By Brian Brennan – Photography By Barrett-Jackson Auctions
At some point, all of us have seen a General Motors concept vehicle, or maybe several of them. In the 1950s and 1960s they were common and often appeared at car shows or other high-profile public events. As I write this, it’s Barrett-Jackson auction time in Arizona, which made me think of one of my all-time favorite GM concept vehicles: the Motorama “Dream Car” 1954 Oldsmobile F-88.
Little more than 20 years ago, in 2005, I was at the Barrett-Jackson Auction and watched this very car go across the block. Because it shares a distinctive design heritage with the Corvette of that time, the car has always intrigued me. Unfortunately, Olds never put it into production. However, the F-88’s eye-catching design quickly led to its demise. GM executives feared the F-88 would eclipse the Corvette’s lackluster sales and ultimately canceled the Olds F-88 project. Oh, what could have been!
This F-88 was fitted with a 324ci Super 88 four-barrel V-8 engine, producing an impressive 270 hp for its time, paired with a four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission. To move this factory hot rod, it had a 3.55-filled, solid-axle rearend. The F-88 clearly would have attracted performance enthusiasts, especially since the Corvette of that era was still powered by the Blue Flame inline-six linked to an anemic two-speed Powerglide. The F-88 was built with a molded fiberglass body and shared the same 102-inch wheelbase as the then-emerging Corvette. There were several interesting styling cues: although difficult to see, the headlights had clear Plexiglas bubble covers and twin air vents that resembled the number “88” on the sides, just behind the front wheel openings, allowing air into the passenger compartment. The F-88 combined style and performance, two qualities the Corvette of that period lacked.
I waited as the car crossed the blocks, listening and watching intently as the price kept escalating. By the time it reached $1 million, the air was so heavy that one could barely breathe—a lot of holding one’s breath was going on. But by the time it hit $2 million, no one was breathing, exhaling, or doing anything except keeping their ear canals unobstructed. There was no wasteful speech, no unnecessary downing of liquids, and everyone’s focus was laser-sharp on the F-88 and the auctioneer’s gavel. By the time the car reached $3 million grown men were fainting, and car enthusiasts everywhere were standing there stunned, arms straight at their sides and jaws wide open—one might say “aghast.” The car had reached, for the time, a Barrett-Jackson record-breaking sales figure.
It was sold to John S. Hendricks, who founded the Discovery Channel. (For those of us who worked there during the “door slamming” of print auto magazines, you might recognize the name.) The Olds F-88 then became part of the Gateway Colorado Autobile Museum, often called the Gateway Auto Museum, located on the grounds of the Gateway Canyons Resort just west of Gateway, Colorado.
For those not well acquainted with this “golden beauty,” it was created by Oldsmobile as a Dream Car in 1954, based on sketches by Bill Lange, with final touches overseen by Art Ross. It is said that four F-88 prototypes were built. However, only two of these Motorama “Dream Cars” are documented as complete, and this is the only one known to exist today. Additionally, two “shells” are believed to have existed, but this has not been confirmed, according to our research. The sole survivor was salvaged and came under the ownership of E.L. Cord, a well-known automotive collector. When Cord first laid his hands on this GM Dream Car, it had already been disassembled. It wasn’t until the 1990s that it was fully restored to the condition you see today. As the only remaining example of its kind, the Oldsmobile F-88 symbolizes a Golden Age of automotive design.
This Oldsmobile F-88 Concept Car, known as the XP-20 project, was unveiled during the General Motors Motorama on January 21, 1954, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (the same location where the 1953 Corvette debuted) in New York City. So fully finished was the Olds F-88 that it could be driven, unlike so many other show and concept cars. The F-88 would be displayed at four more Motorama shows after its New York debut, including L.A., Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco.
I’ve always wanted to own a GM Autorama Dream Car … I guess I will have to wait a bit longer.
