Oldsmobile |
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Wikipedia: Oldsmobile
Subtopics Viking Page Sections History Reference Desk Multimedia Motorsports Images Documents Article Index |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Oldsmobile page on 12 December 2015, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobiles produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Olds Motor Vehicle Co. was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory. When it was phased out in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Daimler, Peugeot and Tatra. Though it was closed in 2004, it still remains an active trademark of the General Motors Corporation. The closing of the Oldsmobile division presaged a larger consolidation of GM brands and discontinuation of models during the company's 2009 bankruptcy reorganization.
Reference Desk
The Crittenden Automotive Library's "Reference Desk" is a collection of materials that cannot be shared due to copyright restrictions. Information from these resources, however, can be shared. Go to the Reference Desk page for more information.
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
1975  Book | 1975 Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual by General Motors |
| 1979 Book | 1979 Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual by General Motors |
| 1999 Book | Buick, Oldsmobile & Pontiac Full-size models 1970 thru 1990 Haynes Repair Manual by Ken Freund & John H. Haynes; Haynes Publishing Group |
| Motoring's Magic Carpet: Hydra-Matic Duration: 0:50 1941 advertisement about the automatic transmission in the 1942 B-44. This film is available courtesy of the Prelinger Archives. Download Motoring's Magic Carpet: Hydra-Matic from The Internet Archive | |
| Defense Comes First with Oldsmobile Duration: 0:49 Theatrical screen ad for one of the last pre-World War II automobiles, emphasizing Oldsmobile's adaptability under wartime conditions. This film is available courtesy of the Prelinger Archives. Download Defense Comes First with Oldsmobile from The Internet Archive | |
| 1948 Commercials Duration: 3:29 Three commercials, titled Futuramic Design, Ahead Automatically, and First of the Futuramic Cars. Theater advertisements for the first all-new automobile to be placed on the market after World War II, the Oldsmobile Futuramic. This film is available courtesy of the Prelinger Archives. Download 1948 Commercials from The Internet Archive |
| Date | Media or Collection Name & Details | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 1932 | In My Merry Oldsmobile Fleischer Studios, Inc. in conjunction with Oldsmobile |  Topic Page - 6:28 |
| 1948 | The Car of Tomorrow Today The Jam Handy Organization for Oldsmobile | Topic Page - 660MB - 8:31 |
| 1951 | Trail of the Rocket Wilding Picture Productions, Inc. for Oldsmobile | Topic Page - 30:31 |
| 1960's | Take A Good Look Jerry Fairbanks Productions for Oldsmobile | Topic Page - 373MB - 16:28 |
Motorsports
Oldsmobile was the marque of the first two championships in NASCAR's top-level series, the series that would eventually become Sprint Cup. Oldsmobile was the car of the champion driver four times, winning in 1949, 1950, 1958, and 1978 (Cutlass).
Championships Won in Oldsmobiles
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Subject: The Tour of the Century
Artist: Ken Eberts Car: 1897 Oldsmobile Source: 
View "The Tour of the Century" - 1897 Oldsmobile Art - 88KB |
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Subject: 1903 Oldsmobile Advertisement
Source: The World Almanac and Encyclopedia, 1903 Edition View 1903 Oldsmobile Advertisement - 469KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile Limited Roadster
Source: Famous GM Cars Caption: OLDSMOBILE Limited Roadster, 1910. This high-powered speedster, a far cry from the early Curved-Dash Oldsmobile, sold for $4,600, had a four-speed transmission. The catalog said: "With the 42-inch tires, no limit can be assigned to its touring radius nor to its durability and economy of maintenance. No road or hill on which traction may be obtained by anything on wheels can stop the LIMITED roadster." View Famous GM Cars: Oldsmobile Limited Roadster - 8.4MB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile Touring 45-A
Source: Hand Book of Automobiles, 1919 Edition View Oldsmobile Touring 45-A page of Hand Book of Automobiles, 1919 Edition - 469KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile Touring 37
Source: Hand Book of Automobiles, 1919 Edition View Oldsmobile Touring 37 page of Hand Book of Automobiles, 1919 Edition - 505KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile Dealer Window
Source: Washington Times-Herald Date: 31 December 1922 View Winterfront - 1922 Dealer Window - 2.2MB |
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Subject: Abrahamson Motor Company 1929 Oldsmobile Ad
Source: The Ludington Daily News Date: 24 May 1929 View photo of Abrahamson Motor Company 1929 Oldsmobile Ad - 1.4MB |
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Subject: An Automobile for Everyone
Artist: Ken Eberts Car: 1936 Oldsmobile Source:
View "An Automobile for Everyone" - 1936 Oldsmobile Art - 64KB |
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Subject: 1950 Oldmobile Coupe Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2013 GTR Summer NNL View photo of 1950 Oldmobile Scale Model Car - 3.3MB |
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Subject: 1950 Oldmobile Coupe Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2013 GTR Summer NNL View photo of 1950 Oldmobile Scale Model Car - 3.3MB |
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Subject: 1950 Oldmobile Coupe Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2013 GTR Summer NNL View photo of 1950 Oldmobile Scale Model Car - 3.4MB |
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Subject: 1950 Oldmobile Gasser Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2013 GTR Summer NNL View photo of 1950 Oldmobile Gasser Scale Model Car - 3.4MB |
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Subject: 1950 Oldmobile Gasser Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2013 GTR Summer NNL View photo of 1950 Oldmobile Gasser Scale Model Car - 3.4MB |
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Subject: 1950 Oldmobile Gasser Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2013 GTR Summer NNL View photo of 1950 Oldmobile Gasser Scale Model Car - 3.2MB |
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Subject: Maintaining the Love Affair
Artist: Ken Eberts Car: 1954 Oldsmobile Source:
View "Maintaining the Love Affair" - 1954 Oldsmobile Art - 88KB |
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Subject: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DRIVER?
Source: The Spartanburg Herald Photographer: B&B Studio Date: 4 March 1954 Caption: This late model Oldsmobile was found overturned and smashed in a ditch on... {scan error} ...176 near Inman early Wednesday morning. Police said no one was found at the scene. The windshield was smashed and the steering wheel was pressed against the back of the seat. The driver apparently left the scene. Papers indicating the car's owner was from Arizona were found in the car. View photo of Crashed Oldsmobile - 3.0MB |
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Subject: Diesel Oldsmobile Badge
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Date: 23 April 2009 View photo of Diesel Oldsmobile badge - 244KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile-Engined Dragster Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2010 Cedarville Model Car Contest and Swap Meet View photo of Oldsmobile-engined dragster - 1,919KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile-Engined Dragster Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2010 Cedarville Model Car Contest and Swap Meet View photo of Oldsmobile-engined dragster - 3,342KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile-Engined Dragster Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2010 Cedarville Model Car Contest and Swap Meet View photo of Oldsmobile-engined dragster - 3,075KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile-Engined Dragster Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2010 Cedarville Model Car Contest and Swap Meet View photo of Oldsmobile-engined dragster - 3,208KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile Sportsman Stock Car Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2011 Attack of the Plastic View photo of Oldsmobile Sportsman Stock Car Scale Model - 1,958KB |
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Subject: Oldsmobile Sportsman Stock Car Scale Model
Photographer: Bill Crittenden Event: 2011 Attack of the Plastic View photo of Oldsmobile Sportsman Stock Car Scale Model - 879KB |
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Subject: America Treasures its Automobiles
Artist: Ken Eberts Cars: 1905 Oldsmobile Curved Dash (left), Oldsmobile Aurora (right) Event: Hershey Car Show Source:
View "America Treasures its Automobiles" - Oldsmobile Art - 64KB |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 24 January 1905 grant date | Body for Motor-Vehicles. United States Patent US 780,746 Norman T. Harrington for the Olds Motor Works |  PDF - 220KB - 3 pages |
| 27 June 1905 grant date | Carburetor for Hydrocarbon-Engines. United States Patent US 793,498 Jacob LaGrange Ash for the Olds Motor Works | PDF - 242KB - 3 pages |
| 5 March 1907 grant date | Detachable Running-Board for Motor-Vehicles. United States Patent US 780,746 Howard E. Coffin for the Olds Motor Works | PDF - 164KB - 2 pages |
| 11 February 1908 grant date | Speed-Controlling Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles. United States Patent US 878,786 George W. Dunham for the Olds Motor Works | PDF - 202KB - 2 pages |
| 31 August 1909 grant date | Design for a Hub-Cap for Automobiles. United States Patent USD 40,249 George W. Dunham for the Olds Motor Works | PDF - 48KB - 2 pages |
| 22 August 1916 grant date | Design for a Radiator-Frame. United States Patent USD 49,552 Fabio B. Sergardi for the Olds Motor Works | PDF - 58KB - 2 pages |
| 1936 model year | Oldsmobile Flat Rate Manual 1936 Olds Motor Works | PNG - 171MB - 126 pages |
| 31 March 1967 report date | NHTSA Recall 67V034000 1967 Buick, 1967 Oldsmobile, 1967 Pontiac | Recall Page - 1 page |
| 8 January 1982 publication date | A Second Diesel Choice from Oldsmobile Oldsmobile | JPG - 35.6MB - 8 pages |
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 11 April 1909 | Auto News From Near and Far: Oldsmobile Success. | The New York Times |
| 12 December 1909 | Jinricksha Wheels Coming. | The New York Times |
| 11 January 1910 | SEEN AT THE SHOW: The Oldsmobile Exhibit. | The New York Times |
| 2 August 1922 | AUTOMOBILE PRICE WAR IS PREDICTED | The New York Times |
| 31 December 1922 | AUTOMOBILE 'TICKS' FASTER THAN WATCH | Washington Times-Herald |
| 21 September 1924 | AUSTRALIAN "OLDS" DUPLICATES FEAT OF CANNON-BALL TRIP | The Pittsburgh Press |
| 9 January 2001 | Demise of Oldsmobile Linked to Positioning Difficulties | Visual Forecasts LLC |
| 18 October 2012 | A New Vision for General Motors | Bill Crittenden |
