Oldsmobile Six and Eight Grille Variations 1933-1938

During the 1930s some American brands featured grille designs that varied by model.  An early example was the 1932 Packard Light Eight, which had a "shovel" shaped lower grille, unlike more expensive Packards.  Towards the end of the decade Ford Standard and Ford De Luxe models had distinctly different grille designs, with one year's De Luxe features passed down to the following year's Standards.

Oldsmobile marketed both six and eight cylinder cars, and from the 1933 model year through 1938 gave each distinguishing grille features.  Differences were minor in the early years, but totally different grilles were used for 1937 and 1938.

In more recent times grille design variations can be found, but usually where a brand's models differ by body platform.

Oldsmobile grille designs for 1933-1939 are shown below.  For a better view of minor grille details, click on the images to enlarge.

Gallery

An Oldsmobile Eight is on the left, a Six to the right.  The Eight's grille features slender bars angled downwards in a V motif.  The Six has small, vertical bars overlaid by fewer, thicker horizontal ones.  This image cannot be enlarged.

1934 Oldsmobile Six, for sale image.  The horizontal grille bars have simple forms.

Here is a '34 Oldsmobile Eight Convertible Coupe, RM Sotheby's photo.  The main difference from the Six's grille design is that the horizontal bars are wider with a black groove down their middle.

1935 Oldsmobile Six Business Coupe.

1935 Oldsmobile Eight Business Coupe.  Here again, the models are distinguished by the same grille bar features as in 1934.

This Owls Head auction photo is of a 1936 Oldsmobile Six Touring Sedan.

Another '36 Touring sedan, this an Eight that was for sale.  Yet again, the distinguishing grille differences have to do with horizontal bars.

Then for the 1937 model year Six and Eight grilles became strongly different, as shown in this publicity material.

1938 again saw major design differences.

Then for the 1939 model year Oldsmobile dropped the Six and Eight labels along with grille differences, switching to Series Sixty, Series Seventy and Series Eighty that evolved post - World War 2 into model names such as Super 88 and Ninety-Eight.