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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  Why buy an import - 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By sdagostin - January 27 - 10:00 am

  This car has been absolutely reliable. Not one penny in two years/30,000 miles. The styling is unique and attractive. The fact that there are few of them on the road makes it a much more distinctive look and a head turner. The leather interior and the seating make it extraordinarily comfortable to drive. The Bose sound system is as good or better than any other factory-installed system that Ive heard.

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  Love our Olds! - 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Sheila - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Nothing rides like an Oldsmobile! Smooth ride and lots of comfort. They do seem to be getting smaller tho. Second Olds van that we have had.

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  Love our Oldsmoble - 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Tom - January 27 - 10:00 am

  We love our Oldsmoble it rides very compvertable and mileage is notbad. On long trips excellent. rides like a dream,

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  A truly fantastic American car! - 2004 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Peter_J - January 21 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I compared several cars when considering our next purchase. I was wanting to sell a Honda Accord that I had been talked into buying, and it turned out to be an expensive car to maintain and keep on the road as it got older. I looked at the Pontiac Grand Am, the Alero, and just to be fair, another Honda. The Olds was simply the best looking, best driving, most comfortable and well thought out car out there . . . and I love it!

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  100K review - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By fladad - January 14 - 12:33 am

  Bought mine New in 02. Id give this an 11 on Comfort and Performance. Regularly drive this 120 miles for work and its a better ride than a Lexus. Acceleration is great and turning radius is tight. I am on the original brakes at 100k! Eight yrs in Florida sun and the ac is still going strong. Had to replace the air suspension bags in the rear. Buy parts online and find a truck specialty shop to install, its half the dealer cost. The eng is strong but has always been too loud. Had strange elec problems and replaced a box, think it was body control module. The depreciation is horrible, but this makes it a GREAT used car buy! Will keep this until 200k!

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  My car is my baby. - 2004 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Happy Girl - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but good things happen in this car. It gets good mileage.

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  Love it! - 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Blazer Engineer - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I love the Car! Ive never had any problems. Good Power & Ride. Fun to Drive. I could use a little more leg room

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  Why Oldsmobile died - 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Oh boy - January 8 - 9:00 am

  At first with all GM sedans the car looked really nice. Then it starts moving and your feelings begin to change. This car rattles a lot, and seems like it was assembled like a plastic model kit. The door panels move a little when you touch them and the passenger widow control actually popped out one day when my wife closed the door. The fake wood paneling is cheap and is cracking on the dashboard. The rear power window stopped working and that was only after a handful of times using it. It burns way too much oil. I have the high end version of this model and would hate to imagine how bad the base model would be. I have a 1999 Honda Civic and have not had any of these problems.

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  Not horrible, but personally would suggest one - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By m3t4lm4n222 - January 6 - 7:27 am

  I have had one of these cars for 7 months now. Got it at 75K miles ran pretty good, now at 86K miles and well..its not going to well. The engine burns oil already, the transmission shifts hard and slow(Checked the fluid, its fine) The ride in this car is well..bad. You can feel every bump, its loud, especially on the highway, expect to have to turn the radio up. The engine is very loud, and I have the 2.4L 4 cylinder engine and its also very slow, it literally sounds and accelerates as if it had a big diesel engine in it. It averages 19 City, 25 Highway which is pretty bad for a car..especially considering it has a 4 cylinder engine...Its also not very comfortable...

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  runs good, and lasts long - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By simmons1890 - December 29 - 3:16 pm

  everything in this car worked out really good. it runs great. ive never had any problems with it. before i bought it i heard it wasnt a good car to have. but i love it. the look is great to, its a nice car to have, im glad i bought it