In 1940, Oldsmobile revved up the American auto industry by introducing the first fully automatic transmission, making gear shifting as obsolete as a chaperone at a school dance. Fast forward to 1948, and their model numbering system was as simple as a game of bingo: the first number indicated the body type, and the second, the engine size. So, if you ever find yourself in a time machine, just remember—Oldsmobile was always a “66” to “98” kind of ride, unless it was wartime, then it was just a good nap.
Oldsmobile is the first American company to offer a fully automatic (the hydramatic) transmission with four forward gears in 1940. Beginning in 1941 the Oldsmobile company used a two digit numbering system as a model designation. The first number would reveal the body type, while the second digit was the engine size. The first digit would be a number between 6 and 9, with the second digit being a 6 or an 8 which designates the number of cylinders, thusly, all Olds models are numbered between “66”and “98” from 1941 through to the mid 1960’s. There were no new Oldsmobile automobiles produced from 1942 until after the end of WWII.
Our thanks to Gateway Classic Cars for the images here.
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