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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  No Better Ride. - 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
  By BUCK AHRUE - March 29 - 5:30 am

  I am the original owner of a 1994 Cutlass Supreme. I would still match my car up to any newer model cars. I relocated to Chicago this past summer and the car has handled just as well in the inclement weather. My car is now approaching 90,000 miles and performs as well today as it always has. I love this car.

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  1998 Oldsmobile Bravada - 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Joan Minarchick - March 25 - 12:36 pm

  We will have had our Bravada four years in October. It is a joy to drive. It is fantastic in the winter. It goes in any amount of snow with GREAT traction. I love the sunroof in the summer. Its just like a covertable, but much safer. It even gets good gas milage.

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  Bravada - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Ron Rottger - March 22 - 2:23 pm

  Bought this vehicle used with 40,000m on it.Had it for almost 2 yrs and its been a great ride. My 15yr old daughter will be getting it in 4 months for her car. Have not spent a dime on it other than 4 new tires and regular maint.Hope for it to last for 6 more yrs.

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  Trouble free vehicle - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
  By jqxwl - March 11 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this vehicle on 6/18/2000. Besides regular services, I have never brought it to car garage! And it is still in great shape! Very stable and reliable!

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  The Car Of The Millenium! - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Aurora Kid - March 9 - 10:00 am

  The 2001 Aurora 4.0 that I have owned for the past 2 years has been the best car that I have ever driven or seen in the 43 years that I have been driv- ing. There is not enough space here for me to say how great this car is.

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  happy - 2000 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By mommy of 3 - February 25 - 2:00 am

  We love our van. The comfortable seats were much nicer than the toyota and honda minivans. We get great gas mileage avg. 22mpg highway/city mixed. The automatic door is so great, especially for the school pick-up line. We have had no major repairs or mechanical problems. This is a great van for long trips. The kids have their headphone and gaming jacks within their reach, and there are plenty of cup- holders. The ride is super smooth and quiet. We highly recommend this van.

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  Best Olds yet - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By carruol - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I cant wait to drive the car it is just that much of a great performer,smooth,nimble handling,powerful ly silky smooth v8 and just about every thing that makes a great car, is standard . AND it compares well with the cars from Japan. GM would do well to offer this car in one of their existing lines.

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  Great Car - 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Phyllis - February 24 - 6:10 pm

  We brought this car in August of 2004 because of the price and the financing on it was in our price range. It has been one of the best cars we have ever owned. Very few problems and nothing major has gone wrong with it. It runs great and get great mileage. We are still driving it and still love it.

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  Great car; Wish GM still made them - 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
  By grap - February 19 - 3:10 pm

  This has been a great car for me. I bought it with 145,000 miles already on it, in only three years of use, and it is still reliable and drives like a new car.

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  An overall excellent SUV - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By River Ratster - February 8 - 2:00 am

  A very attractively designed vehicle. The overall comfort and ride is vastly improved over the mid-1990s GM SUVs of which I owned one. My experience on reliability for this vehicle has been excellent. The selection of options at time of purchase, in my opinion, was more flexible and superior to many of the competing foreign makes. It is unfortunate that the Oldsmobile division of GM is being discontinued. I recently purchased a new 2004 Bravada.