By Matt Nelson
When it comes to America's impact on the automotive world, there are few contributions as notable as the muscle car. Since the 1960s, the muscle car segment has, pretty much, been solely credited to the United States, and it all started with a very simple formula: throwing a powerful engine under the hood of a mid-size car. While the muscle car as a whole really came into its own in the early 1960s, the segment's roots, arguably, stretch back much further than that.
Oldsmobile felt the US automotive market was shifting way earlier than the '60s, and so it came up with an idea. The brand created an all-new, high-performance V8 to complement its newest model, the 88. Oldsmobile's combination of the new mill and model sparked the hotly-debated muscle car craze way before the Pontiac Le Mans GTO hit the streets in 1964.
The root cause of this market shift was quite simple. World War II had just ended, the Allies had claimed victory, and the US was still basking in the collective euphoria associated with helping save the world from tyranny. Returning GIs were looking for new ways to enjoy their retirement, and vehicular speed was a popular choice. Oldsmobile happily catered to their new-found needs.
Putting The "Muscle" In Oldsmobile's Muscle Car
One of Oldsmobile's first orders of business after World War II ended was to begin work on an all-new V8 engine. The project, coined SV-49, was headed up by one Charles Kettering, who served as the project's chief engineer throughout its entirety. After nearly a year of painstaking design and development, the first running prototype SV-49 engines were ready for testing. Once these running engines were shown to GM's top brass, the SV-49 project was officially greenlit, and further development ensued, this time with the full backing of General Motors.
Initially, the production version of the Olds Rocket V8 was to be called "Kettering Power", after the man that designed it. However, GM policy in place at the time barred the use of his name, prompting a change. Seeing as the Jet Age was just starting to get into its full swing in the late 1940s, and the Space Race between the United States and the USSR was ramping up at the same time, the name "Rocket" was chosen.
How It Worked
The new Rocket V8 was futuristic at the time, taking advantage of a slew of new-age tech that many other mills built during this era did without. For starters, the Rocket V8 used hydraulic lifters, along with an overhead valvetrain. Its crankshaft was forged for better durability, and also boasted counterbalancing, meaning the mill runs much smoother. Its pistons were made from aluminum, and it sported floating wrist pins, components that connect the head of a piston to the connecting rod. In total, the original Rocket V8 measured 303 cubic inches. The Rocket V8 would become the first-ever high-compression, overhead-valve V8 to hit the mass market.
Not Your (Grand)Father's Oldsmobile
Shortly after World War II ended, most of the American automotive industry was busy ramping production back up to pre-War levels. Alongside this challenge, many of the marques were still producing designs from before the War, as there was, in many cases, a surplus of leftover shells and parts that needed to be gone through. After all, it wouldn't make fiscal sense to design and develop an all-new model with a litany of spare parts lying around. As a result, Oldsmobile's pre-War straight-eight-equipped 78 model continued to be produced, sporting a design that was very outdated.
Oldsmobile top brass realized the 78 desperately needed a replacement, and efforts were undertaken to meet that need with an all-new model. The answer came about in 1949, with a model called the "88." At the time, Oldsmobile referred to all of its models with a two-digit naming system, wherein the first number denotes the chassis, and the second points to how many cylinders its engine had. Alongside the new 88 came an all-new engine that, at the time, was seen as revolutionary.
Two Halves Make A Whole
With a new, bar-raising engine ready for production and an all-new model chomping at the bit, it was time for Oldsmobile to mate the two and create the all-new 88.
The first models went on sale in early 1949. Upon its introduction, Oldsmobile offered the 88 with a choice between six different body styles, including a two-door convertible, two-door hardtop coupe, two-door club sedan, two-door standard sedan, four-door town sedan, and a four-door station wagon. The four-door town sedan would only be offered for the 1949 model year, as it was pulled out of the lineup due to poor sales. All six iterations came standard with the Rocket V8.
Sources: Ate Up With Motor, Mac's Motor City Garage, Over-DriveMagazine.com, DodgeGarage.com
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
