1963 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe (LHD)

Description

The Oldsmobile 88 produced from 1949 until 1999 and was the marque's top-selling line from 1950 until 1974. A large number of variations in nomenclature were seen over this long model run - Futuramic, Super, Golden Rocket, Dynamic, Jetstar, Delta, Delmont, Starfire, Holiday, L/S, LSS, Celebrity, and Royale were all used at various times with the 88 badge, and Fiesta appeared on some station wagons in the 1950s and 1960s. Our example offered here is an Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe from 1963, one of the fifth-generation models first introduced in 1961. That generational change brought an all-new body and chassis with perimeter frame and all-coil suspension replacing the previous leaf springs. While wheelbases remained the same as in 1960, the overall length and width were reduced slightly and bodies underwent extensive body and trim revisions for 1963. Most of the underlying basic body structure and rooflines were carried over from '62 with new exterior sheet metal abandoning the previous years' sculpted mid-sections, with slab sides and sharper edges being employed overall. 1963 also brought about GM's adoption of the straight angled windshield "A" pillar on all full-size production vehicles, eliminating the unusual 1961 through 1962 reverse-curve treatment. Models and drivetrains in both the Dynamic 88 and Super 88 series were unchanged from 1962. Meanwhile, the Holiday Coupe 2-door hardtop (as here) continued the "bubble top" look established with earlier models. The Super 88 models were powered by a four-barrel "Ultra High Compression" 394 Skyrocket V8 rated at 325 hp (242 kW) with a new three-speed "Roto" Hydramatic transmission was introduced as an option.