Oldsmobile Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Oldsmobile (or Olds) was a brand of automobile produced in the United States from 1897 to 2004. In its 107 years, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing factory. When it was phased out Oldsmobile was the second oldest surviving auto marque in the world, after only Daimler.
| Table of contents |
|
2 Oldsmobile in popular culture 3 Models 4 1912-1938 5 1939-1960 6 1960s 7 1970s 8 1980s 9 1990s 10 The end 11 See also 12 External links |
Oldsmobiles were first manufactured by the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan, a company founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In 1901, Olds introduced the Curved Dash Olds which sold 425 cars, becoming the first high-volume car of the day. Olds became, for a few years, the top selling car company in the United States. Ransom Olds left the company in financial difficulties and formed REO Motor Car Company. The last Curved Dash Olds was made in 1907, and in 1908, General Motors purchased the company.
After acquisition by General Motors, Oldsmobiles were marketed for their technical sophistication. It was the first American car with an automatic transmission (1940) and the first to use chrome (1920), and frequently was early with other features, such as automatic headlight dimmers.
Oldsmobile promoted its "Rocket" engines heavily. This came to be a problem when some customers sued after they discovered that their Oldsmobiles had been equipped with Chevrolet engines beginning in the late 1970s.
In the 1970s, the mid-sized Oldsmobile Cutlass was the division's best selling model, and for several years in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it was the best-selling car in America. But the sales of the Cutlass and other Olds models fell beginning in the 1990s. The brand was hurt by its image as old and stuffy and this public perception continued despite a public relations campaign in the late 1990s that this was "not your father's Oldsmobile."
The Oldsmobile is notable for having inspired several popular songs:
In the 1910s, Oldsmobile began using two-digit model designators, beginning with the 1912 Oldsmobile 40 and Oldsmobile 53. The first digit generally signified the body size and the second signified the year throughout the 1920s.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Oldsmobile used a two-digit model designation similar to that used by the European makes today: The first digit signified the body size while the second represents the number of cylinders. Body sizes were 6, 7, 8, and 9, and 6- and 8-cylinder engines were offered. Thus, Oldsmobiles were named 66 through 98. A myriad of trim lines were also included in the model name, including Delta, Dynamic, Holiday, Super, and others.
Notable models:
Notable models:
Notable models:
Notable models:
Notable models:
In December 2000, General Motors announced they would be phasing out the Oldsmobile brand, which had become the oldest surviving automobile brand in the United States. The 2004 model year was to be Oldsmobile's last, with the last new Oldsmobile model being the GMT360-derived Bravada introduced in 2002.
The actual phaseout of Olds models was conducted on the following schedule:
This is an Article on Oldsmobile. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Oldsmobile History
Oldsmobile in popular culture
Models
1912-1938
1939-1960
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
The end
The final production day was April 29, 2004, when the last Alero was built in Lansing, where Ransom E. Olds first began his company. The last 500 Aleros manufactured were painted a metallic cherry red and carried special "Final 500" markings. The last of these cars went to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum.See also
External links