall, there was quite a bit of criticism of the 61’s styling even before it was released for sale – some stylists said that it looked as if the front and back were designed in separate studios. I think the 62 was an attempt to create a more integrated design in that regard. IMO these are handsome cars, especially the Starfire (yes the chrome is overdone but I kinda liked chrome back in the day:-)
A high school friend’s family had a very nice 62 88 4-door sedan in a light green. The quality of these cars was quite high and it was still in nice condition in 67 when we drove it around the drive-in circuit.
I agree, it’s complicated, yet MEH. Growing up, I never liked the ’62s -and growing up near Lansing I had plenty of opportunity to see them, for years and years. Over the years the design grew on me. The design is in keeping with the “space age” sensibility which was a big part of that era. The perfect car to park in front of a mid century ranch house.
I think the idea was to alter the ’61 design with relatively little fuss. The big chrome slab moves from the front to about the A pillar. Side indentations are altered a bit.
IMO: 1962 was indeed a dull year for all of GM’s styling efforts; after the most attractive and youthful 1961 models.
And the Oldsmobile was the dullest of the dull for 1962.
The ’62’s weren’t bad looking but if we’re talking 88s, my favorites are the ’65 four doors with their coupe-like styling.
I’ve never been able to make sense of the naming of the sixties Eighty-Eights. Dynamic, Delta, Jetstar, Delmont, Super, Holiday — it’s like they couldn’t make up their minds what they wanted to call these things.
I know that the Jetstar 88, when it came out in 1964, was a low end 88 with the 330 engine and the 2 speed Jetaway (from the F-85/Cutlass) in place of the 394 and Roto Hydramatic. The Jetstar 88 sat in the gap between the F-85 Cutlass and the Dynamic 88 (mid) and Super 88 (high). In 65 the Super disappeared, and it was just Dynamic 88 and Jetstar 88. In 66, the Delta 88 came out above the Dynamic 88. By 1967, the Dynamic 88 and Jetstar 88 were gone, and it was Delta 88 at the top and Delmont 88 at the bottom. By 1969, the Delmont was gone and all were Delta 88s, although in regular, Custom and Royale flavors. Holiday was the name Oldsmobile used for hardtop bodies. Now my head hurts.
And don’t forget the Starfires and the curious 1965 Jetstar I, which was sort of a budget Starfire.
The Delta actually arrived as a trim level in the Dynamic range in early ’65 and blossomed into a full series before the production year was out.
At the start of the 1965 model year, the Delta was actually marketed as the Dynamic 88 Delta with just “Delta” nameplates on those cars but no Dynamic 88 badges. But by December, 1964, it had become the Delta 88 with advertisements calling it such and series nameplates changed to Delta 88. Unlike the Super 88, which came with a more powerful standard Rocket V8 than the Dynamic with 4-barrel carburetor, the ’65 Delta 88 used the same base engine as the Dynamic 88 – the 2-barrel Ultra High Compression 425 Super Rocket with 10.25 to 1 compression and 310 horsepower – available as a no-cost option was the regular-fuel version of the 425 2-barrel with 9.0 to 1 CR and 300 horsepower – the “world’s largest regular fuel engine” in 1965 – a year when the largest regular-gas engines from other brands were 389 for Pontiac, 390 for Ford and Mercury, 300 for Buick, 383 for Chrysler Corporation and a pathetic 283 for Chevy. Optional 425s for Delta and Dynamic 88s were the 365 horsepower 4-barrel UHC Super Rocket from the Ninety-Eight and the 370 horse Starfire UHC 425 with 10.50 to 1 CR, dual exhausts and dual snorkel air cleaner. The other big change for 1965 was the new 3-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 400 transmission replacing the old Roto-Hydramatic unit – with that change the shift quadrant changed from P-N-D-S-L-R to P-R-N-D-S-L.
In 1965, when gasoline averaged 28-34 cents per gallon, the typical price difference between regular (94 Research octane) and premium (100 Research octane) was about 4 cents per gallon. In mid-priced and higher-priced cars, premium-fuel engines were slightly more popular than the regular-fuel motors but there were many owners of cars in the Olds-Chrysler-Mercury class who preferred economy over all-out performance so these large regular-gas engines were very popular including Mercury’s 390 (250 hp) and Chrysler’s 383 (270 hp) for those who wanted the power and performance of an engine of around 400 cid or more but still use cheaper fuels – such an engine was pioneered by Pontiac in 1959 with its “economy” 389 and by 1961 Olds had a similar version of the 394 for the Dynamic 88 while Chrysler went to a 361 cid for its new base-level Newport.
Well, that clarifies things.
:-/
Even weirder, there was a long period when the 88s offered in a given year (Delmont, etc.) used numerals, versus “Ninety Eight” (written out) for the C-body car of the same year.
(We had two Oldses in our family: a 1956 Super 88 two-tone green and white sedan, and later a white 1963 Ninety Eight convertible.)
The 88 referred to the chassis and amount of cylinders
The ’62 Oldsmobiles remind me of the ugly stepchild you keep in the attic when the guests arrive; it looks like a strange blending of late ’50’s flamboyance attempting to blend(unsuccessfuly) with ’60s rationality.
When I was a kid in the mid eighties, this was our family car. My Mom bought it after spotting it at a church carnival. It was almost exactly like this only it had a baby blue top. The interior was real jazzy in multi tone blues with tons of chrome and blue carpet with silver thread. It was a pretty cool car to be the family ride. We used it mainly form 1985 to 1988 or so. It got replaced by a 74 Cougar XR-7, and then a 84 DeVille. I missed the whole Taurus/Camry/Accord/Explorer era because we were tooling around in stuff like this. I think I saw this very car on the streets of San Francisco back in 1996 or 1997, can’t imagine there are too many of these 62 Dynamic 88 Holidays rolling around up there. It was a real pain to wash this sides of this car because the water would collect in all of those sheetmetal folds. If you didnt do a good job the car looked like the sides were weeping.
I used to see this 88 from Bart in Cherryland between the Bayfair BART station and the Hayward BART station years ago. Don’t know if the same people own it, but it now “works” the night shift at Children’s Hospital Oakland and runs errands around Alameda.
These cars are clean and nicely styled, but they were completely overshadowed by that year’s Pontiacs. Oldsmobile still had a good sales year, however, as the Mercury was too bland and “Fordian,” while the Chrysler was too odd for many people. As for the downsized Dodge Polara – I’ll bet that many potential customers drove to their friendly Dodge dealer, saw the front end of the Polara, and left without getting out of their car.
I’ve read that Oldsmobile did make some changes to the automatic transmission to improve reliability. The Oldsmobile units were supposedly better than the transmission used in the lower-level full-size Pontiacs, but were still inferior to the “old” Hydramatic and the Chrysler and Ford automatics.
Wonderfully atmospheric photography, Laurence. Your articles are always good, but the pictures are out of this world. I especially like these front three quarter shots.
Dynamic, Super and Holiday names date from previous decades. I never cared for Delmont, sounded like a kitchen product. Delta they got right. Started out as top luxo 88, and then for all 88’s by 1970.
Name got too long with Delta 88 Royale Brougham etc, etc, etc.
My grandfather was an Olds guy, and had the four-door sedan version of this car. Sadly it was his last car, as he died much too young. I have often wondered what he would have thought of the Brougham-era Oldsmobiles, and if he did think they were too gaudy and overdone, what would he have bought instead?
Wow, those front fenders must have been difficult to stamp. I kind of like it, though, wacky as it may be. George Jetson’s Olds, so to speak.
Believe it or not, they even made ambulances out of these things. Here’s one participating in my current hometown’s 2012 Fourth of July parade, originally posted to the Cohort.
Cotner Bevington made a lot of Olds professional cars over the years. There is a nice article on them here. http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/c/cotner_bevington/cotner_bevington.htm
I like the “chinstrap” front end, it’s interesting, but–seems to me that those corners would catch dead leaves and other moisture-retaining debris and eventually rust, which may explain why I don’t think I’ve ever seen one.
If side-by-side quad headlamps are set too far apart on a wide car you get a funny look like the green car has above. The headlamps need to be closer together like on a 61 Lincoln or 63 Riviera to look right, if there isn’t much prow.
Olds brought them inboard on the 62 and it looked better but somehow weak. When Cadillac, Buick, Ford and Pontiac went stacked in 65 Olds took a hit. They stuck with the wide-set eyes look too long, even the 67 Cutlass had it.
It’s a continuing variation of the Oldsmobile “Barbell” headlight arrangement. It started with the wide spaced ’59s and rotated in and out until the split grilles came in for 1969. And Plymouth and AMC Ambassador, not Buick, went with stacked headlamps in ’65.
I’m not much of an Olds fan so I don’t know the years. If that’s a 59 you posted it’s interesting they would have almost the same look in 67. I never made the association, at least not consciously.
Buick had stacked on the 65 Riv, that’s the car I was talking about. So did Mercedes on their new S-class. I forgot about Plymouth!
That headlight arrangement was something of an Oldsmobile trademark. One of the ways the division distinguished the 1967 Delta 88 from that year’s Delmont 88 was the Delta’s use of the “barbell” headlight and turn signal arrangement. Oldsmobile last used it on the 1968 Cutlass.
I saw the first picture and I had a deja vú. I had one 1962 4-door hardtop in 1991. It was a beautiful car, blue/blue, all power and air conditioned. In that time I was driving a 1979 Chevrolet Caprice, and the owner of the Olds told me to swap vehicles. Twenty two years later, I still can’t find a valid reason for him to do that. Few months later, in 1992, I sold it to a man in El Paso for 1,200 dollars. I regret soooo much to have done such a fool thing, but then again, I was 22 years less mature!
I had a ’62 Dynamic 88 2-door hardtop a few years back…absolutely *loved* that car. If/when I find another one, it’ll be tough to pass it up. 1962 was a good year all around for full-size GM styling, and the Olds is one of my favorites, even though it isn’t particularly well-liked around these parts…
I’ve always thought the ’62 Oldsmobiles looked too much like Chevrolets, much preferring ’61, especially in the rear, but this article (along with a friend’s recent restoration of a ’62 98) have given me a new appreciation. I never noticed how similar the taillights are to a ’59, even though they’re integrated very differently into the rear of the car. Lots of nifty details.Thanks for sharing this find.
The numbers, like 88 and 98, at least followed an Olds naming convention that began in the 1930s when the first numeral stood for the series and the second number idebtified the cylinder count. a cystomer could choose among a 66, a 76, an 88 or a 98.
I have a 1962 olds Dynamic, it has front end damage. I need a hood, Drivers front fender, inner fender, front bumper, core support, 678-429-2273. Thanks for helping!!
Looks pretty nice for a 53 year old car. I always liked the styling of the early to late 60s Olds, and this is no exception. Looks like a totally new car from the 61s, even though it was only cosmetic sheet metal changes that gave it a new look. And yes, the `62 Starfire is a beauty, especially with those aluminium side panels and that glitzy interior.The front clip kinda recalls a `67-`69 T Bird, but comes off a lot nicer.
My dad and mom bought in 1962 super 88 holiday sedan loaded with just about everything, including air conditioning. it was cameo cream solid color. we ordered it from the factory and had to wait months for it to arrive. I was too young to drive.. but I do remember the car it was beautiful had the spinner hubcaps on the side a little like a rocket on wheels. I really miss that car I would really like to find it today no wonder if it still exists.
Wasn’t there a Car Life article on 62 Olds showing serious tire failure due to suspension design?
I remember the first time I saw a ’62 Olds. It was late summer of 1961, before the official dealer introduction. It was coming toward our car from the opposite direction, and at first glance, I thought it must be the ’62 Buick. I’ve always liked the look of the ’61 Olds–even the “banana” rear quarters. While I was never a big fan of the ’61 full-size Buicks, I now prefer even those cars to the ’62 full-size Buicks or Oldsmobiles. I think that Oldsmobile hit a high note with the 1965 88s and 98s, but it was already the start of the Cutlass dominance of the brand. While tremendously successful for a fair number of years, the Cutlass in all its permutations seemed to marginalize the importance of the larger models, which gradually lost their individuality, leaving us with the bloated likes of the ’69 and 70 98 models. When you look at the striking 1968 Cutlass Supreme, you realize where all the energy of the Olds Styling Studio could be found. Fifty-one model years later, I am hard pressed to think of a GM ’60s design that has better stood the test of time.
Nice find! My first thought was it’s the mystery car under the cover from a couple of weeks ago.
Oldsmobiles of this vintage normally came equipped with the oddball ‘Roto-Hydramatic’ automatic transmission. The Roto didn’t have a conventional torque convertor, it relied on a small internal fluid coupling with a primitive lock-up feature. It was fairy reliable, but fluid leaks were common due to high internal pressures. Sales literature at the time referred to this transmission as a ‘4S’ Hydramatic, implying it was a 4 speed like the earlier Hydramatic transmissions. It really wasn’t, fluid coupling lockup was considered a shift. Felt like one too. This also resulted in awkward overall ratio changes between some ‘shifts’. Nonetheless, probably the biggest issue with the Roto-Hydramatic ended up being it’s size. Due to the lack of a conventional torque convertor, the Roto had a very small housing, which led to it often being referred to as the ‘Slim-Jim’. Oldsmobile took advantage of this feature as cars so equipped had a small transmission tunnel. This made replacement of the Roto-Hydramatic with more modern transmissions such as the Turbo-400 difficult. The tunnel would have to be enlarged and the floor modified for clearance.
I like the Chevrolet version of this body a lot more.
Oldsmobiles were often the most conservative, the dullest, the “old man” styled car from General Motors in the 1960’s.
This model is the dullest of the dull.
The division was adrift in the early 1960s. It didn’t really get back on track until 1966-67, when the Toronado and the Cutlass Supreme debuted.
Even a little bit earlier when the 442 arrived and by 65, customers beginned to talk more about Cutlass than F-85.
I used to see lots of these on the road, and that huge aluminum insert drove me crazy!
Too much overstyling all around.
Give me a nice, sporty, two-door hardtop F-85 any day!
I learned to drive on Dad’s ’63 Dynamic 88 4 dr H.T. Liked it’s simple, razor sharp creases better than the overstyled ’62. The 394 had 425 lbs of torque and was quite fast, but the painful 1-2 shift produced a huge drop in rpm. Solid and reliable for the 6 years we had it. Recall that the interior was far more spartan than a friend’s parents Impala, which had chrome window moldings, clock, glove box light and some other appointments standard that were optional on the Dynamic 88. Yet again, the Impala was saddled with a 283 and Powerglide.
’62 was the last year of the thermometer style speedometer for Olds that would change colors as speed increased. Always thought they were cool. I think Lincoln and T Bird had them up to 1973 or so, then they went away. Instrument panels varied greatly back then. Now, a round speedometer next to a round tach with just temp and fuel gauges is pretty much universal.
My father had a ‘ 62 Super 88 and yes, that speedometer was cool. Weren’t green, orange and red the three colors used? (Green 0 – 30 mph, orange 30 to 50 or 60 mph and red 60 mph up or thereabouts.) I also remember the green COLD light that came on until the engine warmed up. It also seems to me that the parking brake light was on the parking brake pedal arm. That Roto Hydramatic was unusual, especially that 1st to 2nd shift and with Reverse all the way at the bottom of the shift quadrant. (PNDSLR.)
Your memory is perfect. The ’63 also had the green cold light and the shift quadrant with reverse at the bottom. Wasn’t until 1965 when it changed to PRNDSL. I always envied the Super 88. Not only did you get chrome window moldings, courtesy lights and some other interior goodies, you got the 330 h.p. Skyrocket V-8. Quite a step up from the Dynamic 88.
When I was 17 in 1989, I worked for a man who had a very similar car to this. (Sad to admit I forgot exactly what it was. I think a Pontiac, but at the time I was unfamiliar with the early 60s GMs) He had me use his car to go and pick up some equipment. Being the idiot, I was cruising along at 20 or so and decided to shift into first and floor it. (An old habit of mine with slow cars from the 70s when shifting an automatic made it go into first gear quicker than it normally would have) Well it wasn’t first on the bottom, it was reverse, and sure enough it slammed into reverse, actually spun the tires backwards for the half a second or so before I realized my mistake and went back into “drive”. I was horrified at my mistake and really impressed not only that the car stayed in one piece, but actually did what I asked of it. Of course I just continued with my tasks like nothing happened and did not mention this to the owner. I just couldn’t! I didn’t stay there for very long and I wonder if the car ever had a premature trans failure. It couldn’t have been helped!
I always did like the ‘61-‘62 Oldsmobiles, as well as the wide variety in design across the brands throughout the ‘60’s. I’m glad to have grown up during that time period when cars like these were a common sight.
The nose of the ‘62 Olds kind of looks like a mid-size front clip dropped into a full-size clip. … two front ends in one.
In spring of 73, I bought a 62 Olds 98 off the back lot of Badger Olds in the exact color and style of the photo. Gas prices were going crazy and cars like this quickly lost their value.
I remember this car better than most for three reasons:
1) When I bought the car, it had those clear plastic seat covers front & back. I had got a summer job with an excavating company and needed a way to various job sites. The work was physical, dirty and hot. By 10 AM we usually had our shirts off for the rest of the day. After work, the plastic seat covers were incredibly uncomfortable on a sweaty back, so I ripped them off. I was rewarded with perfectly preserved top of the line cloth upholstery that felt sooo much better. By the end of the summer, I had pretty well ruined that beautiful cloth.
2) It seems all models had wiring in place to light a large plastic nameplate on the passenger side of the dash. Evidently only the 98 or Starfire models had the bulbs installed though. After I replaced some burned out bulbs, the visual effect combined with the changing color speedo was really cool at night. The speedo started out green, turned orange at about 35 and red at 65. I enjoyed scaring passengers by telling them the speedo turned black at 100, then flooring it when they doubted me. (The Olds would easily reach 100, but the speedo never turned black).
3) I expected poor mileage, but was still surprised by the Olds’ appetite for premium. A lot of job sites were off road. I had this idea that if I drove really fast, the car would float over at least some of the bumps. The theory was probably bogus, but boy was it fun. I’ll admit I abused the poor thing something terrible, but still . . . 8 mpg?
During these years, I usually got rid of a car only when I sensed impending failure of something expensive. My goal was to be the 2nd from last owner and sell while a car still ran. Despite being beat to hell all summer, the Olds was still looked and drove pretty good (except for a now really dirty front seat). Facing another year of college expenses and reverting to part time work at the end of summer, I decided to peddle the Olds in fall.
A poster at the student union netted a couple offers. I ended up taking $50 cash plus a rusty ’59 Biscayne 6 with a broken heater. The later was a big deal when facing a Wisconsin winter. Luckily the heater problem turned out to be a fan switch which I could jumper with a paper clip. That fixed the heat problem and I drove the Biscayne until spring. When I sold it, I got $75, so I felt the Olds had been a good buy.
That car was so nice I sometimes wonder if it would still be around if I hadn’t beat it so unmercifully. Young and stupid won out though.
The ’62 Olds is near and dear to mine and my family’s hearts. My parents bought a new ’62 Olds Dynamic 88 station wagon when I was 14 and we all loved it. My brother and I both got our drivers licenses in it. I took it to a prom my junior year. It was the first car that a teenage me drove to 100 mph. Even though I had my own car from the day I got my license, I still enjoyed driving the wagon. I must say that my brother and I were a little hard on it, but it stood up well. Dad traded it in on a new ’66 Ford Galaxie, but 4 years later bought the Olds back from the same dealer to use as a second car. They pulled a camper with it and had many new adventures to add to the ones we all had the first time they owned it. Dad finally parked it in 1983. It was always my parents’ favorite car.
From my point of view it would seem that the ’62 Olds was one of the most popular cars that year. Two of our neighbors owned them. My aunt and uncle owned one and a good friend of my dad had a 98. Some day I think I might write a COAL about that wagon.
Although I’m not a fan of the Roto Hydramatic, when you drive one that’s operating correctly, there’s no such thing as a slow “1-2” shift. As a matter of fact, when I drove a mechanically sound 61 coupe a few years ago, I noticed that the transmission performed flawlessly, and worked so well that I thought this is the best automatic that I’ve ever driven. I do realize that many of them have issues, and rebuilds are common. I own a 61 Dynamic with a factory 3 speed stick, just to get away from the Roto Hydramatic.
Beautiful Olds.
The light yellow color suits him more than well.
I always liked the ‘chinstrap’ motif on the front end, as Laurence calls it – one of the best front-end designs of the year in my opinion. It seemed sculpturally interesting and tastefully (expensively?) eye-catching to me, detailing appropriate for a more sophisticated, up-market car.
I was less of a fan of the single rear lights used on the 88’s – they seemed rather small and cheap for an Oldsmobile.
But yes – ‘solid citizen’ is a great descriptor for this car.
looks fine to me ! .
It’s not stodgy nor is it fancy, just a nice up market choice from Generous Motors .
I’ll pay for the gas & pizza if anyone wants to give me a ride in it =8-) .
-Nate