Ron gets a very retro no-prize for bringing us the story of The Car that Might Have Been:

Built for the 1953 Detroit Auto Show, the F-88 was Oldsmobile's answer to the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette had just been introduced, featuring a 6-cylinder engine, 2-speed automatic transmission and no windows. Meanwhile, the F-88 sported an Oldsmobile Rocket 88 V8, 4-speed Hydromatic transmission, and power windows and door latches. Designed by Harley J. Earl, the F-88 was roughly the same size as a Corvette and sporting a fiberglass body, the F-88 is considered by many to be the epitome of automotive forward-thinking of the 1950's, with its open top and lightweight structure.

Not so sure I agree with the "would've buried the Corvette" idealism though. This thing would've been quite a bit more expensive than the Corvette, perhaps even more than the Thunderbird. The T-bird was transformed into a big 4 seater precisely because it wasn't selling very well as an expensive sports car. The Corvette stayed alive mostly through politics and (comparatively) low cost. Detroit was, and to an extent still is, all about moving big numbers of cars, and the Olds just wouldn't have sold in the numbers required to be a success.

But it is awfully pretty, in a classic American '50s sort of way.