Some cars are built to be fast, others to be beautiful—but a rare few are born to make history. As Hot Rod Hoarder highlights, the 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Convertible W-31 is one of those cars. This particular car isn’t just any factory drag car, it’s the only remaining member of the Smothers Brothers Racing Team—a five-car effort that pushed Oldsmobile’s engineering to the limit.

This car was a W31 convertible, 4-speed, and that put it in the G Stock category. The car was legal enough for NHRA Stock Eliminator rules. The Smothers Brothers’ cars had headers, Cragar wheels, the same type of tires,  the same paint job, and they had the same font on the graphics on the side. These small but effective upgrades allowed the cars to remain NHRA-compliant while delivering an edge on the track.

Jim Waibel, a seasoned drag racer from Florida, took the wheel of the King Olds-sponsored machine. Waibel raced it throughout 1969, even taking part in historic moments such as the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Gainesville Dragway. His car was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Gainesville Dragway, now known as Gainesville Raceway. The car also participated in several NHRA national events, showcasing its capabilities at races like the Winter Nationals.

After Waibel returned the car to King Oldsmobile following the inaugural Gatornationals in 1970, the dealership sold it off, repainting it yellow. It sat hidden for decades until Jeff Kane discovered it. Kane brought the car home and immediately started researching and gathering parts and getting an understanding of what it was going to take to put this car back to its original as-raced condition.

Today, the 1969 W-31 Cutlass S Convertible stands as the last surviving representative of the Smothers Brothers Racing Team. This car is the only one known to exist still. Restored to its 1969 configuration, it now serves as a living piece of drag racing history.

This car isn’t just about speed or rarity—it’s about preserving a story of ingenuity, passion, and an era when Oldsmobile quietly defied the odds to make racing magic happen.