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Engine-wise, the base engine on the base 88 was a 230 hp version of the 324 V-8 with a 240 hp version optional. On the Super 88 and 98, the higher hp version was standard and was the only engine available.
Otherwise, I think the difference was level of trim and chrome and perhaps more standard equipment versus what would likely have been options on the base 88. The '50s owners on here will know better.
Price-wise, they weren't much different. For example, a '56 88 four-door sedan had a base price of $2,443, while the the '56 Super 88 four-door sedan's price was $2,595, a difference of $152. That's only a 6% price premium to get into the higher-end car, so you would think that most buyers would opt for that. But no. The highest-production 1956 Oldsmobile was the base 88 Holiday Coupe (2-door hardtop) at 75,568 copies. Next, though, was the Super 88 four-door sedan at 62,461 followed closely by the Super 88 four-door hardtop (Holiday Sedan) at 62,272.
The situation for '56 wasn't much different from that of 1955. As you probably know, for '55, again, the base 88 came with a "low" hp version of the 324, this time with 185 hp, with a 202 hp version optional, while the Super 88 and 98 came standard with the higher hp version.
Production-wise, by far the most-produced '55 Olds was the Super 88 four-door sedan at 118,574. The next highest was the base 88 two-door coupe at 86,604.
I have had a couple of 56's over the years. Mainly it has the larger engine. Outside the trim that comes up the side on the 88 stops at the quarter window. The super 88 continues and gets wider at the top of the door where you would rest your arm and stops at the vent window. Inside the Super 88 had a little different upholstery, and had chrome bows in the headliner with the headliner material in vinyl. Most Super 88's had padded dashes also. They are great looking and driving Oldsmobiles.
What a timely question. I was just wondering the same thing. I've been thinking about buying a 55 or 56(leaning toward 56) 88 and was wondering what to look for. Sorry Roy not trying to hijack your thread.
Last edited by slantflat; March 7th, 2013 at 03:29 PM.
Larger engine? Olds only offered a single engine size, the 324. Differences in power were due to, what, carburetion (2/4 bbl) or compression ratio differences?
hi everyone;
I kind of have the same question,
I own a 4d 55 Olds 88, but I do not know if what I have is the Base model or the Super model
Base on the previous answers
how can I know the horse power and the engine cubic inch to have a better undertanding?
Inside the Super 88 had a little different upholstery, and had chrome bows in the headliner with the headliner material in vinyl. Most Super 88's had padded dashes also.
Well, almost. My Super 88 has a cloth headliner and no chrome bows. I have the padded dash, but it was a $16. add on option. I also have the factory A/C option, but that's another story.
but I do not know if what I have is the Base model or the Super model
Base on the previous answers
how can I know the horse power and the engine cubic inch to have a better undertanding?
All 1955 Oldsmobiles came with a 324 cubic-inch V-8 with an 8.5 to 1 compression ratio. There was no other engine option.
Base 88s had a "Dual Downdraft" carburetor, and the engine put out 185 hp. Super 88s and 98s came with a "Quadri-Jet" carburetor, and the engine put out 202 hp.
If your car has it's original engine and carburetion system, you should be able to tell whether it's an 88 or a Super 88 based on what carburetor it has.
I don't know if the higher horsepower version was available as an option in the base 88. The brochure I'm looking at does not say this, but if it were an option, then my suggestion won't work.
Last edited by jaunty75; June 22nd, 2016 at 06:00 PM.
hi everyone;
I kind of have the same question,
I own a 4d 55 Olds 88, but I do not know if what I have is the Base model or the Super model
Base on the previous answers
how can I know the horse power and the engine cubic inch to have a better undertanding?
The car in the picture is an 88, not a Super 88. The Super 88 had an 88 medallion on the front fender right behind the headlight.
I don't think the presence or absence of a medallion is definitive.
The Super 88 medallion, if I'm not mistaken, was a chrome ring with an "88" inside the ring.
You can see the circular medallion in this photo, which is a Super 88 convertible. This is definitely a Super 88 as the base 88 was not available as a convertible.
Here is a base 88. You can see that the medallion is a forward-slanting "88" with no ring around it.
Here's an image of a '55 88 Holiday from Hemmings, and there is no "88" emblem of any kind on the fender. Rather, there is just the word "Holiday."
I think that whatever emblem the OP's car had on the front fender is missing as it seems there should be something there no matter which version of a '55 Oldsmobile it is.
The Super 88 also had some straps on the back of the front seat. An owner told me that their purpose was to hang a blanket over them? The 88 was not equipped with these.
As far as the green & white Holiday Coupe from Hemmings, the chrome pattern is different...looks like a Ninety-Eight to me.
The example of an 88 in the Standard Catalog of Oldsmobile does not appear to show a medallion on the front fender. However, the picture is fuzzy. On page 281 of Setting The Pace, the 88 does have the slanted 88. The OP's car is interesting in that it looks to be very original and has nothing on the front fender. Interesting. We need some Tedd Thompson advice.
Last edited by redoldsman; June 22nd, 2016 at 08:48 PM.
As far as the green & white Holiday Coupe from Hemmings, the chrome pattern is different...looks like a Ninety-Eight to me.
I wondered this myself, but I assumed that Hemmings knows what it's talking about. But regardless, it seems that both flavors of '55 88 had some kind of 88 emblem on the front fenders. The absence of this on the OP's car is perhaps just because that particular car is missing some trim.
Here's the page featuring the '55 Oldsmobiles referred to above. The top photo is of a Super 88, the bottom two of base 88's. The white stripe down the left side is an artifact from the scanner as the page curves into the binding there and reflects the scanner light.
The Super 88 script, enlarged. The "88" surrounded by a chrome ring is easily visible.
'56 Super 88. The "88" script with a ring of chrome behind it is on the front fender below the trim strip immediately behind the front wheel.
A couple of base 88s from the same '56 brochure. Forward-slanting 88 with no chrome ring, just like the '55s.
But things are not that simple.
Another page out of the '56 brochure. Both are base 88s. It's a little hard to see, but the top one has the script "88" behind the front wheel as before. But the bottom one, a four-door hardtop, has no "88" script at all on the side. Just the word "Holiday" above the trim strip behind the front wheel.
Olds had just introduced the four-door hardtop style in 1955 and was making a big deal out of it, calling it the Oldsmobile "Holiday" no matter if it was an 88, a Super 88, or a 98. The two-door hardtops were also called Holiday as the top car in the above image shows, but they apparently did not get the separate, Holiday script on the sides.
[QUOTE=jaunty75;930257]I don't think the presence or absence of a medallion is definitive.
The Super 88 medallion, if I'm not mistaken, was a chrome ring with an "88" inside the ring.
You can see the circular medallion in this photo, which is a Super 88 convertible. This is definitely a Super 88 as the base 88 was not available as a convertible.
Here is a base 88. You can see that the medallion is a forward-slanting "88" with no ring around it.
Here's an image of a '55 88 Holiday from Hemmings, and there is no "88" emblem of any kind on the fender. Rather, there is just the word "Holiday."
I think that whatever emblem the OP's car had on the front fender is missing as it seems there should be something there no matter which version of a '55 Oldsmobile it is.[/QUOTE
The turquoise car is a 98 not a 88 you can tell at a glance by how long or short the trim spear is. If it is past the wheel well it is a 88, shorter than the wheel well it's a 98. Also the red/white convertible is missing it's rocker panel molding(A super hard item to find by the way)I have only seen one base 88 post car with rocker molding from the factory but most anything is possible as at that time most anything could be special ordered and was.Generally regular 88 came with a Rochester 2gc 2bbl carb and supers with a 4gc 4bbl carb, same compression and heads the only difference was the intake and the size of the carb but often 4bbl carbs were special ordered along with padded dashes on regular 88's and sometimes supers and 98's got 2bbls, go figure.
Another easy way to tell if a car is a 88, super or 98 is by the serial number. 88's start with 557 and supers are 558 with 98's being 559. Probably other differences but that is what comes to mind now.... Tedd
As I remember super interiors could be had with either cloth, vinyl or leather where the standard for base 88's was just cloth. Supers came with robe ropes where as standards had slick seat backs with no provisions for attaching ropes.
Very sorry, Jaunty. I didn't realize that once a thread has been hijacked, you're not allowed to respond to the original poster's question.
I don't agree that the thread has been hijacked. The OP's question was answered way back in March. Then the thread was dormant for three months until Roberto woke it up yesterday with a slightly different question. That's hardly hijacking it, and the current conversation IS about '55s. My comment was legitimate. Your post was irrelevant to the current conversation.
ignachuck
Don't take it personally. Jaunty is just trying to treat you like he treats most everybody else. Don't let this discourage you from enjoying this site. I like your 2-door sedan. Neat colors.
March 7th, 2013, 02:07 PM
