A close friend of the family, as a young man, was caught speeding in his new 1949 Rocket 88. The policeman noted the name on Joe's license, which was the same as the local Congressman, the Republican leader in the House. They were not related, but the cop gave him a pass. Joe drove Oldsmobiles for the rest of his life.
I worked at Lansing Automotive Division which occupied the old Oldsmobile buildings back in the late 80's. Was in many meetings in the "Rocket Room". The only thing I remember is that the floor had a lot of vibration and there was a brick placed on the upper lens of the overhead projector to dampen it out. Great people in Lansing and Oldsmobile Division. Miss it to this day.
Interesting history lesson Adam. Now that you point it out it’s pretty obvious how the logos evolved. They were classy cars built for the rising middle class and certainly the sales volumes would validate Oldsmobile’s optimism. Thanks for sharing your finds with us Adam!
I'm undoubtedly prejudiced, given that my father bought a new 1966 Toronado, just as I was nearing driving age, and that was indeed the car I drove for my driver's test, but I think they are one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
I am now past 80. I have been driving Oldsmobiles since 1961.....88s, 98s, F85s, Cutlasses, 442s, and an Aurora, All excellent cars!!! GM didn't know a good thing when they saw it!!!!!!
Ransom Eli Olds, "RE Olds" was still alive when the 1948s were introduced. He died in August 26,1950(age 86).... Great video!! Mr. Olds would love your channel Adam if he was still with us....If he was still alive I bet he would be have a 1984 Olds 98 diesel in his home garage and probably a new CT6...he loved diesel technology.....
The 1950 Oldsmobile 88 had a rocket hood ornament and a rocket going through the 88 script on the trunk lid. The rocket was inspired by the German V-2 rocket that was used in the late days of World War II. Captured V-2 rockets became the foundation of the U.S. Space program after World War II. John Chevedden
I loved the high beam indicator on our ‘70 98 LS. Went from the chrome rocket emblem in the daytime to glowing red with highs on. I never really looked close how they did it, but it was a cool effect.
Also, Just wanted to add, I really, REALLY love your channel, it's a breath of fresh air here on YT I can tell all the hard work you are doing putting all these great videos together, Thank You, and I look forward to helping your channel grow with each thumbs up and telling others about your channel. Thank you keep up the excellent work ❤
I remember working on a used car lot back in the 70’s. The one brand of car that we could always count on starting no matter how cold the weather was, was Oldsmobile. In our experience the worst was the Vega. Slant six Plymouth’s and Dodge’s weren’t too good either.
i remember my neighbors starting those Chryslers slant 6 in the cold Michigan winter mornings and hearing those starters whining out, come to think about it, the v8 were cold blooded also
My grandmother had a '49 Olds 76 which I believe was the last time Oldsmobile offered a straight six. It was 4-door sedan and pretty basic although it did have the Hydromatic transmission. I seem to remember that the hood ornament on that car was a stylized rocket or jet plane. The form of it looked a lot like a 3-D version of the rocket in the later logo.
In Stockton, CA the oldest Oldsmobile dealer existed. Hansel & Ortman. When I was s kid I always was giddy about the 1903 Runabout Olds they had on the corner of the top of their building. It came down in the 70s. The dealership sold in the 80s and was run in the ground by a crooked owner. It moved to the new auto mall along with other downtown dealers. H&O, once the Place to Go folded. This was long before the demise of Oldsmobile. As an insurance agent, I sent many clients to H&O before the demise. I now own three Olds cars, one from H&O. I also sold one 85 Cutlass Supreme Brougham from that store.
In Rockford Illinois the Oldsmobile and Cadillac dealer was Humphrey. It was downtown for years and teenagers would sneak in at night and steal the hood ornaments from the cars and use them as necklaces. Humphrey had to take the ornaments off the cars and hide them until the cars were sold. Finally another dealer came and bought out the dealership and moved it to the far east side of the city.
I’ve owned two Cutlass and two Lincoln automobiles and I always liked the emblems on both makes. When I was a boy I always thought the marques were similar…Good video!
In downtown Berkeley California USA on Shattuck Avenue the Main Street and the cross street is Oregon Street close by there was a AMC Jeep Oldsmobile dealership which then became Berkeley Honda and then became leveled and destroyed and now there's apartment buildings but in the marble in front of the apartment buildings there are Oldsmobile logos in Marble talking about the rocket V8 engine in the economy and their performance it's really beautiful
Oh wow, I love that! Similarly in Dallas, although not automotive, there's these lofts called the Mitchell Lofts, which used to manufacture aftermarket auto equipment. In the lobby they still have on display one of the old machines they had during production, along with a huge photo of the employees at the time all lined up in front of the building.
My late friend once owned an old Rocket 88 although I can't recall the exact model year now. It had the straight 8 engine. The car had been restored some years before he bought it and it came with about a half dozen trophies in the trunk from winning in car shows. My buddy cranked the engine one day & placed a glass of water on top of either the air breather or the manifold, I can't remember which, but the water wasn't vibrating at all while the engine was idling. Quite impressive.
Adam, another great presentation, out of the logo which was incorrectly placed on your Toro. Cool. Had a discussion as to which was the first Muscle Car, and I suggested the Rocket 88. But went back to the GTO, because it's whole purpose was promoted performance. 👍🏾🇺🇸🏁
Love the Olds Rocket logo/emblem. I feel Olds really made a mistake when they replaced it in the late 90's with the oval with the sideways "rocket" in it, although nobody from Olds or GM ever implied that the new logo had a rocket in it. It was shortly after this decision that the brand identity became even more obscure to the buying public, which led to even lower sales and the decision to kill the brand in 2004.
Oldsmobile products were not doing well in the marketplace, and a failed “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” ad campaign did not help things along. The division decided not to put “Oldsmobile” or rocket badging anywhere on the ‘95 Aurora.
When the Aurora was launched in 1994 as a 1995 new model, it didn't use the rocket at all, it used a stylized "A" in an oval. After the relative success of the Aurora, Oldsmobile restyled the rocket to sort of mimic the stylized "A" of the Aurora. I was a tech at an Olds dealer during this time. The "new" Olds rocket was phased in from 1996-1998. If I remember correctly (although I could be wrong), the 1997 N-body Cutlass was the first vehicle to receive it. The "new" logo was definitely a Rocket emblem, but many people confuse it with the Aurora "A". The Aurora actually did not have any Rocket or Oldsmobile scripts on it anywhere that were easily visible, except the radio faceplate did say "Oldsmobile". Oh, and I think the engine cover has a script that said "Made Exclusively For Oldsmobile by General Motors" as the Aurora was the only GM vehicle to receive that engine (a 4.0L version of the 4.6L Northstar). Also, I think the Rocket logo change coincided with Oldsmobile's 100th anniversary, which was 1997. Man I miss Oldsmobiles.
Very interesting. I never would have guessed, but it makes sense. I think the reason Lincoln took the points off its logo resulted from the contemporary focus on safety. The concern was that the points could impale a pedestrian.
A Legendary Car is The Rocket 88 and has a Classic Song, written in-tribute to it by Ike Turner and The Kings of Rhythm in 1951....The Song is regarded as the first Rock N Roll Song and reached No. 1 on The Billboard R & B Charts, Adam😎🤘
My parents used to have a 71 Oldsmobile Delta 88, but after my middle brother was born there were 3 of us kids, so they got rid of it for a 4 door, which ended up being 78 Malibu wagon that we toured the Rookie Mountains in.
I've heard it hypothesized that Lincoln's re-design of the logo (at least to remove the "points") was related to safety issues if a person came into contact with the emblem.
Truly the golden age of automotive design. Apart from the RR, every thing could be substituted for any other vehicle by pure badge engineering. Adam I must note that what you do not know about US cars, probably didn't happen.
Thank you for this information, of the car brands I have owned most following Chevrolet and Cadillac is Oldsmobile. I’ve had all the other post war big 3 brands (except desoto edsel Canadian subs I should edit in) but Oldsmobile and Cadillac were always my favorite. GM design today frustrates the hell out of me and I think I am not alone based on what I observe in traffic.
Thank you Adam. Thank you for sharing this interesting information and the origin of the logo. I did not know this. I do now. I enjoyed this video. It is interesting how years later people saw the similarities of the taillamps of the 1990's Lincoln Town Car and Oldsmobile 98. It was also interesting how the Lincolns in recent years had the Oldsmobile looking front end design.
Those lower 'skeg-fins' on the rear overhang of the '61 Olds have not stood the test of time for me... I never noticed how slab-sided the '64 Olds was! It's like a Lincoln in that illustration @4:39!
Respectfully disagree - love the skegs on these and the 61-62 Cadillac. They are distinctive and were an unusual solution to getting some rear definition when upper fins were being reduced. A blind alley perhaps, but then we ended up with rather plain massive rear overhangs on the 63-64 that often looked a little ungainly.
Another thing about the low power reported for the early Olds V8 - I think Buick was supposed to be above Olds in the hierarchy,and the top Buick was around 150 or 160 claimed horsepower-might have been advertised as "the most powerful engine in America" in its dual carburetor version-I suspect the Olds actually had a bit more power than reported of course the '49 Olds was an important advancement but the 1948 car is much better looking to my eye
To me another great example of one automotive emblem made out of another automotive emblem is the Acura "A". If you look at the Honda "H" you can see they closed the H's upper legs to turn it into an "A" I thought of that immediately, even if Honda is a foreign brand. They own Acura which is their luxury brand here in the US. It was a twist of genius since at the beginning they had no emblem for Acura. I love Oldsmobile and the Rocket is the perfect emblem. I figured out it had come from the Rocket 88 but had no idea how it was designed.
Interesting about Olds' rocket logo as compared to Lincoln. Another perspective might be to look at finding a 50's-60's Plymouth rocket logo to discuss one day as well. 🚀
One thing about the Oldsmobile Rocket engine, it had a particular sound that separated it from all other engines. In 1971 I bought a 1969 Olds Cutless S, two door hardtop. My friends always knew when I pulled up to their homes😄 BTW, most men probably under the age of 50 wouldn't know what 2 door hardtop or 4 door hardtop means😂
Oldsmobile V8's had rocker arm shafts not individual rocker arms on a stud like Chevy and Pontiac. I believe that is what gave the Olds V8 their unique sound... My neighbor had a 64 Olds and I could always identify when they came home by the sound
Around 1964 they were introducing a new engine block design,I think for a year or two both designs were in production,I think the original Rocket V8 had more cylinder head bolts. The newer block design got two different deck heights. @@anthony221956
@@anthony221956 First generation Oldsmobile V8s have shaft-mounted rocker arms like everything of that era. The next generation which was introduced in 1964 has pedestal-mounted stamped sheet metal rocker arms.
1946 Oldsmobile 98 had some stylized rocket logos on it including the steering wheel hub I think I have seen pictures of older Olds with rockets or rocket like spears trailing simulated fire on the front of the grille
The 1961 you showed, I painted my 1964 Corvair the same color, Twilight Mist Poly. And the rocket emblem on the front of my 1966 survivor Toronado, points downwards! I think that's the way the car came, but maybe it was changed when it was painted a long long time ago???
As I recall, the rocket emblem was removed from Oldsmobile back in the 70’s was due to a big scandal at that time by GM. GM was putting Chevy engines into Oldsmobiles without disclosing the change. This outraged Diehard Oldsmobile buyers when discovered. I remember how this was negatively impacted GM. Not only was Chevy engines put into Oldsmobile, but used in Buick, and Pontiac also.
I remember that too, Tom. 1976 I think. And do you know what's also funny about that? The Olds Cutlass was outselling Chevy so badly that GM needed to cover the volume with inferior chevy engines. Chevy was getting out-sold by their superior sister division, whose cars were more expensive......but better and the public was willing to pay for it! So Chevy was losing a sales race to a more expensive A-body.......that's one source of embarrassment.....then add that Chevy engines weren't as good as Olds 350s, so no wonder Olds customers complained they were getting comparatively junk engines for a much nicer car.
🤔 My wife’s Pontiac had a Chevy motor Which sounds like no big deal Cept when I did the first oil change Vin call out a Buick motor And she bought it brand new 1980 grand lemon
Wow, little ironic timing, I just finished my fall cleaning of my building and came across a box of treasures, what did I bring into my house (and is sitting on the bar next to me now) ? a metal Olds badge with the red background and rocket insignia. LOL
7:00 Adam Shame Shame for not fixing good Ole Dicks pants! 😅 Seriously though I loved the time he took with you to speak in the Olds, Buick & Cadillac. Lots of little easter eggs you really cant find in literature or old film.👌
I might agree that Oldsmobile's rocket nomenclature predates the official "space race", but the the interest in rockets and space travel didn't start out of nowhere in 1957 after the USSR successfully put Sputnik into orbit. The rocket in 1949 was more seen as a weapon than as means of putting satellites into orbit or for space exploration. The Germans were developing rockets as weapons beginning in the early 1930s, and the USA and USSR both continued development using recovered technology and asylum-seeking scientists immediately after World War 2. This progressed into both countries developing intercontinental ballistic missiles to deliver nuclear weapons and then to put artificial satellites into orbit.
@@KevinJames-yg9eu Everything you state is true of course. I just had a slight issue with Adam identifying the origins of the Olds “Rocket” campaign as being inspired by the space race. From a cultural perspective, I think the space race really did begin with Sputnik 1, as I doubt most of the populace were aware of, or cared about, the work that preceded it. Regardless, an interesting point to debate. Thank you.
I remember the rocket logo on the air cleaner of the family station wagon (1967). It's fascinating to see how it was created, I would never have guessed there was Lincoln influence. But similar things are happening today -- has anyone else noticed that today's Hyundai logo resembles the older stylized "H" on Hondas?
I was thinking the exact same thing: In a classic tit-for-tat, Oldsmobile adapted Lincoln's logo for their new personal luxury coupe, and then Lincoln adapted Oldsmobile's logo for THEIR new personal luxury coupe...
Here's where the Kathy Mateo song 455 Rocket song comes in, lol, my apologies, I put that song reference down on the Rockette video, my confusion, but overall all point was Songs about cars, not so much on the accuracy as to what car that song reflects, when I heard it just after that comment, I forgot she does say it's was an Oldsmobile. ....still a great song! ❤
Their are two 1966 Toronados that were at the GM show in St. Paul that had virtually no miles on them. I have no idea who owned them and haven't seen them since.
I absolutely love the looks of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, but sadly I would not be interested in owning or driving one, because of the front wheel drive. Being a lifelong hot rodder and amateur drag racer, the front wheel drive concept just doesn't work for me.
Love everything about Toronados but that. There's a reason Cadillac buyers went to Lincoln after Cadillac went all front wheel drive. Rear wheel drive cars just drive better.
@@ulfskinn1458 There was only a 2 year window when Cadillac did NOT offer a RWD model. 1996 was the last year for the RWD Fleetwood. RWD Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in late 1998.
@@MarinCipollina I mean cars, not SUVs. Between the downsizing and the general shift to FWD by Cadillac (and GM in general,) a lot of potential customers ended up buying Lincolns, which produced the full-size RWD Town Car all the way until 2011. Most of the older market for Cadillac who had started purchasing Cadillacs in the '60s and '70s were unwilling to buy an SUV.
It's not a "T". It's a pair of wings. Look up the Oldsmobile "winged spur" emblem of the 1930s and 1940s, which has very obvious feathered wings. By the mid 1950s, the wings had turned so blocky that they aren't really recognizable as wings unless you understand the connection to the earlier winged spur emblem. The "T" emblem you are referencing is a jet-age reinterpretation of the two wings. Note that the F-85 model name itself is a reference of an experimental fighter jet, and the turbocharged version is called a Jetfire.
One incorrect claim. Sort of. The 1949 Oldsmobile and Cadillac V8s were GM's first "modern" overhead valve V8s, BUT GM's first overhead valve V8 was the 1917-1919 Chevrolet Model D. Of course Chevrolet wasn't a division of GM until 1918.
A close friend of the family, as a young man, was caught speeding in his new 1949 Rocket 88. The policeman noted the name on Joe's license, which was the same as the local Congressman, the Republican leader in the House. They were not related, but the cop gave him a pass. Joe drove Oldsmobiles for the rest of his life.
Ha😅
Republicon. Y I K K K E S
I worked at Lansing Automotive Division which occupied the old Oldsmobile buildings back in the late 80's. Was in many meetings in the "Rocket Room". The only thing I remember is that the floor had a lot of vibration and there was a brick placed on the upper lens of the overhead projector to dampen it out. Great people in Lansing and Oldsmobile Division. Miss it to this day.
Adam, your brand-neutral history lessons are a great service to the USA auto culture.
Man! I am drooling over that gorgeous mid-60s Toronado. What a stunning car… WAY ahead of its time! Would love to own one of those today!
As an Oldsmobile fan, I fully endorse this video. Very informative…Once again, well done.
Interesting history lesson Adam. Now that you point it out it’s pretty obvious how the logos evolved. They were classy cars built for the rising middle class and certainly the sales volumes would validate Oldsmobile’s optimism. Thanks for sharing your finds with us Adam!
I'm undoubtedly prejudiced, given that my father bought a new 1966 Toronado, just as I was nearing driving age, and that was indeed the car I drove for my driver's test, but I think they are one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
I am now past 80. I have been driving Oldsmobiles since 1961.....88s, 98s, F85s, Cutlasses, 442s, and an Aurora, All excellent cars!!! GM didn't know a good thing when they saw it!!!!!!
Maybe it's to good u know
As always adam, your full of wonderful information on the great classics 😊
Ransom Eli Olds, "RE Olds" was still alive when the 1948s were introduced. He died in August 26,1950(age 86).... Great video!! Mr. Olds would love your channel Adam if he was still with us....If he was still alive I bet he would be have a 1984 Olds 98 diesel in his home garage and probably a new CT6...he loved diesel technology.....
R. E. left Oldsmobile in 1904.
He would NOT have cared for THAT particular diesel engine. "Poorly engineered" is quite the understatement.
yes, but I bet he still had passion for the brand@@brianwilson6403
The 1950 Oldsmobile 88 had a rocket hood ornament and a rocket going through the 88 script on the trunk lid.
The rocket was inspired by the German V-2 rocket that was used in the late days of World War II.
Captured V-2 rockets became the foundation of the U.S. Space program after World War II.
John Chevedden
I loved the high beam indicator on our ‘70 98 LS. Went from the chrome rocket emblem in the daytime to glowing red with highs on. I never really looked close how they did it, but it was a cool effect.
I would imagine it was a bulb with a red filter over it.
Also, Just wanted to add, I really, REALLY love your channel, it's a breath of fresh air here on YT I can tell all the hard work you are doing putting all these great videos together, Thank You, and I look forward to helping your channel grow with each thumbs up and telling others about your channel. Thank you keep up the excellent work ❤
Glad you enjoy it!
I remember working on a used car lot back in the 70’s. The one brand of car that we could always count on starting no matter how cold the weather was, was Oldsmobile. In our experience the worst was the Vega. Slant six Plymouth’s and Dodge’s weren’t too good either.
i remember my neighbors starting those Chryslers slant 6 in the cold Michigan winter mornings and hearing those starters whining out, come to think about it, the v8 were cold blooded also
My grandmother had a '49 Olds 76 which I believe was the last time Oldsmobile offered a straight six. It was 4-door sedan and pretty basic although it did have the Hydromatic transmission. I seem to remember that the hood ornament on that car was a stylized rocket or jet plane. The form of it looked a lot like a 3-D version of the rocket in the later logo.
My first car was a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe. Bought it for $725.
350?
@@rightlanehog3151 455
I think you can see the source of the 1970 to 1972 W25 ram air hood shape in the 1964 Toronado design study. Neato.
In Stockton, CA the oldest Oldsmobile dealer existed. Hansel & Ortman. When I was s kid I always was giddy about the 1903 Runabout Olds they had on the corner of the top of their building. It came down in the 70s. The dealership sold in the 80s and was run in the ground by a crooked owner. It moved to the new auto mall along with other downtown dealers. H&O, once the Place to Go folded. This was long before the demise of Oldsmobile.
As an insurance agent, I sent many clients to H&O before the demise. I now own three Olds cars, one from H&O. I also sold one 85 Cutlass Supreme Brougham from that store.
In Rockford Illinois the Oldsmobile and Cadillac dealer was Humphrey. It was downtown for years and teenagers would sneak in at night and steal the hood ornaments from the cars and use them as necklaces. Humphrey had to take the ornaments off the cars and hide them until the cars were sold. Finally another dealer came and bought out the dealership and moved it to the far east side of the city.
I’ve owned two Cutlass and two Lincoln automobiles and I always liked the emblems on both makes. When I was a boy I always thought the marques were similar…Good video!
Many wonderful cars from this division, lots of ingenuity, and the fact that Adam always says "Ohzmobile". LOL. Love this channel.
In downtown Berkeley California USA on Shattuck Avenue the Main Street and the cross street is Oregon Street close by there was a AMC Jeep Oldsmobile dealership which then became Berkeley Honda and then became leveled and destroyed and now there's apartment buildings but in the marble in front of the apartment buildings there are Oldsmobile logos in Marble talking about the rocket V8 engine in the economy and their performance it's really beautiful
Oh wow, I love that! Similarly in Dallas, although not automotive, there's these lofts called the Mitchell Lofts, which used to manufacture aftermarket auto equipment. In the lobby they still have on display one of the old machines they had during production, along with a huge photo of the employees at the time all lined up in front of the building.
Interesting video Adam. My mother had a Cutlass Supreme with a Olds Rocket hood ornament in the late 70s.
4:47 - those quad cowls up front reminded me of the 1967 Delta's quad taillights. Loved this bit of history Adam, thank you. 🚀
My late friend once owned an old Rocket 88 although I can't recall the exact model year now. It had the straight 8 engine. The car had been restored some years before he bought it and it came with about a half dozen trophies in the trunk from winning in car shows. My buddy cranked the engine one day & placed a glass of water on top of either the air breather or the manifold, I can't remember which, but the water wasn't vibrating at all while the engine was idling. Quite impressive.
Buick's were overhead valve straight eights not Oldsmobiles.
I could've swore his had the "Rocket 88" on it. @@vernonslone8627
Another great in depth history lesson we need to document
As a kid, we had a '50 Oldsmobile, and my mom said (God rest her soul), that was her favorite car in her life.
You make some great videos. Thank you.
I consider the 1951 song Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston & his Delta Cats to be the first true Rock & Roll song.
Adam, another great presentation, out of the logo which was incorrectly placed on your Toro. Cool.
Had a discussion as to which was the first Muscle Car, and I suggested the Rocket 88. But went back to the GTO, because it's whole purpose was promoted performance. 👍🏾🇺🇸🏁
Love the Olds Rocket logo/emblem. I feel Olds really made a mistake when they replaced it in the late 90's with the oval with the sideways "rocket" in it, although nobody from Olds or GM ever implied that the new logo had a rocket in it. It was shortly after this decision that the brand identity became even more obscure to the buying public, which led to even lower sales and the decision to kill the brand in 2004.
Oldsmobile products were not doing well in the marketplace, and a failed “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile” ad campaign did not help things along. The division decided not to put “Oldsmobile” or rocket badging anywhere on the ‘95 Aurora.
When the Aurora was launched in 1994 as a 1995 new model, it didn't use the rocket at all, it used a stylized "A" in an oval. After the relative success of the Aurora, Oldsmobile restyled the rocket to sort of mimic the stylized "A" of the Aurora. I was a tech at an Olds dealer during this time. The "new" Olds rocket was phased in from 1996-1998. If I remember correctly (although I could be wrong), the 1997 N-body Cutlass was the first vehicle to receive it. The "new" logo was definitely a Rocket emblem, but many people confuse it with the Aurora "A". The Aurora actually did not have any Rocket or Oldsmobile scripts on it anywhere that were easily visible, except the radio faceplate did say "Oldsmobile". Oh, and I think the engine cover has a script that said "Made Exclusively For Oldsmobile by General Motors" as the Aurora was the only GM vehicle to receive that engine (a 4.0L version of the 4.6L Northstar).
Also, I think the Rocket logo change coincided with Oldsmobile's 100th anniversary, which was 1997.
Man I miss Oldsmobiles.
Very interesting. I never would have guessed, but it makes sense. I think the reason Lincoln took the points off its logo resulted from the contemporary focus on safety. The concern was that the points could impale a pedestrian.
Stay classy Oldsmobile!!
A Legendary Car is The Rocket 88 and has a Classic Song, written in-tribute to it by Ike Turner and The Kings of Rhythm in 1951....The Song is regarded as the first Rock N Roll Song and reached No. 1 on The Billboard R & B Charts, Adam😎🤘
The Kings of Rhythm. As opposed to the Sultans of Swing
The country song by Kathy Mattea “455 Rocket “ was popular in the 80s or 90s.
VERY interesting. Great piece Adam.
My parents used to have a 71 Oldsmobile Delta 88, but after my middle brother was born there were 3 of us kids, so they got rid of it for a 4 door, which ended up being 78 Malibu wagon that we toured the Rookie Mountains in.
Another interesting history lesson - thanks for posting.
I've heard it hypothesized that Lincoln's re-design of the logo (at least to remove the "points") was related to safety issues if a person came into contact with the emblem.
Truly the golden age of automotive design. Apart from the RR, every thing could be substituted for any other vehicle by pure badge engineering. Adam I must note that what you do not know about US cars, probably didn't happen.
Quite the tidbit of information. People I know would think I'm nuts finding it so interesting.
Thank you for this information, of the car brands I have owned most following Chevrolet and Cadillac is Oldsmobile. I’ve had all the other post war big 3 brands (except desoto edsel Canadian subs I should edit in) but Oldsmobile and Cadillac were always my favorite. GM design today frustrates the hell out of me and I think I am not alone based on what I observe in traffic.
That 78 is stunning....
Always the smaller details that make this channel so interesting!
Kathy Mattea has a country song called “455 Rocket.”
I had a 1954 88. It was a tank. Loved it.
Always learning new things with your great videos! Thanks and keep it up, please!
Thank you Adam. Thank you for sharing this interesting information and the origin of the logo. I did not know this. I do now. I enjoyed this video. It is interesting how years later people saw the similarities of the taillamps of the 1990's Lincoln Town Car and Oldsmobile 98. It was also interesting how the Lincolns in recent years had the Oldsmobile looking front end design.
Those lower 'skeg-fins' on the rear overhang of the '61 Olds have not stood the test of time for me...
I never noticed how slab-sided the '64 Olds was! It's like a Lincoln in that illustration @4:39!
Respectfully disagree - love the skegs on these and the 61-62 Cadillac. They are distinctive and were an unusual solution to getting some rear definition when upper fins were being reduced. A blind alley perhaps, but then we ended up with rather plain massive rear overhangs on the 63-64 that often looked a little ungainly.
Another thing about the low power reported for the early Olds V8 - I think Buick was supposed to be above Olds in the hierarchy,and the top Buick was around 150 or 160 claimed horsepower-might have been advertised as "the most powerful engine in America" in its dual carburetor version-I suspect the Olds actually had a bit more power than reported
of course the '49 Olds was an important advancement but the 1948 car is much better looking to my eye
Adam, this was a real enjoyable watch, thanks. Just goes to show you can learn something new everyday...... Always liked the 63 starfire.......
Very interesting, Adam. Thanks to you and to Dick for the story.
To me another great example of one automotive emblem made out of another automotive emblem is the Acura "A". If you look at the Honda "H" you can see they closed the H's upper legs to turn it into an "A" I thought of that immediately, even if Honda is a foreign brand. They own Acura which is their luxury brand here in the US. It was a twist of genius since at the beginning they had no emblem for Acura. I love Oldsmobile and the Rocket is the perfect emblem. I figured out it had come from the Rocket 88 but had no idea how it was designed.
The Acura 'A' logo is supposed to look like a caliper.
I have a hood ornament from a 56' 88 it is a jet😮
Interesting about Olds' rocket logo as compared to Lincoln. Another perspective might be to look at finding a 50's-60's Plymouth rocket logo to discuss one day as well. 🚀
My father in law used to be a car mechanic. He got a call once from someone with an Oldsmobile asking if he worked on rocket engines!
One thing about the Oldsmobile Rocket engine, it had a particular sound that separated it from all other engines. In 1971 I bought a 1969 Olds Cutless S, two door hardtop. My friends always knew when I pulled up to their homes😄 BTW, most men probably under the age of 50 wouldn't know what 2 door hardtop or 4 door hardtop means😂
Oldsmobile V8's had rocker arm shafts not individual rocker arms on a stud like Chevy and Pontiac. I believe that is what gave the Olds V8 their unique sound... My neighbor had a 64 Olds and I could always identify when they came home by the sound
Around 1964 they were introducing a new engine block design,I think for a year or two both designs were in production,I think the original Rocket V8 had more cylinder head bolts. The newer block design got two different deck heights. @@anthony221956
@@anthony221956 First generation Oldsmobile V8s have shaft-mounted rocker arms like everything of that era. The next generation which was introduced in 1964 has pedestal-mounted stamped sheet metal rocker arms.
1946 Oldsmobile 98 had some stylized rocket logos on it including the steering wheel hub
I think I have seen pictures of older Olds with rockets or rocket like spears trailing simulated fire on the front of the grille
The 1961 you showed, I painted my 1964 Corvair the same color, Twilight Mist Poly. And the rocket emblem on the front of my 1966 survivor Toronado, points downwards! I think that's the way the car came, but maybe it was changed when it was painted a long long time ago???
FIRST!!! First car was an Olds, so this means A LOT. Thank you, Adam!
As I recall, the rocket emblem was removed from Oldsmobile back in the 70’s was due to a big scandal at that time by GM. GM was putting Chevy engines into Oldsmobiles without disclosing the change. This outraged Diehard Oldsmobile buyers when discovered. I remember how this was negatively impacted GM. Not only was Chevy engines put into Oldsmobile, but used in Buick, and Pontiac also.
I remember that too, Tom. 1976 I think. And do you know what's also funny about that?
The Olds Cutlass was outselling Chevy so badly that GM needed to cover the volume with inferior chevy engines.
Chevy was getting out-sold by their superior sister division, whose cars were more expensive......but better and the public was willing to pay for it!
So Chevy was losing a sales race to a more expensive A-body.......that's one source of embarrassment.....then add that Chevy engines weren't as good as Olds 350s, so no wonder Olds customers complained they were getting comparatively junk engines for a much nicer car.
@@67marlins 1977
🤔
My wife’s Pontiac had a Chevy motor
Which sounds like no big deal
Cept when I did the first oil change
Vin call out a Buick motor
And she bought it brand new
1980 grand lemon
@@Yolbosun I had a ‘79 Buick Regal with a 301/4.9 liter Pontiac V8, lol.
@skinnerhound2660 Was it a good engine & good car overall, though, I hope?
Wow, little ironic timing, I just finished my fall cleaning of my building and came across a box of treasures, what did I bring into my house (and is sitting on the bar next to me now) ? a metal Olds badge with the red background and rocket insignia. LOL
Very cool.
Rocket 88. Generally credited as being the first Rock & Roll song.
Great information
Very interesting! I think this 60s till 80s was their best emblem
Great tuturtorial ! Very interesting ! when i was younger i had 4 oldsmobles all with rocket engines ! My nickname was " rocketman "
7:00 Adam Shame Shame for not fixing good Ole Dicks pants! 😅
Seriously though I loved the time he took with you to speak in the Olds, Buick & Cadillac. Lots of little easter eggs you really cant find in literature or old film.👌
Oldsmobile’s very cool adoption of the rocket nomenclature predates the beginning of the space race by nearly ten years (Sputnik 1 -1957).
I might agree that Oldsmobile's rocket nomenclature predates the official "space race", but the the interest in rockets and space travel didn't start out of nowhere in 1957 after the USSR successfully put Sputnik into orbit. The rocket in 1949 was more seen as a weapon than as means of putting satellites into orbit or for space exploration. The Germans were developing rockets as weapons beginning in the early 1930s, and the USA and USSR both continued development using recovered technology and asylum-seeking scientists immediately after World War 2. This progressed into both countries developing intercontinental ballistic missiles to deliver nuclear weapons and then to put artificial satellites into orbit.
@@KevinJames-yg9eu Everything you state is true of course. I just had a slight issue with Adam identifying the origins of the Olds “Rocket” campaign as being inspired by the space race. From a cultural perspective, I think the space race really did begin with Sputnik 1, as I doubt most of the populace were aware of, or cared about, the work that preceded it.
Regardless, an interesting point to debate. Thank you.
ALWAYS loved Cutlass.
I remember the rocket logo on the air cleaner of the family station wagon (1967). It's fascinating to see how it was created, I would never have guessed there was Lincoln influence. But similar things are happening today -- has anyone else noticed that today's Hyundai logo resembles the older stylized "H" on Hondas?
Owned 2 76 cutlass, one with bench seat one drivers side swiveled, saw plenty of action in those lol
I was thinking the exact same thing: In a classic tit-for-tat, Oldsmobile adapted Lincoln's logo for their new personal luxury coupe, and then Lincoln adapted Oldsmobile's logo for THEIR new personal luxury coupe...
Thanx Adam! Kudos to you. Love this stuff!
ONE OF MY FAVORITE CAR LOGOS.
Here's where the Kathy Mateo song 455 Rocket song comes in, lol, my apologies, I put that song reference down on the Rockette video, my confusion, but overall all point was Songs about cars, not so much on the accuracy as to what car that song reflects, when I heard it just after that comment, I forgot she does say it's was an Oldsmobile. ....still a great song! ❤
That Rocket 🚀 was pure torque
We always called those Emblems not logos.
Olds= my first love. I have 2 67's, 2 68's, 2 69's. I HAVE 3 442'S. NOTHING SOUNDS LIKE A DUAL EXHAUST OLDS. Torq monsters for sure.
3:49 "Rocket" Rod Laver
The thumbnail photo is exactly my Uncles car from back in the day.
You should check out the great rockets on the front fenders of a '57 Olds - my first car!
Maybe that's why I was stopped by a police in my 88 with them saying into intercom "Lincoln driver pull over"))
Their are two 1966 Toronados that were at the GM show in St. Paul that had virtually no miles on them. I have no idea who owned them and haven't seen them since.
The older I get the more I like all 60s 70s American makes and models! I was a just a Mopar guy now I like all 👍🏻😎
I absolutely love the looks of the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, but sadly I would not be interested in owning or driving one, because of the front wheel drive. Being a lifelong hot rodder and amateur drag racer, the front wheel drive concept just doesn't work for me.
Yeah.. That entire FWD aspect just ruins things, IMO.
Love everything about Toronados but that. There's a reason Cadillac buyers went to Lincoln after Cadillac went all front wheel drive. Rear wheel drive cars just drive better.
@@ulfskinn1458 There was only a 2 year window when Cadillac did NOT offer a RWD model. 1996 was the last year for the RWD Fleetwood. RWD Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in late 1998.
@@MarinCipollina I mean cars, not SUVs. Between the downsizing and the general shift to FWD by Cadillac (and GM in general,) a lot of potential customers ended up buying Lincolns, which produced the full-size RWD Town Car all the way until 2011. Most of the older market for Cadillac who had started purchasing Cadillacs in the '60s and '70s were unwilling to buy an SUV.
Nice!!
Never considered that Olds had mimicked the Lincoln logo.
The Oldsmobile logo also looks like the Plymouth logo to me
I always thought it was a rocket over an O for Oldsmobile.
I'm pretty sure the star in a box logo started with the Continental Mark II, not Lincoln.
Rocket 455 Buick 🚀 torque. Lift off . Personal Luxury. I was there Gandalf
No mention of the JET FIRE Rocket engine's
Could you tell me who designed the 1978 Cutlass?
The rumor that it was a Ford janitor is absolutely untrue.
This did not portray a space exploration rocket.
It portrayed a NUCLEAR ICBM.
Hot Rod Oldsmobile, uh Lincoln.
As good as Volkswagen's "peace sign"
Wow beautiful cars never again I think. They're all rockits don't say they aren't
What was the Torino looking “T” in the F85, and other such cars about?
It's not a "T". It's a pair of wings. Look up the Oldsmobile "winged spur" emblem of the 1930s and 1940s, which has very obvious feathered wings. By the mid 1950s, the wings had turned so blocky that they aren't really recognizable as wings unless you understand the connection to the earlier winged spur emblem. The "T" emblem you are referencing is a jet-age reinterpretation of the two wings. Note that the F-85 model name itself is a reference of an experimental fighter jet, and the turbocharged version is called a Jetfire.
One incorrect claim. Sort of. The 1949 Oldsmobile and Cadillac V8s were GM's first "modern" overhead valve V8s, BUT GM's first overhead valve V8 was the 1917-1919 Chevrolet Model D. Of course Chevrolet wasn't a division of GM until 1918.
Make a DATE…
With The Rocket “8!”
👍