For 1957, Oldsmobile had one of the hottest cars on the road with the optional J2 package, sporting three two-barrel carburetors and 300 horsepower.

The Oldsmobile J2 legend starts here. In the middle of the 1957 sales season, Oldsmobile introduced a new high-performance option for the already formidable 371 cubic-inch Rocket V8. The J2 package, as it was called, employed three Rochester two-barrel carburetors operated by a vacuum-progressive linkage to boost the Rocket’s output from 277 hp to 300 hp, and at a price of only $83, it was the deal of the century for Oldsmobile fans. The J2 option was offered only in the ’57 and ’58 years, but the bragging continues to this day.

The Olds J2 system was pretty much the same 3×2 Rochester setup introduced by Pontiac that year under the name Tri-Power. (Check out our Tri-Power feature here.) And in fact, the Oldsmobile division had been working on the induction mod earlier than Pontiac. But the Tri-Power gets more glory, perhaps due to the more memorable name, or maybe because Pontiac stuck with the feature longer.

In ’57, Oldsmobile also offered a special racing version of the J2 package with a radical solid-lifter camshaft, adjustable rocker arms, and dimpled valve covers, rated at 312 hp (wink wink) and priced at $395. But the Automobile Manufactures Association (AMA) racing ban in June of 1957, along with NASCAR’s prohibition on multiple carburetors,  soon eliminated the purpose for its existence. This original 1957 Oldsmobile spot promotes the standard civilian version of the J2 package, naturally. Video below.