Here’s the Velvet Fog himself, Mr. Mel Tormé, singing the praises of the 1950 Oldsmobile with Rocket V8 power, Futuramic styling, and Hydra-Matic Drive.

The Oldsmobile division at General Motors was in pretty solid shape for 1950, due in no small part to the success of its overhead-valve V8—an advanced feature the Chevrolet, Buick, and Pontiac sibling brands didn’t yet offer. Introduced in 1949, the high-tech 303 CID Rocket V8 boasted hydraulic valve lifters, oversquare bore/stroke architecture, and an energetic 7.25:1 compression ratio. With the hot V8, GM’s fully automatic Hydra-Matic transmission, and Harley Earl’s Futuramic styling, Oldsmobile had a product as up-to-date as anything on the road.

One more feature Oldsmobile had going for it at the time: popular jazz singer Mel Tormé (1925-1999).  Looking young and dapper in this original GM commercial spot, here he’s joined by Oldsmobile house artists Lucille and Johnny (who took their stage names from the old ragtime-era song “My Merry Oldsmobile,” we presume) to sing the praises of the ’50 Olds 88 models. The 88 may have been junior to the big Olds 98 in the lineup, but it was far and away the division’s most popular model, outselling the 98 by a comfortable margin. But enough of our blabbering. Here’s the smooth Mr. Tormé.