Thursday, September 29, 2011

1954 Olds F-88

This is the car that in 1954 could have "killed" the Corvette. So, Chevrolet, being GM's big sales and profit Division, campaigned to GM to"kill" this car when Chevy was coming out with its 6 cylinder sports car with its two speed Powerglide transmission and side curtains here was a sports car from Olds with a big old V-8 and power windows.

So, GM said no to Oldsmobile on building this car, the world's rarest automobile, a 1954 concept Old's Rocket F88 the only one in existence. John S. Hendricks, (Discovery Communications founder) paid in excess of 3 million to acquire. After spending decades as a collection of parts stuffed into wooden crates the F-88 was reassembled. In 1954 the F-88 was a Motorama Dream Car and was one of only two or an unconfirmed possible three ever created.

The F-88 seen here is literally the only car left of its kind and was sold to John and Maureen Hendricks at the prestigious Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona for an unbelievable $3,240,000. This acquisition made automotive history and is the cornerstone of the Gateway Colorado Automobile Museum in its own special room in a rotating display worthy of the F-88!