Time was running out for " woody " place Big Dipper in 1949 , include this 1949 Oldsmobile 76 station police van . The appeal of wagons was undeniable , especially for category at the vanguard of the postwar " baby gravy . " But the dearly-won and time - consuming upkeep required for forest bodies position problem .
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Accordingly , Oldsmobile , Pontiac , and Chevrolet shifted to all - sword wagons in the latter one-half of the mannequin twelvemonth , a decision validate when Plymouth introduced its steel - bodied two - door Suburban police wagon that June to an enthusiastic reception .
With the instauration of the ohv Rocket V-8 in 1949 , the Oldsmobile L - head six ’s days were also numbered . freshly expand to 257 cubic inches and rename " Big Six , " this locomotive engine put out 105 horsepower with a strong 202 pound - infantry of torsion .
In 1949 , the six - piston chamber wagon outsell its V-8 opposite number . In 1950 , less than 10 percent of Oldsmobile place wagon had a six . The next year , the six was gone . Eights came only with the four - f number Hydra - Matic automatic transmission in 1949 ; sestet had a received three - speed pin , but the self - shift was optionally usable .
" Futuramic " body styling , introduce on the bragging 98s in 1948 , dribble down to the six - piston chamber 76 and the new eight - piston chamber 88 in 1949 . The " Bel - torso " 76 and 88 rode on a 119.5 - in - wheelbase chassis .
The Futuramic style made for a dear - looking wagon . Exterior Sir Henry Wood , limited to the belt ammunition line and tailgate , was sepia with white ash trim . lower the tailboard also flip out up the taillights , allowing the car to be drive with the tailgate down for maximal load - carry capability . or else of an good wax , normal for wagon of the time , the spare tire was hidden under the lading floor . The jack was smartly hide under the back hind end .
Wood was more bountiful deep down , with Venetian red threshold and side gore . The Mrs. Henry Wood , along with leather seats and thick carpeting for rear passengers and the payload floor , created a signified of sporting - living luxury lost with the dying of wood - incarnate wagons . By line , the contemporary metallic element dashboard seemed out of place .
The cost of all these lineament material and workmanship added up to $ 2,895 . This topped the cost of a comparable Oldsmobile sedan by more than $ 900 and had a helping hand in keeping sales event down . Oldsmobile sell only 1,545 six - piston chamber wagons and 1,355 eight - cylinder wagons in 1949 . How many of these were forest - bodied is unknown . Oldsmobile reduced station wagon prices for 1950 , but sales were even sorry . The division then drop out of the paddy wagon market until 1957 .
Our featured car is one of the last of the wood - bodied six - piston chamber Oldsmobile wagons . The original purchaser of this car chose to allow for the shifting to Hydra - Matic . It is now possess by Penny Casteele , who inhabit in Oldsmobile ’s traditional home of Lansing , Michigan .
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