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 Cutlass - 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By Allie S - October 17 - 7:53 pm

  This car has been very dependable, it has decent gas mileage (approximately 25 mpg) It is cute, and sporty, but also comfortable and practical.

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  Fun to drive. - 1996 Oldsmobile Eighty Eight
  By Dave - October 15 - 6:36 am

  The Olds Eighty-eight is a great highway car! It is very stable at high speeds, has good acceleration, is comfortable, and has acceptable gas mileage considering the horsepower. Like all sporty cars, this is not the most maintenance-free Ive owned. That is not to say it left me stranded on the side of the road, it just needed attention periodically; lots of little things quit working properly. Overall a good second car, and a great family vacation car.

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  For the money it is worth it! - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By jreynard - October 14 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in a haste. The car has been worth every cent that I paid. The features are nice for the price. The ride is quiet and the car is mechanically sound. The steering is a little disconnected but you still have a decent sense of the road. I enjoy the layout of the controls. They seem to have put a little extra thought into the lay out in the cabin. I enjoy my car and it has been good to me.

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  Silhouette Premiere - 1999 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By berry - October 13 - 10:00 am

  Very good and reliable vehicle. Great for those long family trips. Has plenty of room and is very comfortable for children and adults alike. The entertainment system helps calm your nerves by preoccupying the children.

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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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  A Competent Car but no Camry - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By Stratman - October 4 - 6:50 am

  Purchased new in 1998 by my dad and passed down to me in 2001 - have driven about 90 k miles since then. Tried to convince him to buy Camry but he was a solid GM customer. The best thing I did was to replace the Firestone OEM Affinity tires -- first with Affinity LH30s and later with Yokohama Avid TRZs which were even better. They dramatically improved the ride and handling. After 108k, the car is still solid with no rattles which surprised me for an American car (Ive always owned Japanese or German cars.

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  My alero - 2004 Oldsmobile Alero
  By marilis - September 25 - 12:06 pm

  Outstanding, very good car it was worth every penny. ive have not had one problem since day one.

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  Loved it, despite problems late in life - 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By BNSF616 - September 24 - 7:56 am

  Bought new 2/98. Great car for the first 8 yrs or so. Fun to drive, good fuel economy, good ergonomics, comfortable. It always (from around age 2+) had a minor, but irritating, oil leak that no one ever seemed able to find or fix. Otherwise, experienced only the usual and expected wear-related maintenance issues until about age 9, when several major problems cropped up (cracked intake manifold, mainly), and along with expected maintenance items consistent with that age/mileage just became too much to justify on a car with 121K miles. Finally traded it off 8/2008, but with a lot of sadness. It really was a good car overall, and I was very sorry to see it go.

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  Up In The Air - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By mlzebe - September 20 - 11:43 am

  I bought my Alero last year with 72,000 miles on it. I was loving it I thought it was a all around good car. Well it was until I started having this problem with the security system. Sometimes when I turn the car off, and go to start it again nothing happens except for the dash light coming on. I priced to fix and was told about $300 to 400 to fix. Besides that and the air drafts its a nice car.

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  2003 olds aurora - 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By lionman73 - September 18 - 12:34 pm

  bought a 95 aurora when they first came out! loved the styling and uniqueness of the car. when I found out olds was phasing out in 03, I had to have one before they were extinct! have since sold the 95 and am in love with the 03! beautiful car--no huge mechanical problems since ive had it--going on 73,000 miles strong! always getting compliments on it and just sad that olds went to pasture and took the aurora with it! couldnt you just imagine a 2014 olds aurora? I can, even if only in my dreams!