Still impresses me how GM was able to provide new styling for each brand every year or two during this era. Excellent work by those stylists, engineers, and even the marketing types.
I’ve thought about this too, and the conclusion I come to is that each brand had far fewer models in their lineup in those years, so it wasn’t as big a drain on their engineering and capital resources to make major annual design changes. In the 1950s, each GM brand didn’t try to offer a full product line from compact to full size. The brand itself fit within the full product line of GM.
Yes! Ford pulled a brand new design outta their hat for three consecutive model years; l959, '60 (my fav) & '6l, with the 6l con't thru '64 but each one got prettier. GM's l96Os were redressed '59s (correct?), but cleaner looking, even when they just touched up, it was effective. You are absolutely right, we've not seen this degree of effort or TALENT directed at design in a long time. Wasn't it impressive...?
I remember how exciting it was to see the new car styling every year and the annual reveal was such a major event with corporate secrecy and wide media coverage.
All five of the GM divisions were very sharp for 1961, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac. Lower fins were called 'skegs'. We had a 1961 Coupe de Ville when I was a young child, a very desirable "bubble top".
My dad had a 57 Buick 2dr hard top with the mercury speedometer a red arrow that moved horizontally across the dash that worked fine until about 5 yrs old when it then was very inaccurate
In 1961 I had just gotten my driver's license at a mere 14 years old. An old friend of the family visited with his new 1961 Oldsmobile and bravely had me drive him to visit my newly-wed sister and her husband. Used to my folks' 1957 Buick Special, I was spoiled by its ultra smooth Dynaflow transmission rather than the obvious shifts by the Hydramatic in this Olds. Years later, I have learned that his 1961 Olds had that infamous Roto-hydramatic with its dubious herky-jerky shifts. Even so, it was an honor to drive our friend's new 1961 Oldsmobile! JJS
Hahaha, the "hat" was a dig towards Chrysler who used to advertise "won't knock your hat off"! The Ninety-Eights were always really nice cars. By 1970 it they were riding like a Cadillac Fleetwood, and were very powerful.
I always admired the '61 GM full-size cars. When I watched this video I immediately recognized that rear view of the Olds despite the fact I wasn't even born until several years after - I was a bit precocious and these early '60s cars were still on the road when I was taking notice as a little kid! The styling of each GM brand really differed (I still have some fondness for the Buicks and the Chevys of that year). These '61-'63s always appeared to be more compact than what they replaced and what they grew into by '64 - although those vintage lithograph print ads always make them look longer than they were!
When I was growing up our neighbors next door had a 1960 Olds. They used it to tow an Airstream trailer. I always admired the taillights on that car. It was replaced in 1965 with a "Breezeway" Mercury. Olds always seemed to make pretty solid cars. As did Mercury!
As I've said many times, I'm a Ford and Mopar guy who has great respect for the Pontiac & Olds marques. More of us car people miss those two than the cynical and ignorant automotive 'press' of today would have you believe. Thanks for posting- your work is thorough, historically accurate & interesting. Please keep up the great work and fun education lessons for all of us!
I couldn't have said it better myself; these cars were examples of true and serious automobile design and engineering, and requisite comfort and even fun in their driving. Let's by all means keep these cars and their memories with us!
Dad was an Oldsmobile man. First one I remember in our family was the 1960 Olds, and I remember well. Dad's older cousin owned a Olds dealership so it's obvious we were an Olds family. :) I remember the 1960 well since my parents bought a 16 foot Shasta travel trailer in 1964. I was 4 had a ball with our trip all the way from home in Indiana and up to the Alaskan Highway to nearly the end of it. Dad said when he hit the throttle that Shasta travel trailer would jerk that trailer under the Rocket V8. I would love to go up there again,, with a Jeep and a teardrop trailer. A great way to spend a summer!
Being only 5 years old I use to gravitate to our neighbor single elderly lady who had the ‘61 98 Conv. Aqua in color and white interior. She kept it in the closed garage and I only got to see it the few times she went out in the nice spring and summer weather. It was a treat seeing the garage door open and her back out. I don’t remember seeing many others like it growing up. Thank you so much Adam. 😊
I love the '63 98 also for the reasons you mentioned. The styling that year had some '61 Lincoln influence, but totally Oldsmobile. I miss Oldsmobile, but if it were around today, it would be in name only with ugly SUV's and crossovers.
"We build cars for you to wear a hat in, not to piss over." Those were the words of Chrysler's president in the early 1950's, explaining the difference between the relatively boxy Chrysler Corporation vehicles of the time. Those designs cost them a lot of sales, incidentally, and eventually lead to the 1957 lineup. Apparently, with the new for 1961 Oldsmobile, you can now do both! I realize that what K.T. Keller supposedly said was hyperbole, but I couldn't resist bringing it up after that last commercial. I have a certain fondness for the Oldsmobiles of 1961. My dad's father had a '61 Super 88, and a neighbor down the street had a '61 Dynamic 88 convertible that I got to ride in at least once. My own parents would never have had a car like this, and my mom's parents were Chevrolet people. If you want one of these, I wish you luck. Ninety-Eights of anywhere near this vintage seem very thin on the ground, if my AutoTempest search is any indication. If I have less than ten tabs open after such a search on anything, it's rare. Very rare. As always, you put a lot on the table for us to enjoy.
@@seiph80 Think about many of Oldsmobile's most popular cars. Now think about how many of them are still around. In 1976 and 1977, the Cutlass Supreme was pretty much the most popular car in the country. Look for one at the next car show or cruise in. The same is true of a bunch of Oldsmobiles...
Yes. It seems that all new commercials have to have everyone dancing or shaking around to the music. I guess the dancing draws more people in to watch the commercials, or so the ad agencies believe. My typical response to commercials of any kind is “MUTE!” I hate ‘em.
Growing up, I clearly remember a buddy of mine having a 1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 coupe. It was dark green and had factory air conditioning. I remember it having that Slim Jim transmission with the reverse gear located at the far end of the gear selections. I also recall that harsh upshift from 1st to 2nd gear. However, the trunk space was enormous, the vehicle was roomy, and that 394 V8 was plenty powerful. 1964 was the last year that transmission was used by Oldsmobile and Pontiac. It's replacement, the Turbo Hydromatic was much better.
This car was a step out of the 1950s but it still looked a bit Buick -ish. You can see how Olds finally found its identity as the 1960s played out. However, I can see the "NINETY-EIGHT" script had already been designed and remember the later models I grew up with still using that script on their fenders. Great video Adam, thank you.
I owned a 1961 Olds 98. I was in high school (class of '71) and my parents purchased the Olds for me from a friend of my dad. My dad was in the automotive business, a Firestone Tire dealer. It was a white four door hardtop with a sky blue interior. It was a huge vehicle, but it was fun to drive and own as a high school senior. The issue with the car was that it burned up the transmission. My dad had a friend who owned a transmission shop put a rebuilt Slim-jim trans in the car. My dad's friend begged my dad to also install a trans cooler, which my dad did not do. The new trans burnt up also and I did not abuse the car. I ended up selling the car and purchasing a 1955 Pontiac Starchief 2 door hardtop in brown/cream combination for $15 from a friend in college.
Fantastic video, Adam! Thank you! I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed watching. I have a 1961 98 convertible. It’s a great car, with remarkable power for something of its age and size, yet it floats down the road like a cloud- the ride is just amazing. The Slim-Jim was rebuilt by a retired transmission guy, and has been trouble-free in the 15+ years since. With just over 3800 convertibles built, there aren’t many left. It’s much easier to find a ‘61 Starfire today than a 98. Thanks again for such consistently great content!
Adam, a GREAT video! Our family's first Olds was a 1963 Super 88, which is the car I learned to drive on. Most of its interior hardware was identical to the 1961. The drivetrain was the same, including the "Slim Jim" transmission. What a piece of... something! But the engine was very powerful. Oh my, how I miss those days.
A number of years back I stopped to have a look at a '63 Olds Ninety-Eight for sale on someone's lawn. I'd actually had never seen one. And I was aghast by the size of that car, I mean I really couldn't believe it. I'm sure that your family's Super 88 was close in size.
Beautiful. First year Oldsmobile got to share in the 6 window four door hardtop shared with Buick and Cadillac. A nice step up as this model tended to make the 98 look even longer and more substantial IMHO. 😎
I was a big fan of 98s. Especially the 1965-1969 LS pillared sedan models. My aunt had a 1966 and 1969. I bought the 1969 from her when she bought a new 1973 Olds Regency 98.
Glad I stumbled on this video, back in '79 my old man picked up a Dynamic 88 from behind the dealership across the street. Not sure why it ended up there ,but the wiring under the hood was cut out...he rewired it, and let me tell you, what a nice car. Red, white top, 2 dr, 394 two barrel, interior was so nice (red/white). I absolutely loved driving that thing. He kept it about 4 years until the rear frame rotted out. Talk about a highway cruiser, yes the speedo turned bright red at 120 MPH! Thanks for reading!
Great video. I had a '63 Olds Eighty Eight, and I can vouch for what Adam said about the fantastic 394 engine. It was a very solid engine, and I would say that it was exceptional in it's torque output. As I recall, my car (a 2 bbl) had 435 lb./ft. (optimal) which was very good for a factory spec engine of the era. And you could definitely appreciate all that torque in these big cars. Adam's also correct about the Roto-hydromatic transmision. Mine needed to be rebuilt, but I was very fortunate to find a local talented shop that was willing to rebuild the transmission, even though they had no experience with this model. They truly educated themselves and did the research before starting the project. They did a great job on the rebuild, but as Adam said, even in proper condition this unit shifts weird. I've heard the 1st to 2nd shift described as having a "bumped from behind" feel to it, and that's a pretty good description, based on my experience. Once I understood that it was standard function for these units the shifting characteristics didn't bother me. It cost me $1500 to have the trans rebuilt 15 years ago. I thought it was a lot back then, but I bet it'd be much more today. I'm not even sure you could easily find a shop that would be willing to tackle a rebuild. BTW...these transmissions were nicknamed the "Slim Jim." The only thing I disagree with Adam's video about was his statement that all '61 full sized GM cars looked good. The '61 Impala was one of the rare unattractive Impalas of the era, in my opinion. Only the '59 looked worse. The '61 Olds inverted fins were a little strange looking, too, but once you got used to them, it was a sleek looking car. One visual thing I really liked about the '61 GM cars - especially the Pontiac - was the interesting use of colors in the upholstery and interiors.
I am all over the board when it comes to cars . I love all the older cars but started my morning looking at the brand new Porsche 911 Dakar a twin turbo 6 almost 500 hp awd for only 220 grand $$ . I have had many Oldsmobile 442 lightning rods and Pontiac GTOs . I just love cars Have a Great day everyone .
Thank you Adam. I was not expecting this video. It was informative and nice footage to go along with the information shared. Nice to see the heritage and history shared. I smiled. Good job Adam. I own a 1996 Oldsmobile 98. I have many favorite Oldsmobile 98's over the years I liked. I also like you pointed out the difference between this car and the Oldsmobile 88.
The 98 being designed so you could wear a hat reminds me of my uncle's neighbour when he told me that the Model T was also designed so you could wear a hat while driving. It seems to me that the "triangle suspension" is just a fancy name for a rear three link.
GM's full size cars of the early 60s had beautifully amazing exterior and interior styling. I'm a big fan of the classic streamlined design of Detroit cars of the 60s.
I'm glad that your bringing your reviews to earlier models. The 1961 models looked so modern compared to their predecessors at a time when people noticed when a new car was in the neighbors driveway and came over to look at it. Being somewhat partial to Buick, there is no rough shifting from a Dynaflow. It's always there to deliver the power when you need it even compared to the cars of the 80's where it seemed that the AOD was always hunting for a gear in the 45mph to 55mph range. Yeah, the transmission was heavy and did not take kindly to power shifting from L to D but at least it was smooth and under normal driving gave a 100K + of service.
When I was 10(maybe 11) we bought a 1966(?) Gran Prix. I always remembered the shifting indicator said this "PNDLR" To this day I have never seen another one like it yet!!
I had a 63 “Dynamic 88” and yes the “slim jim” transmission was odd. The still new and experimental perimeter frame was so flexible the main motor mounts were at the bell housing, with only a small pad under the crank pulley. (Like a Corvette). There were hood bumpers all along the fenders and they still used a rubber gasket for the windshield, that made a mystery noise turning into a driveway. I fixed it with RTV but later GM went to mastic. Other oddities: the speedo was driven off the front wheel like a VW and one side had reverse thread wheel studs. Still a great GREAT car! I remember an open road cruising at 100 with the A/C pumping ice and Tomita’s “The Planets” blasting on the 8 track.
Those bumper flairs are really great looking. I like the rear tilt on the grill, tres unique. That side shape looks very similar to my 64 Galaxie 500. That dash - WOW. "Super-Deluxe Radio" indeed. And those tri-clops gauges, schweet. Thanks for profiling such a rare and unique car. re: that second ad, did drivers really get in on the passenger side? You see this in old movies too. I never could understand why anyone would want to slide across the bench to get into the driver seat. Weird.
People slid-in from the sidewalk side for safety and for the speed of getting inside, because for years cars had enough room to be able to do that. And when doing that first became common cars were narrower thus the seats weren't as long from side to side.
Ha! I remember the sound those cars made when they accelerated! The parents never had one when I was a kid, but it was something I perceived from outside the vehicle. They sounded kind of like the engine RPMs were very high from a standing start. Definitely different from other cars of the time. Now I understand why.
This was during the glory days of each GM division as (almost) its own empire. Since the 98 and Electra were pretty interchangeable by the time of Adam's blue 1986 98, I'd love to learn more comparing/ contrasting the 1961 98 vs. Electra. I know that the engines and transmissions were completely different (nailhead + Dynaflow for the Buick).
I want the house at the end of the second commercial. And the car. And maybe the hat. Also, purely coincidentally, yesterday I was looking up how many miles Americans drove per year and discovered that the Bureau of Transportation Statistics divides "light duty passenger vehicles" between short and long wheelbase. 121 inches is the cutoff, so this gorgeous Olds at 126" is a long wheelbase vehicle by today's metric. And the passenger-side bench-seat slide entry. Very Oldsmobile.
Adam, thank you. I'm glad that you made a video on these cars. I've always liked the look of the 1961 GM cars, though it took me years to appreciate the full-size '61 Chevrolet. I'm sure that I'd love owning a '61 Oldsmobile, but one concern I'd have according to the second commercial, is that they have ninety points of rubber cushioning. I'm sure that by now all of these rubber points would be dry rotted so it must be a huge job replacing all of those. I find myself wondering if the shop manual shows where they all are.
My first car (1968) was a red 1961 olds dynamic 88 4dr in like new condition. Mom and dad helped me buy it. In retrospect it was a pretty nice car but I couldn't wait to get rid of it and bought a 57 Chevy. That was the beginning of my never having any "extra" money. 😄
My third car as a kid was a 1961 Olds 4 door sedan. Speedometer was cool. Car had decent power but developed a cracked piston which blew oil out the filler tube.
I recall reading in an automotive magazine at the time these came out that the public was not crazy about the rear styling of the 1961 Oldsmobiles and that GM came within inches of doing a an unheard of mid -year styling refresh. However they waited it out and with the 1962 models it is clear they wanted to do a dramatic course correction. Personally I liked the 61s although I have often wondered why they decided on a circular shape for the taillight. It was something never seen before on an Olds to my knowledge and was actually very Ford - like.
You're right. But it was the jet age/space age and I think they were going with tail lights akin to jet exhaust outlets. To me the weird part are the rings in the top half of the lens. An odd detail.
@@discerningmind I will have to look at those again. The pointed oval taillights from the 1962s would have been a smoother transition from the 1960 taillight treatment in my opinion. Here's a 98 related question I hope you can answer. Were there any sheet metal distinctions between the 98s and the 88s in 61-62? They appear identical to me. I know that in some years there were. Sometimes 98s were a little longer in the rear fender. Thanks for the great video.
@@kirbywaite1586 I own several 1961-2 Oldsmobiles. The only difference in the sheet metal between the 88s and 98s is in the rear quarters. The longer wheelbase of the 98s is expressed in the extra legroom of the rear seat, as well as longer rear quarter windows. 98s also have a longer rear overhang, though the deck lid is shared between 88s and 98s, as are the front fenders and hood. Doors are also the same, at least on 2-doors and convertibles. Interestingly, despite the model years looking quite different, the 1961-2 Olds used the exact same doors. You really have to look closely to notice. Olds stylists did a great job hiding this!
I'm amazed that the styling was regarded as anything less than stunning. The other cool feature was the horizontal speedometer that changed color-- green to yellow to red-- depending on speed. The deep trunk was big enough for a ton of fishing gear, including poles, tackle box, outboard motor and its fuel tank.
I was a little kid when my dad traded in a '54 DeSoto for a rocket age '61 Olds Dynamic 88. He didn't want the automatic transmission so the dealer placed a factory order to get a car with a manual three on the tree. I never quite took to the look of flared out fins on the bottoms of the rear quarters. As a kid I thought the car looked like a big fish.
My first car in 1994 was a 61 Super 88 Holiday Edition, same color as the one used for the dashboard color. We called it "after dinner mint wrapper green". I bought it from an estate for $600 with 60,000 miles on. It was in good, stock condition. Everything was great for a month before the transmission started to act up. It would get stuck in first and I'd have to tease the throttle to get it to shift. Once in second I did my best to keep it there by not dropping under 25. I lived on Queen Anne hill in Seattle so this was not ideal, lots of one lane streets with cars parked on both sides, blind curves. Also it no power in reverse and a bad turning radius. I once got stuck in an old parking garage downtown and needed a tow truck to get out. It was awesome on the highway though. Hauled ass in the most refined way possible. I sold it after 3 years and would see it around town in increasingly worse condition. In 2010 I spotted it parked about a mile from my house. It sat there for a year before the city impounded it. RIP Sadie!
My first Olds was a 1954 98. The original owner passed and his wife couldn’t drive because of eye problems. It had 52k miles and garage kept. Like new condition. Bought it for $250.00 in 1970.
Excellent video Adam! My Dad looked at purchasing a 1961 Olds 88 back in the day! It would be great if you could do a series on the 61/62 Impala including the “bubble top” Chevy of this era! I greatly enjoy your channel!
What was remarkable this era was all the different rooflines. The coupe could be a bubble top hard top, or a pillared two door sedan. The four door could have a thin C pillar or a thicker more formal one in 1961 and 1962. Cadillac had a four window and a 6 window four door Sedan de Ville. The Fleetwood had a thicker C pillar, and was also a hardtop.
classy looking dash. Adam, I recommend checking out the early Buick Wildcat models, preferably the ‘63 since it was the last (only) one with the vertical tail lights. The better reason I recommend these Buicks is for the bright-work dashes with their classic round gauges. The rest of the GM line, including the SS’s, went with horizontal speedo’s. I realize the horizontal look was the nouveau look of the day but it just wasn’t sporty or exciting.
When I was in high school a friend had a 61 Starfire, the car was 6 or 7 years old at that point. I got to drive it occasionally. As I remember it was amazingly nice, smooth, quiet, powerful and overall it had a very high quality feel and look (try to picture a car with no plastic trim). I don’t remember any transmission problems nor do I recall shifting issues but I may have been paying more attention to that fantastic engine. Did I forget say it was fast, well it was fast. However, as you drove around you could actually watch the needle on the gas gauge move across the dial, my guess would be something like 10 mpg, but then gas was only 30 cents a gallon. As they say, those were the days.
A great overview of these cars, Adam. I always thought they were the kind of car that made people go out and buy an Oldsmobile -- unique, quality workmanship, and plenty of power.
Adam, I love the addition of the commercials. Our neighbor had a 61 Olds, I recall her telling me that it just wasn't right from day one, and she got rid of it after a few years and got another Olds, hopefully with out the Roto Hydramatic trans.
Accelerotor Action! I was cursed with SlimJim trannys in two different ‘63 Pontiacs. I remember an old German mechanic I went to, and he’d say ‘Ja, Schlim Jim. Das ist scheis’…
Detail on the 1961 Buick Invicta would greatly be appreciated. The seating arrangement on this vehicle was interesting in the way the passenger seat could turn.
I always thought the rear end treatment of the 61 Olds wagon was even better and more space-age than the sedans. I had a Corgi toy as a kid that was a 61 Olds "Man from Uncle". I don't recall if they drove it much!
I was like 6 when Dad bought one of these 98's in a distinctive lavendar-bluish color. His only complaint was that color was so rare everyone would say..."I saw you were at "wherever", "whenever" "! LOL
Another great video Adam, I love seeing the cars that those of us old enough can remember being a part of our lives either as the family car or a attainable used car, I'm aging myself here but for my friends and I many of us ended up getting our first cars to drive one way or another that was usually from the early sixties as they were just old family car's that were considered gas guzzlers no one wanted. By the time we were in our early twenties many of us appreciated the 2dr models as a cheap way to go for a cool car with good performance at any rate I now realize how lucky we were to have had the access to such great cars, do you have any Vista cruisers or other stylish wagons that were once overlooked ?
Early 1970s offered a smorgasbord of great early 1960s and late 1950s GM luxury cars available for cheap to a young teenager with a new driver license. Jet age styling that era was out of this world.
Nice ! I'm also interested in the story and features of the 1964 Oldsmobile 98. I'm building a 1:10 scale RC model from my own design, based on the pictures and informations i've found on the net. Maybe a video about this car soon ?😉
I like the styling of the 61 Oldsmobiles a lot better than the later ones from the 77 and newer ones. I bought a Johan model of a 61 Super 88 and still have the model.
These were the cars I learned to drive on. We lived in Nebraska and vacationed in Minnesota. Driving at one hundred miles per hour for great distance the car was appreciated by the family. I remember my dad proudly displaying his Perry Como hat once perhaps he picked it up from one of these commercials. We later moved into a 1964 Oldsmobile that I felt was completely junk. The problem may have been my dad placing low octane discount gas in it. In closing as a kid I really took to joy riding. I look back on the continuous rides to no where as regretfully stupid. I am amazed that people in Arizona and Nevada in mass have adopted ATV joy riding as a favorite pass time. From my experience I feel they are making a huge mistake.
My dad was big on cheap shit gas. Don't know why. He would give me his gas card and I would go blow a tankful of high octane through the Eldo on all nighters. He would only care if I brought it back empty. It was moms car. He would put Conotane in his cars. Don't even know if it was 87 octane. God I would at least get regular for them. Like 2 cents difference.
@@rogersmith7396 My first family ride was a 1950 Ford Tudor. I really loved that car and we traveled across Nebraska in it. Next a 1955 Chevy Station Wagon again a long distance vacation vehicle. I think my father was in the habit of buying cars and never paying for them. This had the benefit of a different family car every few years.
@@rogersmith7396 The situation was vicious though growing up with it you normalize the content. Let me share how things are done. In the late 1940s or early 1950s my dad worked emergency flood control for the free liquor or drinks given. Being drunk he forgot where his chevy was and never found it. Next was the 1950 Ford that he felt was on conflict with his Chevy Man self image. Then the 1955 Chevy Station Wagon that I suspect he skipped out on the payments. First he tricked a rear-end collision then possibly faked auto theft. Next came the 1960 Oldsmobile purchased from a neighbor and the neighbor told me my dad skipped out on the payments. However from the same neighbor dad pilfered a 1964 Oldsmobile. I think my sister was drawn in to threaten sexual advances charge against the neighbor in that she claimed he was looking at me. This 1964 Olds became another free car. Finally my dad filed a false asbestos lung claim against Union Pacific Railroad. The settlement funded his Chevy Station Wagons until he was no longer able to drive. My being used for false sex abuse claims was a constant deal with my sister through the 1970s. Last talking to my dad in 2002 he told me he was pursuing my high school friends with false sexual activity claims. I started distancing myself from the family in the 1980s.
The host of this channel features his own cars. When I see this, wonder if he owns a '61 Olds 98? Are these vids just something you are interested in? Your commitment to GM? Fascinating. This car is beautiful, and I love your content.
My parents bought a new for '61 Super 88 4 dr hardtop. The transmission was awful. My Dad wrote letters to Olds in Lansing MI. After many responses, they replaced the Tranny with the newer version of the HydraMatic and it changed the that OLDS completely!!
The hydramatic was jerky because it started life as a 4-speed. GM removed the 2nd gear so the upshifts were 1-3-4. Tranny gear changes in the day were 1.4x (square root of 2) apart, so the 1-3 shift here was a full doubling of gear ratio.
I dig the inverted fin theme at the back. Jets like the XF-8 Crusader III and F-4 Phantom were freshly off their competition to be the next Navy fighter, both with distinctive downward-angled tail surfaces... why not hint at it on a car?
Still impresses me how many different aesthetic styles they were able to come up with every year back then and how many butt ugly styles they're able to come up with today.
Still impresses me how GM was able to provide new styling for each brand every year or two during this era. Excellent work by those stylists, engineers, and even the marketing types.
I’ve thought about this too, and the conclusion I come to is that each brand had far fewer models in their lineup in those years, so it wasn’t as big a drain on their engineering and capital resources to make major annual design changes. In the 1950s, each GM brand didn’t try to offer a full product line from compact to full size. The brand itself fit within the full product line of GM.
Yes!
Ford pulled a brand new design outta their hat for three consecutive model years; l959, '60 (my fav) & '6l, with the 6l con't thru '64 but each one got prettier.
GM's l96Os were redressed '59s (correct?), but cleaner looking, even when they just touched up, it was effective.
You are absolutely right, we've not seen this degree of effort or TALENT directed at design in a long time. Wasn't it impressive...?
I remember how exciting it was to see the new car styling every year and the annual reveal was such a major event with corporate secrecy and wide media coverage.
There were virtually no rules or vehicle standards or NHITSA or anything. Today it takes 3 years to get approval to change a fog lamp design.
Today all cars look almost totally alike and you have to look at the name of the maker to know which look-alike it's supposed to be.
The Pontiac, Olds and Buicks were gorgeous for 1961. Among my favorites 'til this day.
Cadillac too! The Olds had what I call 'fins' on the bottom rear, and Cadillac had 'em on the top + bottom (my favorite)! 👌
Absolutely right! For my money, though, the Pontiac is the best of the three. Styling was rarely Oldsmobile's strong suit.
All five of the GM divisions were very sharp for 1961, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac. Lower fins were called 'skegs'. We had a 1961 Coupe de Ville when I was a young child, a very desirable "bubble top".
@@tombrown1898 I drove a few different Pontiacs, a 1959, and a 1964 Salmon-colored convertible, but I preferred the Olds styling!
@@ValdezJu I recently learned that the bottom fins are called "skegs"-- a nautical term I'd never heard before. Cheers!
1960's Oldsmobiles are a pet fave of mine. I really like them.
Impressed with all the interior color!
We had a 1961 Super 88. I used to love to watch the speedometer color change as my father went past certain speeds.
Hahaha!!! I was a kid like that loved things like that too.
My dad had a 57 Buick 2dr hard top with the mercury speedometer a red arrow that moved horizontally across the dash that worked fine until about 5 yrs old when it then was very inaccurate
Yes! My sister and I would always say, "C'mon grandpa, drive in the red!"
In 1961 I had just gotten my driver's license at a mere 14 years old. An old friend of the family visited with his new 1961 Oldsmobile and bravely had me drive him to visit my newly-wed sister and her husband. Used to my folks' 1957 Buick Special, I was spoiled by its ultra smooth Dynaflow transmission rather than the obvious shifts by the Hydramatic in this Olds. Years later, I have learned that his 1961 Olds had that infamous Roto-hydramatic with its dubious herky-jerky shifts. Even so, it was an honor to drive our friend's new 1961 Oldsmobile! JJS
Hahaha, the "hat" was a dig towards Chrysler who used to advertise "won't knock your hat off"! The Ninety-Eights were always really nice cars. By 1970 it they were riding like a Cadillac Fleetwood, and were very powerful.
The back end styling was gorgeous
I always admired the '61 GM full-size cars. When I watched this video I immediately recognized that rear view of the Olds despite the fact I wasn't even born until several years after - I was a bit precocious and these early '60s cars were still on the road when I was taking notice as a little kid! The styling of each GM brand really differed (I still have some fondness for the Buicks and the Chevys of that year). These '61-'63s always appeared to be more compact than what they replaced and what they grew into by '64 - although those vintage lithograph print ads always make them look longer than they were!
When I was growing up our neighbors next door had a 1960 Olds. They used it to tow an Airstream trailer. I always admired the taillights on that car. It was replaced in 1965 with a "Breezeway" Mercury. Olds always seemed to make pretty solid cars. As did Mercury!
As I've said many times, I'm a Ford and Mopar guy who has great respect for the Pontiac & Olds marques. More of us car people miss those two than the cynical and ignorant automotive 'press' of today would have you believe.
Thanks for posting- your work is thorough, historically accurate & interesting.
Please keep up the great work and fun education lessons for all of us!
I couldn't have said it better myself; these cars were examples of true and serious automobile design and engineering, and requisite comfort and even fun in their driving. Let's by all means keep these cars and their memories with us!
HYPHENs join 2 or more words together, and NOT to be used as COMMAS.
@@mr.blackhawk142 That's nice.
BYE.
@@mr.blackhawk142Seriously? Amazing that you felt it necessary to make this comment.
Ive always loved these cars! Beautiful styling! Very rare too.
Dad was an Oldsmobile man. First one I remember in our family was the 1960 Olds, and I remember well. Dad's older cousin owned a Olds dealership so it's obvious we were an Olds family. :) I remember the 1960 well since my parents bought a 16 foot Shasta travel trailer in 1964. I was 4 had a ball with our trip all the way from home in Indiana and up to the Alaskan Highway to nearly the end of it. Dad said when he hit the throttle that Shasta travel trailer would jerk that trailer under the Rocket V8. I would love to go up there again,, with a Jeep and a teardrop trailer. A great way to spend a summer!
Being only 5 years old I use to gravitate to our neighbor single elderly lady who had the ‘61 98 Conv. Aqua in color and white interior. She kept it in the closed garage and I only got to see it the few times she went out in the nice spring and summer weather. It was a treat seeing the garage door open and her back out. I don’t remember seeing many others like it growing up. Thank you so much Adam. 😊
Yes Gene! It's a handsome car and I prefer convertibles!
Around 1976, My friends older brother had a loaded ‘63 98 with a 394.
That car had impressive power, roomy and very luxurious
I love the '63 98 also for the reasons you mentioned. The styling that year had some '61 Lincoln influence, but totally Oldsmobile. I miss Oldsmobile, but if it were around today, it would be in name only with ugly SUV's and crossovers.
Olds was nice back then but a "poor-mans' Buick"! Buick out-shone even the huge Caddies in the day! (early 60s).
"We build cars for you to wear a hat in, not to piss over." Those were the words of Chrysler's president in the early 1950's, explaining the difference between the relatively boxy Chrysler Corporation vehicles of the time. Those designs cost them a lot of sales, incidentally, and eventually lead to the 1957 lineup. Apparently, with the new for 1961 Oldsmobile, you can now do both! I realize that what K.T. Keller supposedly said was hyperbole, but I couldn't resist bringing it up after that last commercial.
I have a certain fondness for the Oldsmobiles of 1961. My dad's father had a '61 Super 88, and a neighbor down the street had a '61 Dynamic 88 convertible that I got to ride in at least once. My own parents would never have had a car like this, and my mom's parents were Chevrolet people.
If you want one of these, I wish you luck. Ninety-Eights of anywhere near this vintage seem very thin on the ground, if my AutoTempest search is any indication. If I have less than ten tabs open after such a search on anything, it's rare. Very rare.
As always, you put a lot on the table for us to enjoy.
Not many of them survived I presume?
KT Keller sux
K. T. Keller was the guy. He lost his job in the mid 1950s.
Now tall compact SUVs are popular and affordable sedans are nearly extinct
@@seiph80 Think about many of Oldsmobile's most popular cars. Now think about how many of them are still around. In 1976 and 1977, the Cutlass Supreme was pretty much the most popular car in the country. Look for one at the next car show or cruise in. The same is true of a bunch of Oldsmobiles...
I have a soft spot for the classic Old's & Pontiacs
Thanks Adam. My grandfather, father and uncle were Oldsmobile men. I don’t know what my grandfather would have thought about me driving Hondas. 😬
What a difference in car commercials between then and now. Then they were slow an stately now they are fast and frenetic.
Yes. It seems that all new commercials have to have everyone dancing or shaking around to the music. I guess the dancing draws more people in to watch the commercials, or so the ad agencies believe. My typical response to commercials of any kind is “MUTE!” I hate ‘em.
Growing up, I clearly remember a buddy of mine having a 1964 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 coupe. It was dark green and had factory air conditioning. I remember it having that Slim Jim transmission with the reverse gear located at the far end of the gear selections. I also recall that harsh upshift from 1st to 2nd gear. However, the trunk space was enormous, the vehicle was roomy, and that 394 V8 was plenty powerful. 1964 was the last year that transmission was used by Oldsmobile and Pontiac. It's replacement, the Turbo Hydromatic was much better.
This car was a step out of the 1950s but it still looked a bit Buick -ish. You can see how Olds finally found its identity as the 1960s played out. However, I can see the "NINETY-EIGHT" script had already been designed and remember the later models I grew up with still using that script on their fenders. Great video Adam, thank you.
I owned a 1961 Olds 98. I was in high school (class of '71) and my parents purchased the Olds for me from a friend of my dad. My dad was in the automotive business, a Firestone Tire dealer. It was a white four door hardtop with a sky blue interior. It was a huge vehicle, but it was fun to drive and own as a high school senior. The issue with the car was that it burned up the transmission. My dad had a friend who owned a transmission shop put a rebuilt Slim-jim trans in the car. My dad's friend begged my dad to also install a trans cooler, which my dad did not do. The new trans burnt up also and I did not abuse the car. I ended up selling the car and purchasing a 1955 Pontiac Starchief 2 door hardtop in brown/cream combination for $15 from a friend in college.
Fantastic video, Adam! Thank you! I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoyed watching. I have a 1961 98 convertible. It’s a great car, with remarkable power for something of its age and size, yet it floats down the road like a cloud- the ride is just amazing. The Slim-Jim was rebuilt by a retired transmission guy, and has been trouble-free in the 15+ years since.
With just over 3800 convertibles built, there aren’t many left. It’s much easier to find a ‘61 Starfire today than a 98. Thanks again for such consistently great content!
The 1961 Ninety Eight (always spelled out) Starfire was highly desirable when new.
Adam, a GREAT video! Our family's first Olds was a 1963 Super 88, which is the car I learned to drive on. Most of its interior hardware was identical to the 1961. The drivetrain was the same, including the "Slim Jim" transmission. What a piece of... something! But the engine was very powerful. Oh my, how I miss those days.
A number of years back I stopped to have a look at a '63 Olds Ninety-Eight for sale on someone's lawn. I'd actually had never seen one. And I was aghast by the size of that car, I mean I really couldn't believe it. I'm sure that your family's Super 88 was close in size.
Beautiful. First year Oldsmobile got to share in the 6 window four door hardtop shared with Buick and Cadillac. A nice step up as this model tended to make the 98 look even longer and more substantial IMHO. 😎
I was a big fan of 98s. Especially the 1965-1969 LS pillared sedan models. My aunt had a 1966 and 1969. I bought the 1969 from her when she bought a new 1973 Olds Regency 98.
Glad I stumbled on this video, back in '79 my old man picked up a Dynamic 88 from behind the dealership across the street. Not sure why it ended up there ,but the wiring under the hood was cut out...he rewired it, and let me tell you, what a nice car. Red, white top, 2 dr, 394 two barrel, interior was so nice (red/white). I absolutely loved driving that thing. He kept it about 4 years until the rear frame rotted out. Talk about a highway cruiser, yes the speedo turned bright red at 120 MPH! Thanks for reading!
Great video. I had a '63 Olds Eighty Eight, and I can vouch for what Adam said about the fantastic 394 engine. It was a very solid engine, and I would say that it was exceptional in it's torque output. As I recall, my car (a 2 bbl) had 435 lb./ft. (optimal) which was very good for a factory spec engine of the era. And you could definitely appreciate all that torque in these big cars. Adam's also correct about the Roto-hydromatic transmision. Mine needed to be rebuilt, but I was very fortunate to find a local talented shop that was willing to rebuild the transmission, even though they had no experience with this model. They truly educated themselves and did the research before starting the project. They did a great job on the rebuild, but as Adam said, even in proper condition this unit shifts weird. I've heard the 1st to 2nd shift described as having a "bumped from behind" feel to it, and that's a pretty good description, based on my experience. Once I understood that it was standard function for these units the shifting characteristics didn't bother me. It cost me $1500 to have the trans rebuilt 15 years ago. I thought it was a lot back then, but I bet it'd be much more today. I'm not even sure you could easily find a shop that would be willing to tackle a rebuild. BTW...these transmissions were nicknamed the "Slim Jim."
The only thing I disagree with Adam's video about was his statement that all '61 full sized GM cars looked good. The '61 Impala was one of the rare unattractive Impalas of the era, in my opinion. Only the '59 looked worse. The '61 Olds inverted fins were a little strange looking, too, but once you got used to them, it was a sleek looking car. One visual thing I really liked about the '61 GM cars - especially the Pontiac - was the interesting use of colors in the upholstery and interiors.
Love those '61 Starfires
I am all over the board when it comes to cars . I love all the older cars but started my morning looking at the brand new Porsche 911 Dakar a twin turbo 6 almost 500 hp awd for only 220 grand $$ . I have had many Oldsmobile 442 lightning rods and Pontiac GTOs . I just love cars Have a Great day everyone .
Thank you Adam. I was not expecting this video. It was informative and nice footage to go along with the information shared. Nice to see the heritage and history shared. I smiled. Good job Adam. I own a 1996 Oldsmobile 98. I have many favorite Oldsmobile 98's over the years I liked. I also like you pointed out the difference between this car and the Oldsmobile 88.
The 98 being designed so you could wear a hat reminds me of my uncle's neighbour when he told me that the Model T was also designed so you could wear a hat while driving. It seems to me that the "triangle suspension" is just a fancy name for a rear three link.
The early and mid 60s Olds and Pontiacs are my all time favorite cars.
Beautiful Oldsmobiles !
I go weak in the knees when I see these cars that came out when I was so young . It is like looking at a beautiful women .
GM's full size cars of the early 60s had beautifully amazing exterior and interior styling. I'm a big fan of the classic streamlined design of Detroit cars of the 60s.
I love.Oldsmobiles, and the'61 is a favorite. One of my dream machines is a '61 Starfire convertible. In red, please.
I do too. Especially the Olds with the rocket on & under the hood ❤
I'm glad that your bringing your reviews to earlier models. The 1961 models looked so modern compared to their predecessors at a time when people noticed when a new car was in the neighbors driveway and came over to look at it. Being somewhat partial to Buick, there is no rough shifting from a Dynaflow. It's always there to deliver the power when you need it even compared to the cars of the 80's where it seemed that the AOD was always hunting for a gear in the 45mph to 55mph range. Yeah, the transmission was heavy and did not take kindly to power shifting from L to D but at least it was smooth and under normal driving gave a 100K + of service.
Are you talking about the Dynaflow (dinosaur-drive) from the 1950s?
Didn't people often use a standard transmission? Wasn't all that an option?
@@eaglewi The big luxury sedans and coupes of 1961 were nearly all automatic transmissions.
When I was 10(maybe 11) we bought a 1966(?) Gran Prix. I always remembered the shifting indicator said this "PNDLR" To this day I have never seen another one like it yet!!
The ‘61-‘64 Oldsmobiles were the best looking GM offerings in those years.
Olds stylists were so talented.
For the love of God will someone finally do a video about the 1962 through 1965 Dodge custom 880s and 880s thank you
I had a 63 “Dynamic 88” and yes the “slim jim” transmission was odd.
The still new and experimental perimeter frame was so flexible the main motor mounts were at the bell housing, with only a small pad under the crank pulley. (Like a Corvette).
There were hood bumpers all along the fenders and they still used a rubber gasket for the windshield, that made a mystery noise turning into a driveway. I fixed it with RTV but later GM went to mastic. Other oddities: the speedo was driven off the front wheel like a VW and one side had reverse thread wheel studs.
Still a great GREAT car!
I remember an open road cruising at 100 with the A/C pumping ice and Tomita’s “The Planets” blasting on the 8 track.
Beautiful car.I love the slanted grill.
Those bumper flairs are really great looking. I like the rear tilt on the grill, tres unique. That side shape looks very similar to my 64 Galaxie 500.
That dash - WOW. "Super-Deluxe Radio" indeed. And those tri-clops gauges, schweet.
Thanks for profiling such a rare and unique car.
re: that second ad, did drivers really get in on the passenger side? You see this in old movies too. I never could understand why anyone would want to slide across the bench to get into the driver seat. Weird.
People slid-in from the sidewalk side for safety and for the speed of getting inside, because for years cars had enough room to be able to do that. And when doing that first became common cars were narrower thus the seats weren't as long from side to side.
I like the speaker design. It is kept out of the sun, so it doesn't crack and dry out.
Ha! I remember the sound those cars made when they accelerated! The parents never had one when I was a kid, but it was something I perceived from outside the vehicle. They sounded kind of like the engine RPMs were very high from a standing start. Definitely different from other cars of the time. Now I understand why.
Still like the Roto-matic in my ‘61 Super 88 post sedan. Not bad at all. Mine is a 34,000 original mile car.
This was during the glory days of each GM division as (almost) its own empire. Since the 98 and Electra were pretty interchangeable by the time of Adam's blue 1986 98, I'd love to learn more comparing/ contrasting the 1961 98 vs. Electra. I know that the engines and transmissions were completely different (nailhead + Dynaflow for the Buick).
I'd love to see a feature on the 59 Buicks, I grew up with an Invicta flat top. They were a very radical change from the 58s!
For 1958, Buick and Oldsmobile were some of the least attractive built.
I want the house at the end of the second commercial. And the car. And maybe the hat.
Also, purely coincidentally, yesterday I was looking up how many miles Americans drove per year and discovered that the Bureau of Transportation Statistics divides "light duty passenger vehicles" between short and long wheelbase. 121 inches is the cutoff, so this gorgeous Olds at 126" is a long wheelbase vehicle by today's metric.
And the passenger-side bench-seat slide entry. Very Oldsmobile.
Excellent.
This really was a great era for car watchers like me. I love how much cars changed in those days. Nowadays, boring!!!
I wish we could rewind back to 1950 and relive those years for car design..
Adam, thank you. I'm glad that you made a video on these cars. I've always liked the look of the 1961 GM cars, though it took me years to appreciate the full-size '61 Chevrolet. I'm sure that I'd love owning a '61 Oldsmobile, but one concern I'd have according to the second commercial, is that they have ninety points of rubber cushioning. I'm sure that by now all of these rubber points would be dry rotted so it must be a huge job replacing all of those. I find myself wondering if the shop manual shows where they all are.
My favorite era for Olds and Buick
My first car (1968) was a red 1961 olds dynamic 88 4dr in like new condition. Mom and dad helped me buy it. In retrospect it was a pretty nice car but I couldn't wait to get rid of it and bought a 57 Chevy. That was the beginning of my never having any "extra" money. 😄
My third car as a kid was a 1961 Olds 4 door sedan. Speedometer was cool. Car had decent power but developed a cracked piston which blew oil out the filler tube.
I guess these were COOL! I ran a REAL "power window-up-and-down" on a '61 Olds "88" at 8 yrs. "old"! At 66 years (VERY OLD) I still REMEMBER THIS!
I recall reading in an automotive magazine at the time these came out that the public was not crazy about the rear styling of the 1961 Oldsmobiles and that GM came within inches of doing a an unheard of mid -year styling refresh. However they waited it out and with the 1962 models it is clear they wanted to do a dramatic course correction. Personally I liked the 61s although I have often wondered why they decided on a circular shape for the taillight. It was something never seen before on an Olds to my knowledge and was actually very Ford - like.
You're right. But it was the jet age/space age and I think they were going with tail lights akin to jet exhaust outlets. To me the weird part are the rings in the top half of the lens. An odd detail.
@@discerningmind I will have to look at those again. The pointed oval taillights from the 1962s would have been a smoother transition from the 1960 taillight treatment in my opinion. Here's a 98 related question I hope you can answer. Were there any sheet metal distinctions between the 98s and the 88s in 61-62? They appear identical to me. I know that in some years there were. Sometimes 98s were a little longer in the rear fender. Thanks for the great video.
@@kirbywaite1586 Sorry. I don't know enough about these Oldsmobile's to answer your question.
@@discerningmind thanks anyway!
@@kirbywaite1586 I own several 1961-2 Oldsmobiles. The only difference in the sheet metal between the 88s and 98s is in the rear quarters. The longer wheelbase of the 98s is expressed in the extra legroom of the rear seat, as well as longer rear quarter windows. 98s also have a longer rear overhang, though the deck lid is shared between 88s and 98s, as are the front fenders and hood. Doors are also the same, at least on 2-doors and convertibles. Interestingly, despite the model years looking quite different, the 1961-2 Olds used the exact same doors. You really have to look closely to notice. Olds stylists did a great job hiding this!
This type of video , imo, is among the best you do and i look forward to seeing more of them of other vehicles. Keep it up!
I'm amazed that the styling was regarded as anything less than stunning. The other cool feature was the horizontal speedometer that changed color-- green to yellow to red-- depending on speed. The deep trunk was big enough for a ton of fishing gear, including poles, tackle box, outboard motor and its fuel tank.
61 is one of my favorite
I was a little kid when my dad traded in a '54 DeSoto for a rocket age '61 Olds Dynamic 88. He didn't want the automatic transmission so the dealer placed a factory order to get a car with a manual three on the tree. I never quite took to the look of flared out fins on the bottoms of the rear quarters. As a kid I thought the car looked like a big fish.
Thanks for another great video, Adam. You have the right balance of facts with features. I always look forward to a new video.
Somebody’s up awfully early this morning 😀
Beautiful rear ends on the 61's!
My first car in 1994 was a 61 Super 88 Holiday Edition, same color as the one used for the dashboard color. We called it "after dinner mint wrapper green". I bought it from an estate for $600 with 60,000 miles on. It was in good, stock condition.
Everything was great for a month before the transmission started to act up. It would get stuck in first and I'd have to tease the throttle to get it to shift. Once in second I did my best to keep it there by not dropping under 25. I lived on Queen Anne hill in Seattle so this was not ideal, lots of one lane streets with cars parked on both sides, blind curves.
Also it no power in reverse and a bad turning radius. I once got stuck in an old parking garage downtown and needed a tow truck to get out.
It was awesome on the highway though. Hauled ass in the most refined way possible.
I sold it after 3 years and would see it around town in increasingly worse condition. In 2010 I spotted it parked about a mile from my house. It sat there for a year before the city impounded it.
RIP Sadie!
😊
My first Olds was a 1954 98. The original owner passed and his wife couldn’t drive because of eye problems. It had 52k miles and garage kept. Like new condition. Bought it for $250.00 in 1970.
Excellent video Adam! My Dad looked at purchasing a 1961 Olds 88 back in the day! It would be great if you could do a series on the 61/62 Impala including the “bubble top” Chevy of this era! I greatly enjoy your channel!
What was remarkable this era was all the different rooflines. The coupe could be a bubble top hard top, or a pillared two door sedan. The four door could have a thin C pillar or a thicker more formal one in 1961 and 1962. Cadillac had a four window and a 6 window four door Sedan de Ville. The Fleetwood had a thicker C pillar, and was also a hardtop.
It helps to be 5' 8" if you want to wear a hat in there! It's a true beauty...great review Adam.
classy looking dash.
Adam, I recommend checking out the early Buick Wildcat models, preferably the ‘63 since it was the last (only) one with the vertical tail lights. The better reason I recommend these Buicks is for the bright-work dashes with their classic round gauges. The rest of the GM line, including the SS’s, went with horizontal speedo’s. I realize the horizontal look was the nouveau look of the day but it just wasn’t sporty or exciting.
Herky Jerky shifts!!! I love that term!! 👍👍🙂
Gorgeous.
My favorite design element of the I/P is the tri-pod (pun not intended) that isolates the meters & lights from the upper I/P.
When I was in high school a friend had a 61 Starfire, the car was 6 or 7 years old at that point. I got to drive it occasionally. As I remember it was amazingly nice, smooth, quiet, powerful and overall it had a very high quality feel and look (try to picture a car with no plastic trim). I don’t remember any transmission problems nor do I recall shifting issues but I may have been paying more attention to that fantastic engine. Did I forget say it was fast, well it was fast. However, as you drove around you could actually watch the needle on the gas gauge move across the dial, my guess would be something like 10 mpg, but then gas was only 30 cents a gallon. As they say, those were the days.
A great overview of these cars, Adam. I always thought they were the kind of car that made people go out and buy an Oldsmobile -- unique, quality workmanship, and plenty of power.
My Grandfather had a 62 "88" with the big block and reverse at the bottom on the gearshift. Great memories.
Adam, I love the addition of the commercials. Our neighbor had a 61 Olds, I recall her telling me that it just wasn't right from day one, and she got rid of it after a few years and got another Olds, hopefully with out the Roto Hydramatic trans.
Those were all gone by 1964.
AS ALWAYS,GREAT JOB ADAM!!
Accelerotor Action! I was cursed with SlimJim trannys in two different ‘63 Pontiacs. I remember an old German mechanic I went to, and he’d say ‘Ja, Schlim Jim. Das ist scheis’…
hi my parent had a 1962 olds dynamic wagon they loved it. was bronze . and could do over 100 mph.. yep 2-3 transmission
Detail on the 1961 Buick Invicta would greatly be appreciated. The seating arrangement on this vehicle was interesting in the way the passenger seat could turn.
This was strictly on the 1961 Buick Flamingo show car -- not on any of the production models.
Love it lets see were it goes.
Great vintage add
Very good description of the Slim Jim Transmission.
I suggest you put the commercials at the beginning of the video. That will be the appetizer for the rest of the video rather than the dessert.
I always thought the rear end treatment of the 61 Olds wagon was even better and more space-age than the sedans. I had a Corgi toy as a kid that was a 61 Olds "Man from Uncle". I don't recall if they drove it much!
I was like 6 when Dad bought one of these 98's in a distinctive lavendar-bluish color. His only complaint was that color was so rare everyone would say..."I saw you were at "wherever", "whenever" "! LOL
Another great video Adam, I love seeing the cars that those of us old enough can remember being a part of our lives either as the family car or a attainable used car, I'm aging myself here but for my friends and I many of us ended up getting our first cars to drive one way or another that was usually from the early sixties as they were just old family car's that were considered gas guzzlers no one wanted. By the time we were in our early twenties many of us appreciated the 2dr models as a cheap way to go for a cool car with good performance at any rate I now realize how lucky we were to have had the access to such great cars, do you have any Vista cruisers or other stylish wagons that were once overlooked ?
Early 1970s offered a smorgasbord of great early 1960s and late 1950s GM luxury cars available for cheap to a young teenager with a new driver license. Jet age styling that era was out of this world.
Nice ! I'm also interested in the story and features of the 1964 Oldsmobile 98.
I'm building a 1:10 scale RC model from my own design, based on the pictures and informations i've found on the net.
Maybe a video about this car soon ?😉
cool video....thanks!
I like the styling of the 61 Oldsmobiles a lot better than the later ones from the 77 and newer ones. I bought a Johan model of a 61 Super 88 and still have the model.
I sure miss the unique styling of the 1960's cars where we could really see the differences in makes and models. Now everything is generically styled.
These were the cars I learned to drive on. We lived in Nebraska and vacationed in Minnesota. Driving at one hundred miles per hour for great distance the car was appreciated by the family. I remember my dad proudly displaying his Perry Como hat once perhaps he picked it up from one of these commercials. We later moved into a 1964 Oldsmobile that I felt was completely junk. The problem may have been my dad placing low octane discount gas in it. In closing as a kid I really took to joy riding. I look back on the continuous rides to no where as regretfully stupid. I am amazed that people in Arizona and Nevada in mass have adopted ATV joy riding as a favorite pass time. From my experience I feel they are making a huge mistake.
My dad was big on cheap shit gas. Don't know why. He would give me his gas card and I would go blow a tankful of high octane through the Eldo on all nighters. He would only care if I brought it back empty. It was moms car. He would put Conotane in his cars. Don't even know if it was 87 octane. God I would at least get regular for them. Like 2 cents difference.
Of course his airplane would get 120 or something.
@@rogersmith7396 My first family ride was a 1950 Ford Tudor. I really loved that car and we traveled across Nebraska in it. Next a 1955 Chevy Station Wagon again a long distance vacation vehicle. I think my father was in the habit of buying cars and never paying for them. This had the benefit of a different family car every few years.
@@josephpiskac2781 Did he park them several blocks away from home? Fool the repoman.
@@rogersmith7396 The situation was vicious though growing up with it you normalize the content. Let me share how things are done. In the late 1940s or early 1950s my dad worked emergency flood control for the free liquor or drinks given. Being drunk he forgot where his chevy was and never found it. Next was the 1950 Ford that he felt was on conflict with his Chevy Man self image. Then the 1955 Chevy Station Wagon that I suspect he skipped out on the payments. First he tricked a rear-end collision then possibly faked auto theft. Next came the 1960 Oldsmobile purchased from a neighbor and the neighbor told me my dad skipped out on the payments. However from the same neighbor dad pilfered a 1964 Oldsmobile. I think my sister was drawn in to threaten sexual advances charge against the neighbor in that she claimed he was looking at me. This 1964 Olds became another free car. Finally my dad filed a false asbestos lung claim against Union Pacific Railroad. The settlement funded his Chevy Station Wagons until he was no longer able to drive. My being used for false sex abuse claims was a constant deal with my sister through the 1970s. Last talking to my dad in 2002 he told me he was pursuing my high school friends with false sexual activity claims. I started distancing myself from the family in the 1980s.
Both model years were awesome!
The host of this channel features his own cars. When I see this, wonder if he owns a '61 Olds 98? Are these vids just something you are interested in? Your commitment to GM? Fascinating.
This car is beautiful, and I love your content.
My parents bought a new for '61 Super 88 4 dr hardtop. The transmission was awful. My Dad wrote letters to Olds in Lansing MI. After many responses, they replaced the Tranny with the newer version of the HydraMatic and it changed the that OLDS completely!!
The hydramatic was jerky because it started life as a 4-speed. GM removed the 2nd gear so the upshifts were 1-3-4. Tranny gear changes in the day were 1.4x (square root of 2) apart, so the 1-3 shift here was a full doubling of gear ratio.
I dig the inverted fin theme at the back. Jets like the XF-8 Crusader III and F-4 Phantom were freshly off their competition to be the next Navy fighter, both with distinctive downward-angled tail surfaces... why not hint at it on a car?
Good looking. TD Atlanta
Still impresses me how many different aesthetic styles they were able to come up with every year back then and how many butt ugly styles they're able to come up with today.
Even today, GM spent tons of money on high-end commercials.