41,300 original miles. Beautifully preserved inside and out. Loaded with options. Fantastic color combination. Runs and drives extremely well, as only a great survivor can. An unusual luxury sedan that will surprise and delight you at every turn.

GM was at the top of their game in the mid-60s, and while there was still a clearly defined hierarchy among the various brands, Oldsmobile was busily creating some very high-quality cars. The 442 was on its way to becoming a legend, the Delta 88 was one of America’s best-selling cars, and the top-of-the-line 98 was delivering near-Cadillac levels of luxury without the Cadillac price tag. In fact, Olds was bold enough to call this 1965 98 the LS, which was short for Luxury Sedan, and it certainly lives up to the billing. It’s big, make no mistake about that, and delivers the kind of presence that you’d expect from an expensive luxury car. Showing just over 41,000 original miles, this is a fantastic survivor that has been properly maintained and cherished all its life. The medium blue metallic paint, which Oldsmobile marketers called Lucerne Mist, is in excellent condition with a surprisingly bright shine and no evidence of rust or accident repairs in its past. All four doors fit well and close easily, the panel gaps are even and straight, and, well, it’s clear that Oldsmobile put a lot of care into the construction of this car. It’s tangible from the moment you slide behind the wheel and pull the door closed. There’s plenty of bright trim, of course, and it, too, is in great shape with no notable demerits. Even the black vinyl top shows extremely well and no, there are no signs of rust underneath. I don’t know where this car spent its life, but it was clearly indoors and protected all along.

The interior is where the LS really shines. There are acres of stretch-out space front and rear and the upscale brocade cloth upholstery feels suitably luxurious. Check out the diamond-tufted door panel inserts, the map pockets for rear seat passengers, and the pretty convincing woodgrained trim throughout. Round gauges flanking a central speedometer give the big luxury sedan an interesting look for the driver and all the gauges and dials are working properly. In fact, everything works properly, although the A/C doesn’t blow quite as cold as it should—surely just a recharge is needed as the system energizes properly. Even the clock keeps good time! It also includes power windows, a decent-sounding AM/FM radio, and plenty of chrome to make it look well-dressed. The seats are firm and comfortable with no splits or tears in the upholstery and the rear bench looks almost new. The same is true of the plush carpets, which help with the luxurious feel, and the headliner doesn’t sag. A massive trunk shows original lining with some minor discoloration, but it would be a shame to replace it—even the cardboard hinge covers are intact! There’s also a full-sized spare tire assembly with jack, all hidden under their own matching cover.

The engine is Oldsmobile’s most powerful unit for 1965: a 425 cubic inch V8 making a rather substantial 360 horsepower and enough torque to make it feel effortless in everything it does. With only 41,000 miles on it, the engine has never been opened and it runs superbly. It starts easily, idles nicely, and moves the giant Luxury Sedan with enthusiasm—this isn’t an average frumpy 4-door! Bright red on the engine and air cleaner signify that Olds was serious about performance, especially when they named it the ‘Super Rocket.’ There’s plenty of evidence of proper maintenance over the years and original parts were retained wherever possible. Combined with a smooth TH400 3-speed automatic transmission, it’s a powerful, reliable, and easy-to-service powertrain that is ideally suited to long road trips. We can’t tell you that it gets good highway fuel economy, of course, but with 3.08 gears out back, it’s quite relaxed on the highway where it just whispers along. There’s also a new exhaust system that keeps it hushed like a proper luxury car should be, and newer shocks maintain that impossibly soft ride quality. You can see that the floors are completely unmarked, more evidence that this car has never spent any time in winter weather, and the 4-wheel power-assisted drum brakes are powerful enough that you’ll never think twice. 15-inch steel wheels wear wire wheel covers and a recent (and expensive) set of 235/70/15 Vogue whitewall radials.

Documentation includes the factory owner’s manual.

Big luxury cars like this are always popular—probably because they’ll never build anything like this again. And like all great survivors, this one drives superbly. Smooth, quiet, competent, and utterly composed. It’s subtle, which whispers luxury rather than shouting, but for Oldsmobile fans this car represents a special opportunity. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.