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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  reliability and comfort - 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
  By crom - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Proper maintainance keeps the olds runnning. i have never experience breakdowns on the road.had 173,000 miles and it still running good.

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  Underrated - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By jflakne - September 22 - 2:00 am

  For me, this car is near perfect. Nicely balanced between performance and economy. Good acceration, decent handling (though a bit below the Mystique I owned previously), good gas mileage, seats four comfortably yet is small enough to maneuver easily in city traffic (and fit in my 50 year old garage!). One of the best cars Ive owned in over a half century of driving. Too bad they have been discontinued.

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  A Decent Vehicle - 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By Darth Decimatus - September 21 - 1:40 pm

  I bought my Olds Cutlass at the end of my Sophomore year in College. Its been a decent car and fairly reliable. However, it is seeming to nickel and dime me more and more as time goes on. Since this summer started, the catalytic converter went (at about 62,000 miles), a pulley on the serpentine belt disintergrated due to a bad bearing, the front struts are shot, and now a loud grinding noise seems to be coming from the compressor. In addition, my tapedeck and lights on the radio dont work, and there is also a ton of rattling in the interior that is only getting worse. Overall, age is not this cars ally. It is a decent car, but definitely not constructed to last.

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  Great Family Hauler - 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By sbn - September 21 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, nice interior, awesome DVD player!

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  a excellant car - 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By rodney s. smith - September 21 - 10:00 am

  i have had this product 10 months all i get is the rave revewis on its looks and how the ride is very smooth i love it for its mileage around the city and on the open road the maintencence is very nice on telling you the oil change and ect ect, the workmanship is anothere thing it is well put togheter, there are no little squecks and no wind sounds at all, no engine nosie can hardly be heard when the car is running,a very well fine engerieed product

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  Baracuda96 - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By BAracuda96 - September 21 - 10:00 am

  Very nice, but bad brakes... :( so far, so good. :) Very impressed with acceleration and torque power.

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  Oldsmobile 99 Intrique, 4 dr Sedan - 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By R. E. - September 20 - 2:00 am

  The 99 Intrique is a 4 door sdn, In Excellent condition, Color Steel Gray Current Inspection to April 2003

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  Gone for a reason - 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
  By buyamerican - September 17 - 5:53 pm

  By far the best looking car i have ever owned just seems to have everything supporting the car break, brakes, struts, head gasket, and the list goes on. Very comfy, plenty of power, runs well broken.

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  Had to give up on it - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By groveland - September 16 - 2:00 am

  I loved this vehicle for the first 40k miles. Now I have to trade it in (and be upside down on the loan).In the last 2 months the wheel bearings/entire hub assembly replaced 3xs! My ABS AND ANTI LOCK light are on constantly,rear defroster doesnt work, driver side window regulator broken, 3 out of 6 heater speeds broken, intake manifold leak(very costly repair). I have taken very good care of this vehicle but I can not continue to make payments and pay all these costly repairs. I have read similiar problems on line w/ other Alero owners. Brakes,wheel bearings, ABS!!! Watch out- $250 per side.

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  Consumer - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Moldst - September 14 - 10:00 am

  Very impressed with the quality of ride, power of engine, and the quietness overall. I have driven Toyota 4runner for several thousand miles, and it doesnt compare in aforementioned qualities. The Toyota interior, layout of instrumentation, quietness, not nearly as good. The Toyota engine sluggish compared to the Oldsmobile 4.2L 6.