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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  Olds alero driver - 2004 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Noah Private - December 2 - 2:36 pm

  This car is really great! Dont get me wrong though there are some problems.... I have an 04 red 2 door 3.4l and boy this thing is pretty quick. You put your foot done and it drops down a gear and just takes off. It feels like you are "floating" when you drive or get up towards the governed speed of 110 mph. I passed a lot of cars with this alero, including some mustangs and many many hondas. This car has some major head gaskets issues however. I am on my 3rd set now. I have rebuilt this motor myself inside and out. Stock rods and pistons are pretty solid, and the aluminum heads dissipate a lot of heat. This car also has bad tranny problems.. This is my second trans in my alero, they leak tranns fluid really bad. However the engine area is pretty easy to work on, you can pull the whole motor apart in the engine bay and put it back together in 8 hours. Also this car seems to have a problem with staying aligned and it blows through brake rotors, calipers, and brake pads. Even with a good alignment this car goes through tires quick. I am a little rough on the car because I deliver pizza everyday. It is pretty fast though, more lower end power. Stock speakers sound nice, driver seat raises and lowers.

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  Trans probs - 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By manny - October 16 - 10:00 am

  This van drives great when its not in the shop.If you want a reliable van dont get a GM.In the shop twice for weeks at a time for trans probs with only 29000 miles.

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  Call me unpredicatble - 2004 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By DJCDVP - October 12 - 2:00 am

  I actually bought the vehicle in June of 02 and sold it in October of 03. It has a quirky problem, if the operator does a certain combination of movements with the key in the ignition it will trigger the theft deterrent system and leave you sitting there. It happened to me three times, three times I had to have it towed, and three times Onstar couldnt figure out what it was. I spoke to someone who had the same problem with the GMC Envoy.

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  The Service Department is on My Speedial - 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By HEF - September 3 - 2:00 am

  When shopping for a minivan, the Oldsmobile had the "right stuff". All of the amenities were there in nicely presented package. All would be utopic if not usurped by continual visits to the dealer for repairs. I treat this vehicle gingerly and still am plagued with numberous and unnessecary repairs, i.e...new engine head, windshield, tranny work, 4 cd players, rear passenger climate controls, rear suspension, intake manifold, brakes, electrical, continual squeaks and rattles. All of the aforementioned problems have been addressed more than once. Oh yes, the driver leather seat is wearing rapidly...Im not a large or heavy person. If there were no problems, this would be an ideal vehicle!

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  a car for the mechanically inclined only - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By krick - August 30 - 2:00 am

  Major problems with front brakes. Several iterations with the dealer before getting the best parts available and doing the job myself. Poor fuel economy compared to other V6s in its class. Was not long before arm rest broke. Seatbelt has never retracted correctly, plastic guide on belt tab broke off. is this what made in America means ?

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  195000 and time to give it up - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By luke - August 20 - 3:06 pm

  Car lasted 10 years. Made it to 194874 miles before finally giving out on me. Required a new transmission at 130,000. Rebuilt final gave out. Have spent maybe $750 on service since the new trans. Great little car.

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  Dad Sold Me a Lemon! - 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Maeve - August 3 - 7:03 am

  I know he didnt mean to, but its been one headache after another with this one! Fuel injection, brake lines, fuel lines, alternator, ball joints and the transfer case may be next - all with less than 50,000 miles on it (I work close to home and dont take lots of trips so the mileage on this is EXCEPTIONALLY LOW)! When its running properly, it IS fun to drive, it makes New England winters a breeze in the snow and ice. Thank Goddess I live next door to my auto mechanic, Ive been keeping him very busy. My only hope at this point is "Bank of Dad" will "write off" the loan on this vehicle till hes ready to sell me his new Cadillac!

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  Its out of the shop finally - 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By Disheartened - July 28 - 11:50 pm

  The transmission shop put in 2 used transmissions and tried a used computer. With a new computer the transmission is real smooth. Well know for sure next summer when the heat is on if the clunking days are over for good. My dad said put in used parts to fix the air conditioning. After what Ive been thru I dont think so!!! Thats next to fix.

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  Unbelievably unreliable - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By BlueBravada - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Nice vehicle as far as comfort and ride, but unbelievable amount or repairs required. Right off the bat was sent letter from GM saying sorry, forget to line the piston cylinders, so engine may fail at any time. Warranty was extended on that engine part only, too bad it wasnt the entire car. Four wheel drive system has self activated and permanently locked four times, requiring an approx 2000 repair. Air shocks in rear deflated to the ground daily for years, but dealer couldnt diagnose (or "duplicate") the problem until the warranty expired (new air shocks- duh). Water pump died several times. Expensive bearing repair in front cost 2000. Auto mirrors had a mind of their own.

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  Never a GM product again - 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Mike - May 20 - 3:53 am

  We were quite fortunate we bought this during a promoton where GM was selling it with 60,000 mile, 60 month warrantries. We used it. The seat warmers constantly failed. One of the power slide doors failed. The rear tail lights constantly burned out, and GM refuses to admit a flaw. Even the DVD remote is a disappointment ... it is constantly running down the battery. We know have plenty of batteries and a screw driver to deal with this.