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For Oldsmobile Division, 1991 marks 50 years of building the Oldsmobile Ninety Eight.

Olds has been doing it right all those years, and in celebration of the nameplate’s 50th anniversary the division is offering a completely redesigned model.

The car’s 3.8-liter V-6 is a carryover from last year, but the rest of the automobile is new.

Distinctive exterior sheetmetal clothes substantially improved body construction. And interior room has been expanded courtesy of a 9.5-inch increase in overall length.

Engineering changes include a new electronic four-speed automatic transmission, a stiffer body structure, and increased anti-lock braking capacity. The incorporation of comfort and convenience features puts the Ninety Eight on a par with the most upstream models in General Motors Corp.’s automobile lineup.

And as evidenced by the most severe test-drive incident ever experienced by this driver, the features also contribute to making the car one of the sturdiest on the road.

During a night test drive on the Pasadena Freeway in California, a large object was dropped from an overpass against the windshield of Oldsmobile Division’s test car, a Ninety Eight Touring Sedan. With the automobile coming down the freeway at 55 miles per hour, the object hit the windshield with such force directly in front of my wife’s face that it put a dent in the glass, yet the windshield remained intact.

The passenger side was showered with minute shards of glass that didn’t cut. Whatever the object was, it bounced off onto the freeway and left the car completely operational.

Under normal motoring modes, Olds’ Ninety Eight Touring Sedan is an automobile that transports its passengers under conditions of complete luxury.

The other side of the picture is that this model has a bottom line to match its accouterments – a cost of slightly more than $29, 000. But all its luxury features are standard, and there are enough to make life in the luxury lane a quite pleasant experience.

The V-6 was so smooth and powerful that it could pass for a V-8. The mechanically uninformed would never know the difference unless they lifted the hood. With 170 horsepower nestled in the V-6, there was punch to spare when you got on the throttle. And once under way, the sedan was rock steady at all speeds.

The Ninety Eight is the kind of car that can be driven fast over twisting roads without any suggestion it is going to play tricks on the driver. The steering response was instantaneous. Only small movements of the wheel were needed to change lanes, something Californians do at unexpected moments. On wet pavement there was a sense of security more often found in tautly sprung sports-oriented cars than in an easy-riding 3, 700-pound sedan.

Among the more appreciated features of the test car was a complete set of analog gauges, plus electronic information systems that give a full report on operating conditions. It would be difficult to find an automobile that was easier to operate than the Ninety Eight test car. It puts Oldsmobile in the world-class car market.

1991 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Touring Sedan Base price: $28, 595As tested: $29, 275Type: Front-engine, front-drive, five-passenger, luxury sedanEngine: 3.8-liter, 12-valve, 170-horsepower, fuel-injected V-6Mileage: 18 mpg (city), 27 mpg (highway)Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 9.6 secs.Length: 205.8 inchesWheelbase: 110.8 inchesCurb weight: 3, 689 poundsOptions: NoneArea dealers: Collins, Dellen, Ed Martin, Pence, Burt, Ray Skillman, Russ Dellen, Dave Mason, Classic, Jaggers-Harris