Olds whacked the hungry post-war car market upside its collective head with a hot, high-compression 135-hp OHV "Rocket V8," standard in 88 and 98 for '49. The swoopy "Futuramic" styling that arrived on the top-shelf 98 the year before extended to the more affordable '49 88 and (6-cyl.) 76, and this combination of V8 power and modern good looks made the 88 America's hottest car on street and track. It paced the 1949 Indy 500, won the 1950 Pan American road race and took NASCAR championships in 1949-51 as '50 Olds production topped 416K. ...next page >>