The late ’50s has come to be known as the Motor City’s baroque era in automotive styling, and the 1958 Oldsmobile could be a textbook example.
Dynamic 88 Convertible
Have you noticed that the 1958 Oldsmobile has two competing chrome side trim treatments, one at the front and another at the rear? If so, good eye. As the story goes, General Motors styling czar Harley Earl saw a rendering by Olds stylist Bernie Smith with a dramatic reverse-bullet theme at the front and approved it on the spot, going around Olds studio chief Art Ross. But Earl then demanded more chrome for the design, and Ross reluctantly complied with the four horizontal strips in the rear quarters penned by Don Laski. The two themes don’t complement each other, but then design integration was never the goal in the baroque era. Only chrome, chrome, and more chrome.
The art, music, and architecture of the original baroque era of the 1600s was intended to be grand and theatrical, over-decorated and overwrought by design, so it’s a fair label for Motor City styling in the late ’50s. On the ’58 Olds in particular, we find massive chrome bumpers, elaborate grille work and badging, an ornamented power dome hood, and bright metal trim streaming in both directions. The glorious excess was the style statement, and while the Olds might not be the leading example of Detroit baroque, it’s a genuine contender.
Unlike other GM divisions, Oldsmobile did not adopt the controversial X-frame chassis in ’57-’58, opting instead for a semi-perimeter frame with a central X-member (above), reportedly to ensure side impact protection. However, Olds did go all in on GM’s new air suspension system in ’58, branding it as New-Matic Suspension with the added innovation of two pressure tanks in the rear rather than one to create a closed system, reducing moisture contamination. It didn’t solve all the problems with the system by any means, though, and the division dropped it after 1959.
There were three trim levels in ’58—Dynamic 88, Super 88, and 98—but none of them spared the bright metal adornment and all were available as flashy convertibles. The Dynamic 88 Holiday Coupe, value-priced at $2,893, was the most popular with more than 53,000 produced, and while the division’s volume fell 23 percent due to the ’57-’58 recession, Olds actually gained one spot to fourth in U.S. sales because the other mid-priced brands, Buick in particular, suffered more. For 1959, GM and Oldsmobile styling went in an entirely new direction. The baroque era was ending.
I had a friend who was an Olds (motor) fanatic. ’58 (later a ’59) Olds motor in a ’40 Ford and an Olds motor in a ’62 Corvette. But he would refer to Don Laski’s quarter treatment (that never bothered me much) as “the tomato trellis”.
I don’t care what the popular opinion is, I love the 1958 GM offerings. The Buick is my favorite though. It’s a good thing that Detroit style changed and GM decided not to continue this body for 1959 because it could only have gotten weirder.
My 1st car was a 1958 Chevrolet. Bought for $50 and the naivete of a boy, I think it lasted about three days. My mechanic took one look and told me to take the loss.
My brother was a confirmed GM (and 2 door hardtop) man. At one point had a ’58 Olds. Nice enough car, but it caught on fire twice. I don’t recall if my sister-in-law was driving both times, but after one such incident she called big brother at work and said: “come and get YOUR car”. Another time, my brother, who ironically was fireman, was told by another firefighter returning from a fire, that he had seen my brother’s car (the Olds) go by “on a hook” (tow truck). My sister-in-law was “fired up” enough that they got rid of the Olds.
But I love the 58 Chevy.
GM was the styling leader. Whatever they did made for the name of an era(?) Exner’s cars were not baroque. 1958 Ford, OK. Mercury & Lincoln, just weird.
Harley had to trowel on the chrome to distract his round barges from the forward look Mopars. Besides, it was GM’s 50th anniversary in 1958.
I had looked forward to big doings for each company’s 100th anniversary and was sorely disappointed. That’s a clear indication of the health of the US automobile industry. Don’t think as many would have cared as they did in 1953 and 1958 though.
I was in Lansing for the 100th anniversary of Oldsmobile (in fact my Toronado was the representative for 1988 in the show field of 100 cars/100 years. Was not in the similar parade.) All registrants got a very nice plaque & very nice copy of a hard-bound Olds history book. Great fireworks show. Birthday cake. R. E. Olds impersonator. Randy Travis entertained & was the grand marshal. Huge parade on the interstate loop around the city. In contrast, I was at the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet in Flint after the GM “bankruptcy.” Not much to talk about!!!
The only smart GM division to have a real frame.
I may be imagining it or misplacing a MAD Magazine parody, but at some point in the ’60s didn’t J.C. Whitney offer magnetic musical notes 🎵🎶 to stick onto the rear fenders of a ’58 Olds?
In the initial photos, it looks like “how do these 2 pictures differ”, anyone that lived through that late 50s era, knows full well, it was a styling bonanza, good heavens, look what Chrysler turned out. GM seemed to do it with class, as all the divisions had unique renditions. The Olds was no exception. Many years ago, in the 70s, I spent a lot of time on a farm in N.Wis. Naturally, many vehicles dotted the landscape, of particular interest, was “Uncle Bills” ’58 Olds 4 door, same purple as convertible here. “Uncle Bill” lived his entire life on the farm., never married, and the ’58 Olds was one of the cars he bought new. In the 30 years I spent on the farm, it never moved from a corner. It had very low miles and was in perfect shape. Many years later after Bill was gone, I came up, the Olds, and many other vehicles, including a Model AA dump truck that was his grandfathers,,during a “scrap drive”,,all were gone.
Looking back to this `1950’s era of automotive styling reminds us of how imaginative it had become with the futuristic appearance with the long wide sweeping fins, chrome almost everywhere imaginable,enormous bumpers, wrap around windshields,you name it. About the only good thing that came out of this to me was the cars had there own identity and one could recognize the brand in a glance compared to how it has evolved since. Nowadays, many of the new generation are into micro mindset and its a whole new ball game going on. Turbo powered mini/sporti car followers for the most part. I revert back to the old saying “whatever turns your crank”! It is diametrically opposed to the thinkers back in the day. The good, bad, and the ugly, take your pick. Let’s just blame the micro chip here! if ever there was a fast forward look at any of this it is the digital age we are engulfed in. Thanks Mac, for bringing this fascinating facet out so well, it is indeed historically significant that styling does mark time so vividly. Innovation never goes out of style!