For 1936 Oldsmobile continued to offer six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models, giving a minor makeover to the complete re-style that had occurred a year earlier. The six-cylinder Series F rode a 115-inch wheelbase, and was available in seven different body styles, of which the three-window business coupe was one of the more popular. The Six cars still employed a 213-cubic-inch L-head engine good for 90 horsepower. 1936 model-year production significantly grew from the prior year, demonstrating Oldsmobile’s strengthening appeal to the late-1930s American consumer.

This nicely restored Oldsmobile benefits from a very long period of original family ownership, claiming just two caretakers during its lifetime. According to copies of an original bill of sale, period registrations, and period invoices, this handsome Business Coupe was purchased new in January 1936 from Supple Motors of Franklin, Massachusetts, by fellow city resident Mae Barnard. The car was tended by Supple Motors several times during the late 1940s, and 20 years later it was re-registered by Charles Barnard, Ms. Barnard’s son, who by then lived in Darrien, Connecticut.

The Six remained under family ownership in a well-preserved state for decades more before Mr. Barnard undertook some restoration measures. In 1999, the interior was retrimmed with black and tan cloth upholstery by Front Page Upholstery of Norwalk, Connecticut, and in 2014 the coupe was entrusted to Automotive Restorations, Inc., of Stratford, Connecticut, for two years of mechanical and cosmetic freshening, as illustrated by invoices on file. Totaling in excess of $37,000, this work returned the Oldsmobile to a desirable state of presentation and driving condition. Within a few years of the restoration’s 2016 completion, Mr. Barnard sold the car to the consignor, concluding a remarkable period of over 80 years of original ownership.

In September 2021 the consignor opted to renew the paintwork with a bout of high-quality sanding and buffing that has given the coachwork a pristine finish. Believed to retain its original factory engine, this Oldsmobile is equipped with a dash clock and steel wheels shod with whitewall tires, and it is accompanied by a full-size spare wheel fitted behind the rear seatback. The coupe is beautifully styled, with its attractive V-shaped grille, slipstream styling in the fenders, bullet headlamps, and fastback, and a fascinating Art deco-Themed dash panel. It would make a handsome addition to any collection of prewar American automobiles, testifying to the unique quality then being produced by Oldsmobile.