This 1956 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday coupe has just 28,854 original miles and is perhaps one of the nicest low mileage Super 88’s available anywhere, backed by a complete and documented ownership history
Arguably the most handsome car to come out of the GM design studios since the war, this Oldsmobile Super 88 is a brilliant study in 1950s style and engineering.
The car remained completely unrestored until 1991 when Harold Badger purchased the car with only 25,720 miles on the clock and remaining 100% in original condition. He commissioned a complete repaint in its original colors of Turquoise and Ivory paint scheme. All the exterior trim was removed and refinished to show quality. The engine and transmission were removed and resealed and painted. The engine compartment was detailed with factory paint quality stamps intact.
The end result was good enough to have won the Ransom E. Olds award at a National Oldsmobile Club meet as well as being selected to the Oldsmobile 100th Anniversary parade in Lansing, Michigan.
The interior is 100% original in every way, and shows you what a well-preserved machine this really is. Seats, door panels, carpets, and even the headliner are factory-installed pieces that remain in show-ready condition. There’s some wear, but it’s hard to believe this car is 80 years old. The dash is a spectacular showcase for Oldsmobile’s jet-age styling, with a pair matching of oval-shaped panels in front of the driver and passenger, joined by a stainless grille that houses the radio. The bench seat is still firm and comfortable, and there have been more than a handful of passengers in the back during this car’s long life—it’s just too nice. Everything works as it should, including the radio and heater, and the steering wheel shows no signs of aging or stress cracks, just a warm patina. In the trunk you’ll find the original fabric and what very well might be the original spare that has never been down.
Powered by its original 324 V8 engine backed by a 3-speed Jet-A- Way automatic transmission, which, like the engine, has been removed and resealed, but never rebuilt. The chassis is rust-free, thanks to dealer-applied undercoating that has been touched up here and there, but never completely removed. The suspension is completely original and rides in a way that no restored car could ever equal. Power drum brakes stop the car with confidence, and it wears 7.60×15 whitewall tires that are period correct
Documentation is extensive, including a paper trail back to the original owner, Myrtle Forward, who owned the car until 1977. 2nd owner Henry Koenig cared for the car from 1977 until 1991. The Third owner, sympathetic restorer, and collector of truly low mileage original cars Harold Badger kept the car until around 2016 when it was sold to the previous owner who sold to me just recently. He bought the car with 28,031 miles and there is a stack of mechanical receipts showing repairs and associated mileage that accompany the car that now has a mere 28,854 miles on it. There are also volumes of 1956 Oldsmobile promotional materials, copies of original titles, an original registration from 1960 in Myrtle Forwards name, and newspaper articles from the 1990’s showing Harold Badger the third owner of the car.
Combining the low mileage with sympathetic restoration work, this is like driving a new 1956 Oldsmobile off the showroom floor. With extensive documentation that verifies the low mileage claims, this car is an excellent candidate for preservation class judging.
