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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  A Lot of Car for the Money - 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Airfiddler - November 7 - 10:06 pm

  I was looking around for an econobox when I saw this car. It was in beautiful condition, well looked after. One test drive and I was sold. Hey great gas mileage isnt everything. The engine and transmission are soooo smooth. It has lots of power, and it has a great snarl when you put your foot into it. The ride is a little firmer and noisier than my Buick Rivieras. It could be the low profile 17" wheels and tires. Its build quality is adequate. Its no Lexus, but for what you will pay it cant be beat. A few little things may bug you, like burnt out dash lights or the odd squeak now and then. That 4.0 litre Northstar DOHC engine is worth the price of entry alone. Its so quiet and vibration free compared to the Rivieras 3800 V6.

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  Surprisingly good - 1999 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By Wahl - November 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first American car in years and it stands up very well. Smooth powertrain and comfortable ride not to mention 25+ avg mpg from a V8.

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  Great minivan - 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Jim Rebeta - November 4 - 10:00 am

  This is the second Oldsmobile Silhouette we have owned. The first was a 1991 with 210,000+ miles on it. Over the ten years of use repairs were minor and I still had the original engine and transmission. The 2001 is as good; however we miss the composite dent-free body.

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  Olds Cutlass - 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By cam - November 3 - 6:13 pm

  Excellent car.

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  Fine Overall Reliability! - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Ronald Movrich - November 3 - 3:46 pm

  This car has fine overall reliability. It is one of the very best cars Ive ever owned! It provides an excellent combination of style, comfort, performance, and good gas mileage. Its build quality could have been better (door and hood alignment). One problem Ive had (a common one according to my mechanic) is with the plastic intake manifold. I had to replace it because it had "bubbles" between the coolant ports and the air/gas intake (fortunately no leak of coolant into the air/gas intake at the time it was found out which could have been disasterous driving at highway speeds!). I wrote to GM but got no satisfaction! It is really an engineering design flaw! I pop the hood whenever I can now to let out the heat!

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  Will sit you in your seat. - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Camwise - November 2 - 4:20 am

  I bought this car after it had been used as a rental, and it already had 99000 miles on it. I love the power of the v6 and the fact that it easily beats 90% of the people off the mark at a stop light..... Im a bit of a lead foot and this car meets my needs. Even with my lead foot I get 27MPG(Mostly Highway Miles)! When my wife drives she gets 33MPG(Also highway Miles)! About 2 months after I bought it I had to replace both front wheel bearings. About 2 yrs it was loosing all power and I had to take it in and have $1600 worth of repairs, but now it feels brand new again and is going great. Ive put 50000 more miles on it and look to put another 50000!

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  Very Unhappy - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Not A Fan - November 1 - 10:00 am

  I am very disappointed with my 2 door GLS Alero. After owning it for 10 months, it has leaked (I mean 2-3 inches of water in back floorboard) 4 times!!! The dealership keeps "fixing" it, but to no avail. Not a happy customer

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  Very Little Hassle - 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By robamra - October 29 - 1:40 am

  I have had this vehicle now for seven years. I have had just regular wear problems with it. It has been to the shop only three times, and had no problems with motor or transmittion. A radio problem and and door problems, the were reasons. This is a great vehicle for the family.

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  Farewell Oldsmobile, sad to see you go.. - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By jb - October 25 - 5:36 pm

  I was originally shopping for a more expensive car, however I purchased a new motorcycle the same summer and decided to be a bit frugal. Even after looking at more expensive cars, the Alero stacked up well. There were a few annoying items that were fixed under warranty (heater/ac fan control, driver window, some interior trim) but mechanically the car has been very reliable. It goes through brakes quickly, but other than that I have had almost 85,000 trouble free miles. The car exhibited very little body noise over rough pavement until the last ~10,000 miles. Nonetheless, it is better than many other comparably priced cars (Camry, Accord) in this respect.

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  not worth it - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By rmann331 - October 23 - 6:40 pm

  I purchased a olds bravado it rides good I had the truck for 2 years I only drive on the highway the car is having problem after problem I had this car only 2 years its one thing after another powersteering pump bad fuel line bad front end and thats not it all which is I paid for out of pocket this car is not worth 14,000 even if I trade it in I still owe good car with a lot of problems