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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  Headache! - 2001 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Michelle - July 28 - 12:43 pm

  Needless to say, this car is starting to spend more time in the shop than on the road. I just got a new transmission but this jerking issue still persists. The brakes continue to be a problem. We have had to fix the window on the driver side and recall for the hazard lights. This good looking car is a real mess! If anyone has the opportunity to by an Alero, run the other way. There is a good reason why they stopped making this car!

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  Left GM for Volvo - 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By SJD - July 10 - 2:06 pm

  Bought car new. At 8,000 4 new rotors. Just after warranty (37k miles) intake manifold gasket to be replaced! Fuel injectors clog too easily. Never had a car with so many injector problems! Seemed to be in for repair more than I care to count! The straw to break the camels back came at 143k miles with a rod breaking off the camshaft - hmm $5000 to replace engine or buy a Volvo s60 -- that answer is easy! No more gm cars in this house. Not when only a class-action lawsuit might get me a few of the $500 I paid for the intake gasket replacement! If gm goes under, I would not regret it!

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  Why ME!!! - 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
  By OLDSMAN24 - July 8 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle reminds me of wacthing Tom Hanks in the Money Pit. Every time you touch something or push a pedal.. something else breaks. Why Me? What have i done to deserve this. In all honesty it makes it to college and back, about 600K round trip. So i did not complain untill the trans, struts, calipers,fuel pump, alternator,ignition coils,and head decided to go all at 115K. Good luck and the devil have mercy on your oldsmobile.

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  scrap metal - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By majjg - July 6 - 10:00 am

  50,000 highway miles and nothing but problems. This is a great vehicle if you know a great mechanic! It rides like a ratteling peice of scrap metal too. It great to note that in a few years when Olds stop making cars it wont be worth anything either. GM should get its act together. !

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  Bravada, Edsel and Me - 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By proofed - June 16 - 9:33 am

  Back again, To all of you that wrote those glowing reviews, I salute you and your luck. I do believe you are living in denial,however but that is my opinion. I have to tell the truth, yes, it is a beautiful car with luxury appointments etc and was wonderful for the two weeks that I didn;t have to work on it. It shines like a new penny, the leather is soft, but if it sits in your drive looking pretty, it is like a trophy wife who chooses to sleep on the couch. As I type, I have spent another night tracing ground faults, bad parts, and now suspect the keyremote unit for some of this. I already had it to the eletrician for a week and $500, who fixed only the low voltage standard for the engine

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  GARBAGE - 1999 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By Gandalf - May 19 - 10:00 am

  Leased in 99 went way over miles. Rotors defective from the factory at 39,000/ water pump at 60,000/ transmission at 65,000/ battery at 2+ years. Amazingly nothing was warrantied when it went. All wheel drive chatters on corners and reverse and is underpowered.

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  Major repairs required every 10,000 miles - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By debducttape - April 14 - 8:04 am

  I have had this car longer than any other vehicle I have owned, not because it is quality, but because it is so frequently broken down, sitting at the shop or waiting for my husband to repair it. Things that have broken: Transmission (over $1400 with 4 mechanics still not fixed) Security like comes on, blinks for exactly 10 minutes during which time, the car will not start ($400 to repair) Breaks repaired 3-4 times including replacing all the break line ($400 - work done mostly by my husband) Gas gauge says empty (have not repaired yet) AC dead ($325- still not fixed) Lots more, but I am running out of space. Overall, I could have bought 2 more of these crap cars for repair $$

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  a ford pinto was a better car - 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass
  By t martin - April 11 - 10:00 am

  the suspension in the rear is really bad the paint is flaking off the car their is a invisible leak during the winter that coolant leaks out. It is just a cheap non quality car that general motors should have never built and the climate control has a short in it.

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  think again - 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By johnhilbert - April 6 - 10:00 am

  bought it with under 30k miles have replace ignition swt,fuel pump,transmision,water pump, brakes needs passenger seat handel repaired i thought i was buying quality think again

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  Run Away - 1997 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By zerosoma33 - March 30 - 1:23 am

  The only redeeming factor of my Bravada ownership was that I paid $700 for it and was able to use it during one harsh winter season. At the tail end of January, however, all of that ended for this vehicle. 123,000 miles. What a nightmare. Engine knock. Had it looked at, said it was the belts but didnt need to be replaced immediately. It also shut off sometimes while in reverse. One frosty January night the vehicle quit accelerating and wouldnt turn back on. I coasted it to a parking lot and had it towed. Flywheel broke off and damaged internal parts. Ruined the transmission. Now the vehicle will start but will not shift. Keys get stuck in ignition. Engine grinds like a lawnmower.