Overview & Reviews

At the dawn of the automobile, Oldsmobile was there. Owned by General Motors, Oldsmobile was the most senior domestic marque and one of the oldest automobile brands in the world, with a run that spanned some 107 years.

Ransom E. Olds was born in Ohio, but moved to Lansing, Michigan, to work in his father's machine shop. His experiences there helped whet his appetite for all things automotive, and he soon garnered enough expertise to develop a gasoline-powered vehicle. Joining forces with other partners, Olds cofounded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. By the early 1900s, the company had introduced the nation to upscale models like the Curved Dash and had risen to become the best-selling car company in the United States.

Ransom Olds eventually left the company and it was sold to General Motors in 1908, where it became known as the Oldsmobile Division. More than ever, Oldsmobile became the brand of choice for car buyers seeking vehicles steeped in luxury and sophistication. Early models like the 1915 Model 42 Touring Roadster offered sleek lines and style aplenty. The 1918 Model 37 was its first model to offer a closed top, ensuring that the brand's well-heeled buyers had protection from the elements.

Oldsmobile had another hit in the 1920s with the Model 46, a V8-powered touring car that seated seven. The manufacturer did its part to make sure that the decade's elegance wasn't lost on its automobiles. It introduced fancy chrome-plated trim that served to raise the glamour quotient of its already eye-catching vehicles.

The '30s was a decade of innovation for the brand. The company wooed customers with its "Knee-Action" independent front suspension, an affordably priced option that served to improve ride quality. The company also offered one of the earliest automatic transmissions, freeing drivers from the rigors of the clutch with its four-speed "Hydra-matic" system.

Postwar, Oldsmobile gave consumers the Rocket 88. The car offered new levels of performance, giving the North American market its first taste of the short-stroke, overhead-valve V8. The car was adored by enthusiasts, and was chosen to serve as the pace car for the 1949 Indy 500.

The 1950s saw Olds continuing to distinguish itself as a purveyor of fine performance machines. With a name inspired by the Lockheed Starfire fighter plane, its 1953 Starfire show car offered a fiberglass body, a stylishly low beltline and most importantly, a 200-horsepower engine. The car was one of the first to display a wraparound windshield, and in the years following, many other manufacturers adopted this styling cue.

Oldsmobile's innovations continued into the 1960s. The manufacturer was the first since the 1930s Cord to taste success with a front-wheel-drive vehicle, in the form of its sporty Toronado. The '70s saw Olds breaking new ground in the area of safety. In 1974, it introduced a Toronado equipped with a driver-side airbag; Olds was the first domestic automaker to offer this feature. Around this time, the company's Cutlass had also become one of America's favorite cars.

Less successful was the company's effort to get on board with diesel technology. In 1978, Oldsmobile introduced a 5.7-liter V8 diesel engine as a response to that decade's fuel crisis; the engine was meant to appeal to buyers desperate to save money at the pump. Rising diesel prices and the unreliability of the engines caused the program to suffer, and Oldsmobile was eventually forced to terminate its efforts on this front.

In the '80s, Oldsmobile left its competitors in the dust when its Aerotech — piloted by noted racecar driver A.J. Foyt — set a closed-course world speed record of 257 mph. The company continued to have a huge hit with its Cutlass; the model spent much of the decade atop the sales charts.

The '90s saw Oldsmobile's introduction of Guidestar, the first onboard navigation system combining mapping and satellite positioning. The company made history yet again when its race-modified Aurora V8 won the Indy 500, making Olds the first manufacturer to pace and win the race in the same year.

By the dawn of the new millennium, Oldsmobile's sales were in a rut. The brand's identity had suffered over the years due to parts-sharing and rebadging within the GM camp. GM ultimately decided to pull the plug, and the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in model-year 2004.

User Reviews:

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  Buyer beware - 1998 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight
  By macinman - November 28 - 4:06 pm

  I bought this car back in February and the thing has since blown up, only had 120,000 miles on when died, things that went wrong were the intake manifold, head gasket, fuel pump, transmission started to slip, and many many small problems.

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  Love the A-ROAR-A - 1998 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Wingnut396 - November 28 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car off of EBay after research many 4 door sedans. My wife said I had to get a 4 door, so I decided to get a fun one, and this car has been great. While not quite a BMW, it certainly is price MUCH less than other sports sedans. Too bad GM did have the good marketing to keep Olds around. On the highway I have not had a better car and it is effortless to drive while stuck in traffic.

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  Alero - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Konrad Romero - November 28 - 10:00 am

  I have owned the car for almost 3 years and I have to commute 100 miles a day. The car has been great. I do all of my service to the vehicle. The performance and reliability is all there. I have to count on this car daily. I have not had any major mechanical flaws. The only problem was the passenger’s window regulator went out on the vehicle about 60,000 miles. Currently I have 87,000 miles on the car. I highly recommend changing the fuel filter frequently about every 20,000 miles. The car is close to being stock; I have a K&N air filter and Bosch 4 prong platinum plugs which made a difference in performance and fuel economy. I am very pleased with this car.

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  GM fooled me once but never again! - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
  By ihateGM! - November 26 - 10:00 am

  This was my first new car buy ever. Peeling dashboard at 36K miles, rack & pinion and tie rods needed replaced at 38K miles. And Ill spare you all the other repairs under $500. Yes, Im still driving it after 10 years, but when your car has $0 trade-in value at year 4, what choice does one have? (The dealer says to replace the dashboard is over $2000 to repair). My father was UAW and I never thought Id say this but my next car wont be an American brand. GM, shame on you! The government bailout money will be the last penny of mine youll ever get from me.

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  Not a bad second car - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By D. Ahart - November 25 - 6:36 am

  Bought this car with about 21,000 on the odometer. Now has 53,000 mi. and so far its still running well. The front tires seemed to wear down evenly, but quickly. Make sure you do tire rotations regularly. Love the way the Alero handles on dry road...even wet not too bad, but less than stellar in the snow.

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  Automotive State of the Art - 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By ws jones - November 22 - 2:26 am

  Where else can you get sophisticated stability enhancement (Precision Control System), advanced telematics (OnStar System), 230 ft/lbs of torque, standard 4 wheel disc ABS brakes, Bose sound, dual zone auto climate contol with pollen filtration, patented oil life monitoring and tire pressure monitoring and hydroformed chassis elements for under 25000? And it comes with a 60 month/60000 mile no deductible warranty

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  THE BEST BUICK IS GETTING BEST DEAL - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By PHIL IN FL - November 22 - 2:00 am

  I THINK ITS THE BEST OF THE LAST THREEI HAVE OWNED.

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  98 Intrigue - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By KC - November 20 - 10:00 am

  A good car.

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  I would buy again - 1999 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Justin - November 19 - 2:30 am

  Very comfortable, good all around, one thing though is the acceleration, could be better but is pretty great. Whatever radiator fluid GM put into the radiator though sediments settle to the bottom and casue the heat not to work, easy fix, just hook a hose up and blow it out. I cant complain, its been good to me, has no rust even in upstate NY winters. The other wierd thing is that the all wheel drive. Something happened that it burned up the fluid and was always in 4WD. Another easy fix. Even putting a full tank of bad gas in it didnt kill it but boy it seemed it might. Only getting about 14/17 mileage-wise but oh well. Great car to own

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  Great car - 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By morin1 - November 12 - 8:39 pm

  I purchased this car new and wish Olds was still around making them. Great handling and milage, looks nice and is very comfortable, love it. The only problem it had was several years ago freon leaked out...they found the leak and fixed it at a small cost. Very happy I purchased an Intrigue.