Introduced for the 1940 model year, this Oldsmobile flagship occupied the top tier of the division’s full-size lineup and quickly became one of the marque’s most recognizable prestige nameplates. Production was interrupted during the wartime shutdown after the 1942 model year, then resumed for 1946, beginning a second long run that carried the car through the 1996 model year. Over its life, the name evolved from the numerical designation "98" into the spelled-out "Ninety-Eight," while the car itself shifted through multiple postwar generations, from streamlined early luxury sedans and coupes to later personal-luxury and plush full-size models. In the 1960s and 1970s, it remained Oldsmobile’s traditional top-of-the-line series, and in its later years it was repositioned as a quieter, more comfort-focused luxury car. The final generation emphasized upscale trim and a refined road-car image, closing out one of the longest-running American nameplates of the 20th century.
MODEL HISTORY