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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  good buy - 2001 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By OldsKing - August 26 - 2:53 am

  i Purchased my 2001 bravada with 101,000 miles not too long ago and Boy am i happy!, other than a few squeaks when hitting a bump man is this thing nice, power everything Moonroof, its a college kids dream, not to mention i have a sound system that is certified at 153DBs at the headrests from two FI BTL 18s, this SUV takes the abuse like a champ, i would recommend this suv to anyone needing a reliable daily driver, little laggy on acceleration, but overall the smartrak is an awesome feature, this is my 2nd bravada (1996) which drive through 198,000 before cash 4 clunkering it, and it was still going strong, i look forward to having this SUV for many years into the future

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  Good Ride, but Not Dependable - 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Curt - August 26 - 2:26 am

  I love the ride of this SUV, but I have taken it to the shop numerous times in the past 1 1/2 years for electrical problems. I am going to have to trade or sell it.

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  Love this car - 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By HollySw3 - August 21 - 9:53 pm

  I am married with 3 kids. I used to drive a Chevy Blazer and suprisingly enough the back seat in the intrigue is wider than the Blazers back seat. The car runs great and is very comfortable. I just got it but bought it used and to this day I have had no problems with it. It is a sharp car!

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  Last GM I Will Own - 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Sal - August 14 - 2:50 pm

  I bought my Oldsmobile Silhouette new in 01. It needed a new transmission in 04 at 37,000 miles. GM covered all of the costs. Then my van began having electrical problems in 05 which still are not completely resolved. Also, it has at least one recall every 18-24 months. My other vehicle is an Acura bought new in 01. It has only been in the shop for oil changes, with twice as many miles. Detroit still cant get it right. I was considering Cadillac, I must be crazy.

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  overall rating on 1996 olds ciera - 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
  By Gambler59 - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Very high performance up until this year. Now I am trading my Olds only because mechanically unsound. But I have gotten good performance up till now.

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  Great Vehicle - 1998 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight
  By Mr. Toyota - August 11 - 2:00 am

  This is a great vehicle for the money. Powerful, comfortable, and reliable all desribe this car perfectly. The car has very responsive handling and get great fuel milage.

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  Take a look elsewhere - 2002 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Ruthie - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Take a look at the door gaskets on the Oldsmobile Intrigue and then look at the gaskets on this vehicle and you will understand why the Aurora creates an excessive amount of wind noise when driving at speeds over 55mph. Not only are they thin, but there is only one, instead of being doubled, like they are on the Intrigue. Poor quality of workmanship was evident thourghout the exterior and intrerior of this vechile.

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  dav- #1 - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Rabonza - August 8 - 2:00 am

  Not having a long experience it is a very nice car

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  Disappointment - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By judye - August 7 - 7:36 am

  Wish I hadnt purchased it. Its been a money pit, since I bought it 2 1/2 years ago. Got a great deal on it, or so I thought-even bought the less expensive extended warranty from GM. Thats where the deal ended.The car has been in and out of the shop.So far, I have spent over $3,000 on repairs. Towed 5 times-for no starts,window & wiper motors, theft system faults, constant oil leaks-change every 3,000 mi.& add a quart every month, pollution equipment, peeling chrome rims-to name a few. 90% of repairs arent covered under the warranty."Should have bought the more expensive one." I did like this car-nice ride, comfortable, luxurious. Nothing but regrets-too expensive to maintain.

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  Trash Heap - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Wildplrbear - August 5 - 12:36 pm

  I have owned this car for 6 years and treated it like an old man would. It did not love me back, it constantly bit the hand that feed it. The car is horribly constructed. It has built in flaws that are unfixable and dangerous. It completely broke down with 112000 miles. By break down, I mean it gave up on life. I do not believe it is even ok to sell this car to someone. I plan on taking it to a junk yard and asking them to destroy it. Did not start 15% of the time because of security system issues, new bearings every 15K miles, windows that stop working every winter, bad head gaskets, bad intake gaskets, new breaks every 20K miles, shorting wires on a semiannual basis.