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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  If you see one for sale....run!!! - 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By pamster - October 9 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Bravado. We thought the first one (98) was a fluke with all the troubles we had. No such luck. The 00 Bravada Platinum is the biggest peice of crap ever! Everything seems to go to hell after 50,000 miles. The front end has been completely rebuilt now, and were being told the transmission may have problems. Junk, pure and simple.

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  Stay away from this car. - 2000 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Aubreysdad - August 3 - 10:00 am

  Bought used from CarMax dealer. After two months (only 29k miles on car), fuel pump has to be replaced, side mirror breaks off and replaced, dash starts peeling away and repaired, shifter nob breaks and replaced. Sure, a little less expensive than Japanese, but youll pay more in the long run. Went back to CarMax, took $1800 hickie on appraisal, and traded in for Honda.

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  Worst car I have ever owned!!! - 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By legero8 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Intrigue for 2 years and so far it has been in the shop a total of 8 times. 8 times! This is not including regular stuff like Oil changes.

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  Never buy a discontinued brand! - 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Kyle - March 30 - 1:53 am

  Bought this car with 80,000 miles. Needed a car that was not so low to the ground because of my back. Wish I would have bought an old 9 Taurus. This car has fallen apart on me, the transfer case got a hole blown in it. So now its going to cost me $1700 dollars to replace, not including labor. I cant drive it because the drive shaft is laying in my garage and now I have no car because Im on a fixed income. I will never buy a discontinued brand again. The devil in mechanical form!

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  The free car - 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
  By Dave Elsberry - March 15 - 2:00 am

  This car was a gift, new by my in- laws. Its never been an attractive car, and didnt ride very well. Massive oversteer, and a floating feeling never made the car comfortable for any length of time. Over the life of the car (110K miles as of now). Ive rebuilt the top end of the motor twice due to head gasket failures, which cracked one head, and warped the intake both times. The transmission lost a $20.00 sensor, cost $1500.00 in labor to replace (the engine has to come out). Its now blown its third head gasket. the AC died two times due to the placement of the AC hoses, and all four power window motors failed.

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  Never Again - 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By UnhappyFloridian - January 26 - 11:46 pm

  I was really excited about purchasing my Platinum Edition Oldsmobile Bravada until I started having problems with it. At 36,000 miles my transmission, rear wiper motor and A/C system all went (glad I bought the extended warranty). Since then, I have replaced the brakes twice, redone the front end, and keep getting water in my transfer case (car has been in the shop at least six times for this alone). I never drive in water and they cant figure out what the problem is. Also, it has lots of rattles. My ignition shorted twice as did my radio. My transmission is going again and the roof rack paint is peeling. The jack they provided could not hold the vehicle weight. Oldsmobile refused to replace a $50 jack free of charge. I would never purchase an Oldsmobile again.

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  Trouble Car - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By drazzst - January 1 - 6:46 am

  Approx. 6 mos. after purchasing the vehicle, we had a minor rainstorm, and the driver side window wouldnt go up or down (power). Had the connection repaired. Next night, we had a MAJOR rainstorm, and the problem happened again. Shortly after, the radio stopped working due to a wire being disconnected by the dealer (their fault). After that was repaired, because of the location of the wire in the driver side, it became disconnected again. Then the starter started messing up...sometimes it takes up to 6 tries to turn the engine over. Now the coolant light comes on, chimes, and goes off. My car is currently considered a "Friday Night Special"

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  Terrible Car!! - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By AleroOwner - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Purchased in 2000 this car has been a very unreliable automobile. Luckily, still under warranty, it has been in the shop 24 times! Engine, Head Gaskets, Water Pump, Alternator, problem with low tire pressure light, still is on to this day (cant find a problem) just to name a few... this was all at 42,000 miles!! Good job GM!

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  costs way to much for what you get - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Lisa S - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This car gets horrible gas milage for a 4cylinder car, both city and highways miles. It has lots of rode noise and is very rickety sounding, meaning the inside like the doors are making noises like creeking noises as you are driving down the rode. Considering this car will cost you 18K to 20K brand new there is no reason for it to be this horrilble of a car!! I would expect this from like a cheap car like around 10K to 15K

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  Why Cant they Build a Decent car? - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Ro - August 17 - 2:06 am

  I ordered my Oldsmobile Alero in 1999. The first couple of years went okay, but in the third year I had to replace the alternater and soon after that my front brakes went. My rear view mirror completely fell off when I was driving and since there are wires connected to it I had to drive with the mirror dangling from my windshield. I can only use my air / heat on the 3 and 4 settings so the air literally sucks the tears from my eyes. Whenever it rains heavily my drivers side floor becomes completely saturated & I have a puddle of water in my car. Finally, on a day we had a snow storm, the drivers side window fell into the door. These things happened after the warranty expiresd and I wasnt offered an extended warranty..hmm, I wonder why?