OLDSMOBILE - The 1st Generation Rocket V8s Part 1 of 3

THE FIRST GENERATION ROCKET V8 BLOCK was produced from 1949-64. It started as a 303 in 1949, then grew to a 324, then a 371--(which also came in a special J2 Rocket version that came out in 1957), and finished off with it's largest displacement---a 394 that came out in 1959 (the 394 was produced until 1964). But after the 394 in 1959, the lastly developed engine of this "first generation era" was a special smaller lighter 215v8 with a turbo charger produced in the early 60s. The first intermediate sized musclecar came in 1964 "The Pontiac GTO". But prior to the Intermediate sized musclecars, the early 50s OLDSMOBILE ROCKETS can strongly be argued as being THE FIRST MUSCLE CAR (especially the 88's because they were a few hundred pounds lighter than a 98). My dad was blessed with getting a 303v8 1950 Olds 4dr 88 handed down to him in 1955 when my Grandpa got a new 55 Olds.