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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  What a Lemon - 2002 Oldsmobile Alero
  By javascript - November 3 - 10:26 pm

  I have had this car for just over 3 years and its been the worst car Ive ever owned. Pretty much everything that can go wrong with a vehicle has gone wrong in this car. Its been a real money pit. I have owned a total of 3 cars in my entire life and this has been the worst by far. I actually feel guilty selling it because its such a lousy vehicle.

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  Like a Timex, It Keeps on Ticking - 1996 Oldsmobile Ciera
  By its paif for - November 3 - 6:16 pm

  Yes, this car is boring. But it is reliable, and no matter how I treat it, she just wont give up the ghost. The wife wont let me get something else until this thing dies, so it might be a while. Ive got 167,000 miles on her and it still doesnt burn a drop of oil. It has some rust, but for a work car it is perfect. We even take this thing and leave the van at home to keep the miles off the good vehicle. I dont get the gas mileage that others claim though.

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  If you own it sell it - 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By nobehappy - October 31 - 12:53 pm

  Good looking with lots of features. But way too many mechanical problems. Heated seats went right after the warranty. The gasket problems cost a fortune to fix and occur over and over. The transmission gave out at 110k miles. Towed to Olds dealer. They quoted $3,400 for them to fix and another $625 for other problems they found on the diagnostics tests. It is going to the junk yard as it is not worth fixing. I really regret buying this thing...just shows how far they are behind in matching the higher- quality build of Hondas and Toyotas. It is no wonder GM has problems getting people to want to buy their vehicles and trust them after experiences like this.

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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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  Intrigues are the worst cars ever BUILT - 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Neece - September 8 - 10:00 am

  From a mechanic stand point, something is always wrong with these cars intrigues they are constantly braking down, and in need of repairs. Not minor repairs either, things like, front rods, transmisson work, bad rotors and brakes, rack and pinion, and catilictic converter,badly spelled, but you should know the part, and also o2 censes. Oldsmobile intrigues have a great deal of mechanical problems, and in my opinion they are badly built cars.

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  Should have researched better! - 2001 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Scott - September 3 - 3:13 pm

  I bought this thing from a small dealer, mistake #1. Since I have bought it, I have put roughly 15,000 miles on it in almost 20 months. I have had to replace a CO2 pump, oil cooling lines, and both front brake rotors and both front wheel bearings. The check engine light has been on more than I can count. There is a lesson to be learned from buying a vehicle that manufacturer has gone out of business...Dont!

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  Not a bad car, Not great either - 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By 123 - August 17 - 8:36 am

  I have had this car for about 4 years. Bought the car used with 40k on it and now it is up to 100k. Have not had any major problems with it until now. The ball joints need to be replaced and the mechanic I took it to wants to replace all the seals and steering rods in the front with the ball joints. Other than that only small things have gone wrong with it. The fuel gauge broke and I replaced it and then it broke again so I just go by the mileage now. The car gets horrible gas mileage, An average of 12 to 15 mpg.

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  Problems - 2001 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By CathyC - August 3 - 10:00 am

  We have had several problems. The biggest one being the Transfer Case, which the dealer will not replace. Now at 17,000 miles we are replacing oil coller adapter seal, transfer case seal, and 1st differencial pin seal. I love the looks of this car, but Im really sorry I bought it now and will probably get rid of it soon.

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  Transmission Troubles - 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Carolynn - July 21 - 2:00 am

  We picked up our Silhouette, drove it for about a week before we left for Florida where we spend the winter. We made it as far as Gainesville and the check engine light came on, the gas mileage decreased and the performance in traffic decreased dramatically. We were reasonably close to our destination so we continued on. Thank Heaven we didnt stop to have it checked as we took it in to the dealer in Bradenton on our arrival and it took 11 days to get it back. The transmission was out. We were told it took that long because the transmission never goes out. DUH! We have it back but are getting 20 MPG compared to 29 MPG before the transmission quit.

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  Wish I didnt have to say goodbye - 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Erin - June 18 - 6:56 pm

  After 8 years with my Intrigue, I am sad to say goodbye to it, but must due to the increasing repairs I have to make to it. At 40,000 miles, I had sensor issues. At 60,000 miles, I had all hub bearings go out. Now at 130,000 miles I have had alternator, a/c and more sensor issues, a broken fuel gauge, engine mounts replaced, and now a coolant leak that will cost $1000 to fix simply because of the cost of parts for this car and the difficult accessibility to certain areas. I adore the horsepower and performance of the car, but just cant keep up with $4000/year in maintenance costs.