While the gorgeous, glamorous new Toronado gave Oldsmobile more publicity in 1966 than they had had in years (maybe ever), almost as many buyers went for this single trim level of the big 98, the Luxury Sedan. If you wanted a truly posh luxury car in 1966 but didn’t want the social baggage that came with owning a Cadillac, the Luxury Sedan may have been your best option, and this solid example from a large collection recently sold for $10,968 on Hagerty Marketplace in Jasper, Alabama.
As a guy who enjoys technical stuff, I would typically start with an underhood picture, but the interior was the most magnificent part of the Luxury Sedan package, as you might expect. This Black-on-Provincial White Ninety-Eight is trimmed in Burgundy with “walnut grain” trim on the dashboard and door panels. Power windows and a power seat were standard, and the Luxury Sedan had Oldsmobile’s richest upholstery and “all-nylon wall to wall carpeting” with a pile height that looks like it would put a Cutlass to shame.
And that dashboard. While all full-size Oldsmobiles in 1966 shared the instrument cluster layout, it’s one of the most unique in the industry, with a centrally placed speedometer flanked by a round fuel gauge and an electric clock. It’s not only a masterpiece of symmetry but also of space-saving; nothing juts out from the dashboard to get in the way, although your keys might do a number on the trim beneath the ignition switch.
The rear seating area is just as sumptuous, with unusual walnut paneling on the front seatback that held a “vanity compartment” and two “assist grips.” One can’t help but think that Oldsmobile was mimicking Rolls-Royce, and they only missed the mark by not offering a leather interior; your only option was Morocceen (Oldsmobile’s vinyl trade name) and cloth.
Long storage and time have made the luggage compartment a little shabby, but it’s neatly trimmed and as roomy as you’d expect from a 223-inch GM full-sizer from the 1960s. Notice the trailer hitch, a reminder of a time when people towed campers with cars rather than huge one-ton diesel-powered trucks.
It’s taken this long, but we can finally discuss the powerplant, which is the standard 365-horsepower Super Rocket 425 with single exhaust (the 375-horsepower Starfire V8 with dual exhaust was optional on the Luxury Sedan). As you might expect, the Turbo-Hydramatic was standard equipment, as was power steering and power brakes, although air conditioning was still a $421.28 option ($484.47 for “Comfortron,” which this car doesn’t have).
This Ninety-Eight is being offered as part of a huge single-seller auction on Hagerty, and as such, there are too many cars on offer for any one to have received a lot of presale prep. The ad doesn’t mention if the air conditioner works or not. There is a video posted of the engine running and the car driving away, and while it seems to start and run well (if not a little more loudly than you’d expect from a Luxury Sedan), there is a strange whining that the new owner will need to investigate.
There are other imperfections visible in the photographs, too, including some hail damage to the roof, a vinyl top that could use replacing, and weatherstripping that’s as dry as Death Valley. Therefore, it’s a mild project, but a solid one.
But in terms of value, it might be a great buy, if for nothing else but the deft GM mid-1960s styling. I love this picture combining Oldsmobile’s neat rocket “Ninety-Eight” emblem with the chic vertical combination tail and reverse light. There’s just a bit of Cadillac in this level of detailing.
In fact, there’s more than just a little bit of Cadillac to the whole car; as many authors and readers have said around here, the big Oldsmobiles and Buicks offered everything a Cadillac did but the name, and this Ninety-Eight Luxury Sedan might be the best example of that.
Related Reading
1966 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Town Sedan: GM’s Cheapest C-Body Luxury Car (by Aaron Severson)
Wait, Oldsmobile Had How Many Models in 1966? (by Jon Stephenson)
1966 Oldsmobile Toronados In (Almost) Every Color: A Masterpiece In Any Tone (by me)
What a perfectly balanced mix of hedonism and understatement.
I was a little surprised leather interiors were not an option, but after some digging through brochures it seems if you wanted leather on a GM sedan you had to go to a De Ville in 1966; not even the Calais offered it.
I do appreciate that the nylon interior here looks great, and as I recall, it was more breathable than leather
It really needs whitewalls to finish it off, as they would have done in 1966.
This would be a better looking car if it was just a little trimmer. The Oldsmobiles from this era are a bit ungainly. Manufacturers went overboard on length.
The Buick was just as big but its styling fit better.
I always thought the 1966-68 Oldsmobiles looked like they were wearing oversized clothes, the way the bodies seemed to droop over themselves. The Buicks looked better tailored.
Exactly.
The Generous Collection. I posted last year about my Roadmaster which I bid on and won at last years auction.
The Last Of The Big Buicks: My Auction-Bought 1996 Buick Roadmaster
And when Round Two of Mr. Rusk’s cars came up for auction this year, I eagerly scoured all the best options for me, like this very same Oldsmobile. Unfortunately, the bid on this car went way too high for my tastes, as well as most other cars.
But overall, I was happy to see such a fine collection of automobiles for sale from such a fine man. In case you missed the why’s and wherefore’s of the Generous Collection; let me copy and past this here:
Out of a combination of a lifelong automotive passion and an unyielding desire to support the people of his Alabama community, the Generous Collection was born. Mr. Greg Rusk, a successful business leader in the cardboard industry, with a big heart for helping families and friends in times of need, would generously pay above-market prices to acquire an interesting vehicle. After decades of collecting and supporting local automotive enthusiasts, the Rusk family is ready for these vehicles, each with their own story, to write their next chapter back on the road, where they belong.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/auction-classic/my-1996-buick-roadmaster-auction-find-the-last-of-the-big-buicks/
Mr. Rust sounds like an outstanding individual, it’d be an honor to own a car from such a man.
I’ve always felt that the ’65 and ’66 98s, with their more subtle styling as opposed to the 88s, were the epitome of an Oldsmobile luxury car, though the ’67 & ’68s are very close, and I actually prefer the less chrome-y look of their instrument panel. As to the subject car, it’s a well preserved beauty, however I’d give the ’65 the edge for exterior design and the GM luxury car I’d most want to own. Having owned 22 vintage Olds and founded an OCA chapter, somehow one of these escaped my ownership, unfortunately.
This is glorious and with the Delco R7 AC compressor I bet it’s nice and comfy anywhere you go .
The dash indeed is the standout detail on this car but the neat and well balanced lines of the exterior too are beautiful .
-Nate
I have only seen the 1966 Oldsmobile 98 in pictures. In pre-auto pact Canada, such a car would have been very expensive. I am not terribly fond of the rear styling. It comes across as ponderous and heavy looking. I think the Buick Electra 225 did a better job with exterior styling. That said, I like the Oldsmobile interior better, as the instrument panel is a really cool design.
Had a 66 Dynamic 88 with the 365 HP,great car ,great engine
One of these days we need to spotlight GM’s clever red-glowing clear taillights of the 1960s. A degree of difficulty higher than merely putting a red bulb behind a clear lens. Chrysler could never figure it out.
I loved my 1965 Olds 98, but I couldn’t afford the premium gas required to keep it going. Sold it for a 1974 Civic.
Like the red, interior, trunk. Needs some white, stripe, tires. The lady that lived behind us, facing the other street, had a “65”, post, sedan, variation. No vinyl, top. Blue out/in.
Olds 98 styling always seemed like an afterthought, just trying to be different than the senior Buick. Olds was, in theory, one step down the Sloan ladder from Buick, but this was as much car as an Electra 225 for just as much money. Only a die hard Oldsmobile man could I see buying it. How was resale?