The success of the 1953 GM Motorama Chevrolet Corvette spurred the creation of several Corvette-based two-seater sports car variants for the following year’s Motorama. Pontiac had the Bonneville Special, based on the 1954 Corvette, with a Plexiglas canopy featuring gullwing-style windows that closed into traditional doors, fins, taillights, and a vertically mounted spare that gave the rear end the look of jet thrusters, and finished in a bold bronze color. The Bonneville Special was cousin to the Oldsmobile F-88. The F-88 had a shape closer to that of the Corvette on which it was based, but the front had a very Olds looking oval grille with polished mesh in place of the Corvette’s heavy chrome teeth, vertically mounted headlights with Plexiglas bubbles, twin vents on the sides just aft of the front wheel openings were shaped like 88s and allowed air into the passenger compartment, a small washboard detail just in front of the rear end (a styling detail that would turn up on the 1958 Cadillac Eldorado, but in front of the rear wheel well), fins that ended in bullet-style taillights, and chrome bumperettes across the back between twin vertical oval exhaust ports.
Known internally as the XP-20 project, the Oldsmobile F-88 debuted at the 1954 General Motors Motorama held at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The F-88 sported a 102-inch wheelbase, just like the Chevy Corvette on which it was based. Like the Corvette, the F-88 had a molded fiberglass body. Unlike the Corvette, the F-88 was powered by a 324 cubic-inch Super 88 Rocket V8 topped by a four-barrel carb and backed by a four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission. The rear gear ratio was 3.55, also taken from the Corvette. The instrument panel was lifted from a 1953 Oldsmobile and incorporated a tachometer.
The Oldsmobile F-88 had lots of thoughtful features included in its design. The spare tire was housed in a hidden compartment beneath the floor of the trunk. The fuel filler was centrally located in the rear deck, allowing the F-88 to be filled from either side (this design would later turn up on the 1963 Corvette). Vents atop the windshield header would direct air into the passenger compartment. The pigskin interior was finished in a pearlescent tone, and the floor mats smacked of those found in the 1954 Buick Skylark. There was custom trim throughout the interior. So fully finished was the Olds F-88, it could be driven, unlike so many other show and concept cars. The F-88 would be displayed at four more Motorama shows after its New York debut, including L.A., Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco.
The Oldsmobile F-88, with its V8 power and four-speed automatic was very good. In fact, it was too good, as Chevy brass feared it would steal sales from or outsell the inline-six powered, two-speed Powerglide Corvette. Chevy convinced GM to forego F-88 production.
This Oldsmobile F-88 (there was more than one built) managed to do what so many other concepts failed to: it survived. It was disassembled and acquired by E.L. Cord. After having changed ownership several times, it was treated to a comprehensive restoration in the 1990s. It subsequently sold for more than three million dollars at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in January of 2005.
This exceptional bit of General Motors and Corvette history will cross the auction block at the Broad Arrow Radius event at the Monterey Jet Center August 17th and 18th.
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Comments
I saw this prototype Olds sports car back in the 1980’s when on temporary display at the Crawford Auto Museum in Cleveland.
I was impressed then and agree with the prior comment, it would have outsold the 6 cylinder Vette.
Wow, just wow! That is one of the coolest GM’s ever!
Wow! That is one of the coolest GM’s ever!
Rare photos show it as a Pace Car at the Sebring 12hr Race
This one sold at Barrett-Jackson quite a few years ago for over $3 million. Big fanfare during that bidding circus. It was going to be included in a big classic car museum somewhere in Nevada, but I think the owner went belly up.
has anyone realized how far back in time we have gone with car design…..cars have the wheel and the box……. no design, no flare, no beauty. today, cars are just plain ugly……
Fascinating piece and nice that it has a V8 compared to the Chevy. This won’t make me popular, but to my eye the front and back are a mashed up mess..the front belongs on a sedan and the back is a godzilla from Mars. Profile and mid section have their charms, but not enough to redeem an awkward package.
Although I have always been a Corvette guy, I have to say that this would have drawn so much more attention because of it’s detail and equipment that no one would notice a 54 Corvette parked next to it. Having said that, the one reason it would NOT have affected Corvette sales would have been the price. To mass produce this car would have been cost prohibitive. Remember, we’re talking 1954 here. The Corvette was almost cost prohibitive for a car with minimal useability. People didn’t buy a “sports car” then like they do now. There were almost no two car families at the time and this would have broken most folks budget. Yes, they could have deleted some of the equipment but that would have the car less desirable. Let’s hope that this version of the two-seater gave the Corvette engineers something to strive for.
They did buy sports cars back then. My dad had a 1956 Jag XK140. To get into that he sold his 53 Olds Holiday Coupe. Oldsmobiles were hot rods back then. They only produced about 3,600 Corvettes in 1954. This car would have taken some of those sales. Even though this car never came to market, it probably did help push Chevrolet to put the 265 v8 in the 55 Corvette. Plus the fact that the T-Bird had a v8.
Your timing is off. There was no T bird in 1953 or 54. When the T bird came out it had a V8 but so did the Corvette. I know some people bought sportscars back then but you need to reread what I wrote. You’re missing the point.
You were making broad generalizations about people purchasing “sports cars” during the early/mid 50s and the lack of affordability. I was pointing out that during that general time frame people were indeed buying sports cars, but generally from the UK since there really were essentially none produced in America, with the possible exception of the Corvette. IMHO a 6 cyl with 2 speed Powerglide isn’t much of a sports car. My remarks regarding the v8 Corvette and T-Bird were prefaced by placing the time frame in 1955. My point was that the Olds show car may have helped push Chevrolet into producing a v8 Corvette in 1955. Appreciate your help.
The car is on display in Gateway, CO at Gateway Canyons Resort.
This sporty Oldsmobile might have been short-circuited by Chevrolet, but unlike the Corvette, the F=88’s styling themes found their way onto the big Oldsmobiles throughout the 1950’s. My grandparents owned a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 sedan whose taillights as well as its front bumper shape and how it surrounded the grille were both heavily influenced by the F-88.
I had to privilege once of hauling this car from its home at a very exclusive western Colorado museum that is connected to a very nice resort, took it to Pebble Beach to be shown (not for the auction). I was pulling a 6 car enclosed lift gate trailer and the company paid for exclusive use of the trailer for this one car both ways to and from the show. This car will bring a ton of money when it crosses the auction block, I don’t know how anyone can really put a price on it
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