On October 29, 2004, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line, ending 107 years of automobile production related to that brand. During more than a century of production, more than 35 million cars were made carrying the Oldsmobile brand.
Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950) founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan in 1897. While Henry Ford is often credited for inventing the assembly line, in fact the Oldsmobile Curved Dash was the first mass-produced car. Mass production of the Oldsmobile began in 1901.
The Olds Motor Vehicle Company merged with the Olds Gas Engine Works in 1899 and became the Olds Motor Works. In 1901, the company moved to a new plant in Detroit with plans to produce a full line of automobiles. However, the factory burned down, destroying all of the prototypes except for the Curved Dash model. Thus, mass production began in a new factory for the Curved Dash Olds, which is generally considered to be the first mass-produced automobile. The car was produced on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. The Curved Dash models were produced until 1907. More than 19,000 Curved Dash Oldsmobiles were produced.
The Olds automobiles, as they were called by the manufacturer, were soon called Oldsmobiles by the general public. In 1905, the hit song In My Merry Oldsmobile reinforced this designation.
Ransom Olds left the company in 1904 and formed the REO Motor Car Company. In 1908 General Motors purchased the Olds Motor Works and Oldsmobile became a GM brand.
As a part of General Motors, Oldsmobile brought out the Limited Touring model in 1910. It sold for $4,600 (about the same as a three-bedroom house) and featured a straight-six engine, a starter, and room for five people. Purchasers could also have an optional speedometer, clock, and full glass windshield. During its three years of production, 725 Oldsmobile Limited Touring models were produced.
In 1940, Oldsmobile introduced the Hydramatic transmission making it the first car with a fully automatic transmission. There was no clutch pedal.
In 1949, Oldsmobile introduced the Rocket Engine which used an overhead valve V8 rather than the traditional flathead straight-eight. This gave the car more power, a feature which appealed to stock car racers and hot-rodders. During the 1950s, Oldsmobile marketed its “rocket” theme.
By 1976, Oldsmobile was the third best-selling brand in the United States (behind Chevrolet and Ford). By 1977, demand exceeded the production capacity of the Oldsmobile V8, and the Delta 88 models were equipped with the Chevrolet 350 engine. This turned into a major mess when loyal customers found out that their cars did not have the Oldsmobile engine. As a result, GM stopped associating engines with particular divisions: instead, GM cars from all divisions were simply powered by GM Powertrain.
By the early 1990s, Oldsmobile, facing competition from imports, was losing its place in the market. By 2000, GM announced plans to phase out the brand.
1903 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout
This vehicle is on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Notice that it has a tiller rather than a steering wheel.
1920 Oldsmobile
This vehicle was on display in the Pacific Northwest Truck Museum in Brooks, Oregon.
1922 Oldsmobile
This vehicle was on display in front of a rural gas station exhibit in the Paugh Regional History Hall in the Museum of the Rockies on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana.
1926 Oldsmobile Holden 30D, Touring RH
This vehicle is on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
1940 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan
This vehicle was displayed in the Veterans Car and Motorcycle Show in Vancouver, Washington.
1948 Oldsmobile Model 66, 2-Door Coupe
This vehicle is on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. The designation “66” indicated that it is body size 6 (other body sizes were 7, 8, and 9) and that it had a six-cylinder engine.
1950 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88, 4-Door Station Wagon
This vehicle is on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. Tom McCahill, writing in Mechanix Illustrated described the 1950 Olds this way:
“The 1950 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 is as hot as a hornet’s kiss, especially when equipped with a conventional, three-speed transmission.”
However, the Olds station wagon was a disappointing seller and only 2,650 were built.
1950 Oldsmobile Futuramic 88 Holiday Coupe
This vehicle was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
1960 Oldsmobile 88
This vehicle was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass
This vehicle was displayed in the Veterans Car and Motorcycle show in Vancouver, Washington.
1968 Oldsmobile 98
This car was on display in the LeMay—American’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington.
1969 Hurst/Olds 442 Convertible
Hurst Performance makes both aftermarket and original components for muscle cars built by all three of the major manufacturers. In collaboration with GM’s Oldsmobile division, Hurst built three 1969 Cutlass convertibles to show off its performance shifters. The cars have a massive replica shifter on a trunk-mounted platform. This car was displayed in the World of Speed, Wilsonville, Oregon.
1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2
This vehicle was on display in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sold for $3,567. This was considered an upscale muscle car.
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1970 Oldsmobile 442
This vehicle was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River, Oregon.
More automobile photo tours
Museums 201: Chrysler automobiles of the 1960s (photo diary)
Museums 201: Plymouth automobiles of the 1960s and 1970s (photo diary)
Museums 201: Dodge automobiles, 1916 to 1928 (photo diary)
Museums 201: The Corvette, 1953 to 1978 (Photo Diary)
Museums 201: Fords of the Teens
Museums 201: The Ford Model T Speedster (photo diary)
Museums 201: Specialty Model T Fords (photo diary)
Museums 201: Early Steam and Electric Cars (Photo Diary)