Not to be outfruited by the Italians and Germans in terrible vehicle design. In 1962 Studebaker released the Avanti

Hands down the ugliest blight in American automative history. A craptastic nod to horendous eurotrash automotive design. Kali would cream while those of us with taste and good eyesite scream.

Its no wonder the company ceased ro exist after the late 1960s.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

Studebaker pretty well held the patent on terrible design before ever unveiling the Avanti, imho. My Uncle had one.

dancingtongue · 80-89, M

@MethDozer I remember back when teachers were allowed to teach critical thinking. Highlighted by the 57 Chevy all of us guys in high school thought it was the coolest advance in automotive history. Then the science teacher asked us to explain what value it added to the car, and we were trying to justify how these vertical fins were going to improve guidance, traction, whatever. A decade or later the wind tunnels said the horizontal spoilers added traction, but the vertical fins only added visual appeal to those who liked it.

I always thought the Oldsmobile was a good car, from the one my father swore he never owned to one of the last ones that I had. Where the Rocket 88 name came from, other than marketing's fixation on the space race at the time, I never understood.

MethDozer · M

@dancingtongue rocket was just a bad ass small block for the time. The car was just an Olds 88. Oldsmobile offered their rocket v8 in their model 88. Car guys invented the name rocket 88, it wasnt a manufacturer model. The name rocket 88 just became a car guys thing when the olds rocket engine became a race track beast. After that car guys who wanted thay rocket motor started eyeing the Olds 88 but being interested in the motor more than the car were looking for those "rocket 88s"