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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  GREAT CAR!!!! - 1999 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Milk - July 28 - 10:00 am

  I LOVE MY CAR!!!

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  Tough to trade in - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Greg - July 24 - 3:13 pm

  I bought my Alero new and have had no problems with it at all. Anything that did go wrong was covered under warranty. Car has been so reliable that now 6 years into it, Im having a hard time letting it go to trade in. I think Im going to keep it. Handles great (I loaded the options when I ordered it). Only complaint is the V6 is a gas hog but makes up for it in the handling and power dept. Too bad Olds closed down.

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  Olds but not forgotten - 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By hr - July 10 - 5:36 pm

  This is a great all around car. It is midsize and not too big or too small. It has split folding rear seats to haul bigger objects. It gets 22 miles per gallon of reg. fuel.

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  1999 Olds Bravada.... Still love it! - 1999 Oldsmobile Bravada
  By pinsey - July 8 - 11:33 pm

  I bought this vehicle back in 2004. I have 110,000 miles on it. Heated seats, sunroof, leather interior, all the upgrades imaginable. I have never gotten tired of that beautiful burgundy color., stereo... the works! It is the most comfortable vehicle our family has ever owned. Still drives great. Very minimal problems compared to cars of the past. One of the best purchases weve ever made. This was my first SUV. I could never go back to driving a regular sedan. Were seniors now. We like it better than our new Mazda 3.

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  Old Used Car, still runs like new - 2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By kjreinha - July 8 - 4:07 pm

  OK, So I found one that really was owned by an 80+yr old couple. Our just bought, 62k miles Intrigue, really shocked me with its smooth performance, handling, acceleration and ride. I cleaned some carbon off the BTRFLY valve in the throttle body because the pedal was a little sticky and dropped in a new PCV valve ($3) and this car runs again like it is brand new. Dealer had all the records and showed only typical maintenance, OTW all original. I am not partial to any brand, and this was used, but I have been very impressed with a 14+yr old car running this well and looking this good. My highschool kids feel pretty lucky to have such a nice car to drive.

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  A great choice - 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette
  By Weller - July 1 - 9:10 pm

  Very enjoyable to own and drive with around town mileage around 22 to 23 mpg, equal to or better than what we got with our previoys Oldsmobile LS sedan. Over the road we get about 28 to 29 mpg, about 2 mpg less than with our previous olds LS sedan, a 1997 model. We hope GM continues to produce this kind of a car for our next purchase with equal or hopefully even better gas economy!

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  Excellent - 2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue
  By Emily B. - June 29 - 12:30 pm

  Bought it salvaged, and surprisingly the only problem so far is a malfunctioning window. Car has excellent MPG--I once clocked it at 34 hwy--and coasts around town like a dream. Heater can be a little weird; otherwise loaded with good functional features. Accelerates on a dime, quiet, fast.

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  Great ride - 2002 Oldsmobile Aurora
  By JDavid - June 23 - 5:00 pm

  Best drivers cockpit available. Fun ride, extraordinary comfort with sporty handling & great responsiveness. Outstanding drive train. Good build. Bottom line: I wish GM still made this car!

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  Great Value - 2004 Oldsmobile Alero
  By bulls - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Great Value (factorty rebates plus GM card and drives smoothly. Good power, nice handling, big trunk

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  Alero Update - 2003 Oldsmobile Alero
  By Alero Boy - June 7 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car new 2/2003 to replace the 2000 Alero that I had. It doesnt feel as stable as the old 2000. Now Im having problems with the ignition: the key hesitates to go in & is difficult to remove. Of course this happens after the 36k of the warranty. (I gave back the 5yr/60k mi warranty for a $1500 credit). With rebates & discounts, I saved about $7k on this car, but I still couldnt trade it in as I owe 14500 & its worth about $11k as I have 40k mi on it. Does anyone else have no traction on wet roads? I did a 180 into on on-ramp one morning while going 15mph. I think its the Goodyear Eagle LS tires, but cant afford to replace them.