Oldsmobile's best engines powered some of the brand's most famous and beloved cars, defining an era of classic American muscle. ... The Oldsmobile Rocket 88 V8 303. Heritage Images/Getty Images.

Oldsmobile 303-cu.in. Rocket V8 engine in a 1949 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible Coupe. 1949 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible Coupe, side view, rear, top down ...

It could be argued that Oldsmobile invented the muscle car. With the introduction of the 303 cubic-inch Rocket 88 engine, Olds gave its car a punch that nobody else could offer.

Check out this Model A Roadster that has a 1953 303 Oldsmobile V-8 engine, an Edmunds 2x2 manifold, a pair of Rochester AA carburetors, and a TH350 transmission inside Street Rodder Magazine.

Rod & Custom photos prove in the earliest stages of Mysterion’s mockup, “Big Daddy” Roth installed a pair of 1950 Oldsmobile 303-inch V-8 engines backed with Hydramatic transmissions.

It's no surprise the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 V8 engine inspired rock n' roll, since it was a potent engine known for racing NASCAR and running moonshine.