When Bill Mitchell took over GM Design in the late ’50s, his presence was felt almost immediately in the new GM cars, particularly in the 1961 models. Simple, clean elegant lines were his forte, when compared to the brash, wild and bechromed chariots favored by his predecessor, the unforgettable Harley Earl.
As the early Sixties progressed into the mid Sixties, the long, low clean look increased as fins were totally left behind and squared up lines became more prominent. This was perhaps most noticeable on the 1965 GM C-bodies, the Buick Electra, the Cadillac 62/de Ville/Fleetwood, and the Oldsmobile Ninety Eight.
The top of the line Olds Ninety Eights were especially squared up, but they sure looked good, at least in your author’s opinion. Large, but smooth.
And you don’t see them too often. I’ve seen many ’65 Cadillacs, and a decent amount of Electras at the dozens of car shows I’ve attended over the years. I did see one aqua ’66 Ninety Eight sedan at a local classic car dealer several years back, but that’s about it.
So you may understand why I got all excited when I saw this excellent 1965 two door hardtop on the electronic bay recently. I especially like the white paint with aqua top and aqua interior. Oh, that interior. Hubba hubba! But then, I’ve always had a soft spot for aqua paint and interior trim on 1960s and 70s classic American land yachts.
Anyway, according to the seller it’s got 37,000 miles and is an original car. And that 425 CID Olds Rocket V8 would no doubt get you to the steakhouse in no time. It’s not the traditional auction per se, but one of those 30-day listings. And even if you don’t want to drop 25K on this Mad Men-era luxury conveyance, you can at least ogle the many fine pictures! Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to fix a fresh gin and tonic.