For Sale: 1949 Oldsmobile 88 in Christiansburg, Virginia

The 1949 Oldsmobile 88 is widely celebrated by automotive historians as the world's first true American muscle car. It earned this legendary status through a stroke of engineering genius: taking the revolutionary, high-compression 303 cubic-inch "Rocket" V8 engine from the heavy, luxury 98 series and dropping it into the lighter, nimbler A-body platform of the 76 series.This combination created a dominant performance powerhouse that transformed Oldsmobile's image overnight.The '49 Oldsmobile 88 offered unprecedented speed for a standard factory vehicle at the time:- Engine: 303 cu in (5.0L) overhead-valve (OHV) "Rocket" V8.- Power Output: 135 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque.- Transmission: Commonly paired with GM's pioneering Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.- Speed: Capable of 0--60 mph in roughly 12 seconds and a top speed exceeding 90 mph, outgunning much more expensive contemporary luxury cars.Because it offered unparalleled performance for the money, the 88 became a cultural icon:- NASCAR Dominance: The "Rocket 88" dominated early stock car racing, winning NASCAR's inaugural championship in 1949 with driver Red Byron and going on to sweep the circuit in the early 1950s.- The First Rock 'n' Roll Song: The car's cultural impact was so profound that it inspired the 1951 hit song "Rocket 88" by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (written by Ike Turner), which music historians widely recognize as the first rock and roll record.- The Ultimate "Sleeper": Because it utilized the modest, clean-lined body of the economy 76 model with minimal exterior changes, it became favored by moonshiners and racers as a wolf in sheep's clothing.**Engine number on the block above water pump; and on plate on floor inside right door; and on left corner of block above generator; and on front of left cylinder head at negative battery terminal. Olds Super 88 numbers took the form of 518( )1001 to 518( )ending number**