Chassis No. 539M27525

Body No. 30

A Custom Classic with a festive flair! It's Fiesta – the merriest, most magnificent Oldsmobile ever built – with low-sweeping silhouette, panoramic windshield...a galaxy of glamour features! For the discriminating motorist – it's the sports car supreme!

- 1953 Oldsmobile Brochure

For the 1953 production year, three General Motors divisions introduced limited-production customer versions of recent Motorama cars, all convertibles that were essentially custom-built in small numbers and sold as prestige models. Cadillac's offering was the Eldorado and Buick's Skylark, both representing the introduction of what would become famous names.

Oldsmobile's "dream car for the public" was the Fiesta, essentially a factory-customized version of the Ninety-Eight convertible. Like the Eldorado it featured a full wraparound windshield, the first of its kind on a production car, with an unusually low profile; the specially shaped side windows were shared with the Buick Skylark. The car also came standard with a unique two-tone livery in a variety of colors, as well as leather upholstery in a special pattern and special "spinner" wheel covers.

With just 458 examples built at a Cadillac-like price tag, the Fiesta was the rarest of General Motors' so-called 1953 "trifecta." The Fiesta was the only one of the trio that did not spawn a successor model, remaining a one-off offering that did not continue into 1954. It has always remained special, however, and for decades has been much favored by collectors of the finest GM products.

The example offered here was the subject of a high-quality, body-on restoration undertaken by a previous owner. Its bodywork is finished in the most popular Fiesta color combination of Raven Red – which appears orange in most light – and Alpine White, with an interior in leather in the correct original pattern, accented by beautiful chrome sill plates, Fiesta-exclusive checkered carpets, and a white pinpoint vinyl convertible top properly restored down to the rubber seals and accompanied by a correct boot.

Many of the original features of the undercarriage were preserved, although the exhaust was of course replaced, and the engine bay was thoroughly prepared and detailed for show. Much of the restoration is documented by photographs included in the history file. At the time of cataloging, the car had recorded 6,941 miles, and remains in very good overall condition, with the proper stance and a wonderful look to it from virtually any angle.

Ideal to accompany a 1953 Eldorado and Skylark in one's collection, or perhaps to begin the journey towards the creation of a "trifecta" for its new owner, this is quite a lovely example of the iconic Fiesta, appealing for the boulevard or local show fields alike. It has true Motorama flair.