Danbury Mint 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 Coupe

Surprise! All right; a show of hands please. Who was anticipating a Danbury Mint 1949 Oldsmobile? Really? Ok, then, who among you expected it to be a coupe in Rocket 88 representation? The Ivy Green coupe is an all-new tooling with all the high-tech goodies and crafted only the way that Danbury seems capable of producing a new release. 1949 is a great Olds model year; representing the first production run in which Olds offered the eight cylinder motor in an overhead valve V-8, replacing their flathead straight-eight mill. And if we buy the living stuffing’s out of this initial tool will they offer a rag top? A woody wagon or Holiday Coupe? How about a four-door sedan? Oh, and dare I say it; an Indy 500 Pace Car?

You’re right; I’m getting ahead of myself. This original release is a beauty. Danbury rendered the shape, form and sophistication of the scale replica in a mirror image to the 1:1. After I saw a photo of their tooling buck in grand scale I searched the net for color samples in hope of learning more about the genuine article and its variations. But when I saw this little forties Olds in one-twenty-fourth dimension, I knew DM got the color choice right. The deep natural woods green is slightly metallic and shows off the lines and curves of the big GM car in wonderful fashion. Those DM boys worked their usual magic in creating a smorgasbord of detailing in every nook and cranny of the vehicle.

Take, for instance, the interior. The front seats exhibit a ‘feel’ that you definitely want to touch when examining the car. They fold forward allowing a better view of the rear compartment. The visors, static, are crafted well against the roof liner. The dash, steering wheel with levers and the floorboard pieces all look great. The window cranks and door handles are finely done as well. The door lock buttons are scaled faultlessly. The trunk, too, has many detail touches. There’s a jacking instruction sticker on the upper level of the lid. The insulation is replicated well and the spare tire is removable. You can see the finely detailed jack, stand and tire iron replicated on the floor mat. The chassis and engine bay are phenomenal. Sneek a peak at the oil filter. With a little help you can read it in all its authentic glory.

Don’t miss the emergency brake cabling and genuine spring assemblies. The V-8 is another DM masterpiece. The carb linkage and fuel lines are breathtaking as are the hood scissors springs. (They match the high-tech door hinges) The battery is cabled too and the belts wiring and hoses are crafted amazingly well. The antenna, static, is finely scaled and thin and the door jambs, window chrome molding and delicate photo-etched scripts and logos are masterfully presented in miniature.

If you love the Oldsmobile or just exquisitely formed diecast models, this one is a big MUST have! This is an open issue. It will be the latest Preview Society model. PS members will be the first to get theirs shipped to them automatically.

-Tony F Perrone