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76-579: John Francis Dodge and his brother Horace were original investors in Ford Motor Company who sold their interest to Henry Ford and established their own company, the Dodge Motor Company, in 1914. Both brothers died in 1920, leaving their respective widows very wealthy women. Matilda Dodge Wilson , John's widow, married in 1925 to Alfred Wilson, was interested in stage productions and decided to use part of her fortune to build

152-548: A " guinea pig " for testing new technology, with Oldsmobile offering the Toronado Trofeo , which included a visual instrument system with a calendar, datebook, climate controls and several prototypes built in conjunction with Avis with an early satellite-based navigation system. For 1995, Oldsmobile introduced the Aurora , which would be the inspiration for the design of its cars from the mid-1990s onward. The introduction of

228-410: A 60 hp (45 kW) 707  CID (11.6 L) T-head straight-six engine, Bosch Magneto starter, running boards and room for five. Options included a speedometer, clock, and a full glass windshield. A limousine version was priced at $ 5,800 ($ 189,660 in 2023 dollars ). While Oldsmobile only sold 725 Limiteds in its three years of production, the car is best remembered for winning a race against

304-401: A conventional clutch pedal, which the driver presses before selecting either "low" or "high" range. In "low," the car shifts between first and second gears. In "high," the car shifts among first, third and fourth gears. For the 1940 model, Oldsmobile was the first auto manufacturer to offer a fully automatic transmission , called the " Hydramatic ", which features four forward speeds. It has

380-469: A division of General Motors, Oldsmobile slotted into the middle of GM's five passenger car divisions (above Chevrolet and Pontiac , but below Buick and Cadillac ). It was also noted for several groundbreaking technologies and designs. Oldsmobile's sales peaked at over one million annually from 1983 to 1986, but by the 1990s the division faced growing competition from premium import brands, and sales steadily declined. When it shut down in 2004, Oldsmobile

456-471: A fin-top taillight (concave on the 98 models while convex on the 88 models). The 1959 models also offered several roof treatments, such as the pillared sedan with a fastback rear window and the Holiday SportSedan, which was a flat-roofed pillarless hardtop with wraparound front and rear glass. The 1959 models were marketed as "the linear look", and also featured a bar-graph speedometer which showed

532-477: A gas pedal and a brake—no clutch pedal. The gear selector is on the steering column. Starting in 1941 and continuing through 1999, Oldsmobile used a two-digit model designation. As originally implemented, the first digit signifies the body size while the second represents the number of cylinders. Body sizes were 6, 7, 8, and 9, and straight six- and straight eight-cylinder engines were offered. Thus, Oldsmobiles were named " 66 " through " 98 ". Until January 1, 1942,

608-435: A green indicator through 35 miles per hour (56 km/h), then changed to orange until 65 miles per hour (105 km/h), then was red above that until the highest speed read by the speedometer, 120 miles per hour (190 km/h). Power windows were available on the 98 models, as were two-speed electric windshield wipers with electrically powered windshield washers. The 88 still relied on vacuum-operated windshield wipers without

684-660: A love of horses that led her to acquire Castleton Farm in Lexington, Kentucky , and turn it into one of the leading horse breeding operations in the United States. Dodge's daughter Isabel established Brookmeade Stable . It became a major participant in Thoroughbred horse racing and owned several Champions , including the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame horses Cavalcade and Sword Dancer . Five years after Dodge's death in 1920, Matilda married Alfred Wilson and they built

760-512: A new GM bodystyle platform called the " GM B platform ", shared with Buick products. In 1929, as part of General Motors' companion make program , Oldsmobile introduced the higher standard Viking brand, marketed through the Oldsmobile dealer network. Viking was already discontinued at the end of the 1930 model year although an additional 353 cars were marketed as 1931 models. In the 1930s, Oldsmobile produced two body styles of automobile,

836-536: A unique 350-cubic-inch displacement V8. It was during the 1977 model year that demand exceeded production capacity for the Oldsmobile V8 and as a result, Oldsmobile began equipping most full-size Delta 88 models (those with Federal emissions specifications) with the Chevrolet 350 engine instead. Although it was widely debated whether there was a difference in quality or performance between the two engines, there

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912-575: A venue in Detroit to serve as home to a repertory troupe, and to host touring Broadway performers. She hired the prominent Detroit architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls who assigned William Kapp to design the building and spent $ 1.5 million on the construction. At the time of its opening in 1928, the building was dubbed the Wilson Theatre. Kapp designed the six-story Wilson Theater in an Art Deco style. The Madison Street facade

988-400: A vertical bar. The tail of the car featured massive vertical chrome taillight housings. Two chrome stars were fitted to the trunklid. Ford styling consultant Alex Tremulis (designer of the 1948 Tucker sedan ) mocked the 1958 Oldsmobile by drawing cartoons of the car, and placing musical notes in the rear trim assembly. Another Detroit stylist employed by Ford bought a used 1958 Oldsmobile in

1064-500: A warmed-over 1942 model serving as the offering for 1946. Oldsmobile once again was a pioneer when, for the 1949 model, the Rocket engine was introduced, which used an overhead valve V8 design rather than the flathead " straight-eight " design which prevailed at the time. The overhead valve was originally exclusive to Buick as they invented the technology and offered it on all of their products. This engine produced far more power than

1140-422: A washer feature. 1959 Oldsmobiles were offered with "Autronic Eye" (a dashboard-mounted automatic headlight dimmer) as well as factory-installed air conditioning and power-operated front bench seat as available options. The 1959 body style was continued through the 1960 model year, but the fins were toned down for 1960 and the taillights were moved to the bottom of the fenders. Notable achievements for Oldsmobile in

1216-564: A water pool. Oldsmobile commissioned two prominent sculptures by noted sculptor Samuel Cashwan , who had previously served on the General Motors Styling Staff. The exterior Cashwan sculpture, titled Open Cage , previously located outside the Admin Building's primary entrance, was donated in 2006, to be placed at the entrance to the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum . The east wall of the penthouse featured

1292-490: A wraparound windshield, a trend that eventually all American makes would share at sometime between 1953 and 1964. New for 1954 on 98 coupes and convertibles (Starfire) would be front and rear "sweep cut" fender styling, which would not show up on a Chevrolet until 1956 and not until 1957 on a Pontiac. 1953 models changed to a 12 volt electrical system that made starting easier. In the 1950s the nomenclature changed again, and trim levels also received names that were then mated with

1368-469: Is decorated with orange and tan brick with Pewabic tile and stone accents. The upper facade is divided into seven bays by stone-covered piers which are capped with terra cotta theatrical masks. In each of the five central bays are two windows separated by a narrower pier. The end bays have only one window. The parapet boasts coral and green Pewabic tile in a quatrefoil pattern and the facade at street level has been covered with travertine with green marble at

1444-717: The Chevrolet brand. For the European market, the Oldsmobile Silhouette was sold between 1994 and 1997 as the Pontiac Trans Sport by replacing the Oldsmobile badging with Pontiac badging, along with Pontiac wheels. Sales in Europe were good for an American import, but did not represent enough volume to make a distinct model economically feasible for the European market. Its successors were both

1520-657: The Chevrolet Trans Sport (second generation Pontiac Trans Sport rebadged as a Chevrolet) (LWB), and the Opel/Vauxhall Sintra (SWB). The Oldsmobile Alero was sold in select countries in Europe (and Israel ) between 1999 and 2001 as the Chevrolet Alero, and was only available as a 4-door sedan . The car still featured its Oldsmobile badges even though sold under the Chevrolet brand, but since most European consumers would not recognize

1596-520: The Ford Motor Company in 1903. The 1902 to 1907 Oldsmobile Model R "Curved Dash" was the first mass-produced car , made on a progressive moving automotive assembly line , an invention which is often incorrectly credited to Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company. Ford was the first to manufacture cars on a continuously moving and synchronized assembly line starting in 1913, five years into Model T production. Olds' moving assembly line

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1672-515: The General Motors Technical Center . Approach walkways integrated snow melting units, and the design incorporated interior and exterior artwork. The building has two prominent interconnected towers in the northeast corner: a six-level north wing and a four-level south wing. The building's two-story lobby featured a sunken visitor waiting area, a place to display a current Oldsmobile, and a reception area, 'floating' within

1748-724: The Meadow Brook Hall at the Rochester estate. His great grandson is film producer John F Dodge III. John and Horace contracted influenza and pneumonia while in New York City during the 1918 flu pandemic . John died on January 14, 1920, at the Ritz-Carlton , age 55. He was interred in the Egyptian-style family mausoleum in Detroit's Woodlawn Cemetery guarded by two Sphinx statues. Horace died

1824-582: The Oldsmobile Light Eight in 1916, Oldsmobile offered a Northway -designed flathead V8 engine until 1923, while Buick remained with their division exclusive overhead valve straight-six engine until 1930. Beginning in 1910, bodywork was supplied by Fisher Body , a longstanding tradition that led to the company being eventually merged into GM in later years. In 1926, the Oldsmobile Six came in five body styles, and ushered in

1900-539: The Series F (straight-6 cylinder) and the longer Series L (straight-8 cylinder). In 1933 The Oldsmobile Program appeared on CBS radio for two years which was a new advertising approach to sell products and services. In 1937, Oldsmobile was a pioneer in introducing a four-speed semi-automatic transmission called the "Automatic Safety Transmission", although this accessory was actually built by Buick, which would offer it in its own cars in 1938. This transmission features

1976-660: The United States military during the arms buildup for World War I , and in October 1917 they produced their first commercial car. At war's end, their company produced and marketed both cars and trucks. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1997. Because of his temper and often crude behavior, the red-haired Dodge was seen as socially unacceptable to most of the well-heeled elite of Detroit. Nevertheless, his wealth made him an influential member of

2052-595: The 1950s was 1958. The nation was beginning to feel the results of its first significant post-war recession, and US automobile sales were down for the model year. Oldsmobile, Buick and Cadillac received a heavy-handed makeover of the 1957 GM designs. The Oldsmobile that emerged in 1958 bore little resemblance to the design of its forerunners; instead the car emerged as a large, over-decorated "chromemobile" which many felt had overly ostentatious styling. Up front, all 1958 Oldsmobile's received one of General Motors' heavily styled front facias and quad-headlights. Streaking back from

2128-581: The 1960s included the introduction of the first turbocharged engine and a factory water injection system in 1962 (the Turbo Jetfire ), the first modern front-wheel drive car produced in the United States (the 1966 Toronado ), the Vista Cruiser station wagon (noted for its roof glass), and the upscale 442 muscle car . Olds briefly used the names "Jetstar 88" (1964–1966) and Delmont 88 (1967–1968) on its least expensive full-size models in

2204-574: The 1960s. In 1968 the split grille appearance was introduced and remained a traditional feature until production ended in 2004. Notable models for the 1960s: The 1970s and 1980s were good years for the Oldsmobile division; sales soared (reaching an all-time high of 1,066,122 in 1985) based on popular designs, positive reviews from critics, and perceived quality and reliability, with the Cutlass series becoming North America's top-selling car by 1976. By this time, Olds had displaced Pontiac and Plymouth as

2280-480: The 1979 Cutlass Salon and Cutlass Supreme/Cutlass Calais models. These were largely based on corresponding gasoline engines but with heavier duty cast blocks, redesigned heads and fast glow plugs; and on the 5.7L, oversized cranks, main bearings and wrist pins. There were several problems with these engines, including water and corrosion in the injectors (no water separator in the fuel line); paraffin clogging of fuel lines and filters in cold weather; reduced lubrication in

2356-597: The Aurora marked as General Motors' catalyst to reposition Oldsmobile as an upscale import fighter. Accordingly, Oldsmobile received a new logo based on the familiar "rocket" theme. Also in 1995 Oldsmobile introduced the first satellite navigation system available in the United States, the Guidestar on the 1995 Oldsmobile 88 . Nearly all the existing model names were gradually phased out: the Cutlass Calais in 1991,

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2432-627: The Division was still known by the still official name of Olds Motor Works, when it was changed to the collective name the cars were known as, "Oldsmobiles". Thus, the division was officially christened the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors. The last pre-war Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line on February 5, 1942. During World War II , Oldsmobile produced numerous kinds of material for the war effort, including large-caliber guns and shells. Production resumed on October 15, 1945, with

2508-744: The Dodge Family Association has shown that many of the USA Dodges are in fact descended from Dodges who emigrated from East Coker, Somerset . In 1886, the Dodge family moved to Detroit , where John and Horace took jobs at a boiler maker plant. In 1894 they went to work as machinists at the Dominion Typograph Company in Windsor, Ontario , Canada. While John was the sales-minded managerial type, his brother Horace

2584-781: The Michigan State University-Oakland was renamed Oakland University . Rebadged models, mostly from Japanese or Korean manufacturers – Rebadged Chrysler/Plymouth models for external markets Oldsmobile#Early history Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors ) was a brand of American automobiles , produced for most of its existence by General Motors . Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produced over 35 million vehicles, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan , factory alone. During its time as

2660-629: The Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. It is the only remaining venue in Detroit constructed to present live performances. The theater was added to the Michigan Register of Historic Places in 1976 and National Register of Historic Places in 1977. A State of Michigan historical marker was placed at the entrance in 1978. John Francis Dodge John Francis Dodge (October 25, 1864 – January 14, 1920)

2736-617: The Silhouette only had 360 built as a result of the plant running out of production capacity due to fleet order obligations for minivans on the same assembly line. The Oldsmobile division's last completed production car was an Alero GLS 4-door sedan, which was signed by all of the Olds assembly line workers. It was on display at the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum located in Lansing, Michigan until GM's bankruptcy, when it retook possession of

2812-592: The Toronado and Custom Cruiser in 1992, the Ninety-Eight and Ciera (formerly Cutlass Ciera) in 1996, Cutlass Supreme in 1997, and finally the Eighty-Eight and Cutlass (which had only been around since '97) in 1999. They were replaced with newer, more modern models with designs inspired by the Aurora. Redesigned and new models introduced from 1990 to 2004: In spite of Oldsmobile's critical successes since

2888-490: The automobile industry. In 1902 the Dodge brothers won a contract to build transmissions for the Olds Motor Vehicle Company upon which they built a solid reputation for quality and service. However, the following year they turned down a second contract from Olds to retool their Detroit plant at Hastings Street and Monroe Avenue to build engines for Henry Ford in a deal that included a share position in

2964-606: The badging, Chevrolet badges were added to the grille and rear fascia for the 2000 model year. The Alero featured Chevrolet emblems throughout its entire run in Israel. The Alero was replaced in Europe and Israel by the GM Daewoo -sourced Chevrolet Evanda/Epica . Early on in its history, Olds enjoyed a healthy public relations boost from the 1905 hit song In My Merry Oldsmobile . The same theme—a fast, powerful Olds car helping

3040-527: The base. The original interior was designed in a Spanish Renaissance style and seated 1,800. The lower level lounge featured a built-in bar among its amenities. During the Great Depression , the cash-strapped Detroit Symphony Orchestra was unable to maintain its own building, Orchestra Hall , and played in a number of other locations in the city. In 1946, the orchestra moved into Wilson Theatre, renaming it Detroit Music Hall. The symphony left for

3116-480: The brand's name, spaced out letter by letter—signage which was removed in 2006 and subsequently also gifted to the Lansing R.E. Olds Transportation Museum. By 1996, the company's remaining employees relocated to Detroit's Renaissance Center . In Canada , the range was limited, with the Oldsmobile Silhouette and Oldsmobile Bravada being unavailable to Canadian consumers until much later in their production life. In Mexico , all Oldsmobile models were sold under

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3192-623: The car. It was then located at the GM Heritage Center in Sterling Heights , Michigan. In December 2017, the car headed to New York where it was auctioned off at a dealer-only auction for $ 42,000 to a Florida dealer. Also sold at the auction were a 1999 Cutlass and a 1996 Ciera. During the 107 years of Oldsmobile's existence, it was known for being a guinea pig for new technologies and firsts. The 200,000 square-foot Oldsmobile Administration Building, also known as Building 70,

3268-812: The community and he became active in Republican Party politics in Michigan. The Dodge brothers were the sons of machinist Daniel Rugg Dodge (1819–1897) and Maria Duval Casto (1823–1906). Maria was Daniel's second wife. They had an elder full sister: Della Lone (1863–1936) and older half brother Charles Frontier Dodge (1855–1926), and half sister Laura Belle (1858-?) from Daniel's first marriage to Lorinda Gould (1820–1860). John Dodge married Canadian Ivy Hawkins (1864–1901) in September 1892. They had three children: Following Ivy (Hawkins) Dodge's death from tuberculosis , he secretly married Isabelle Smith (who

3344-460: The company on November 12, 1908. When GM assumed operations, platform sharing began with Buick products and Oldsmobile shared platforms were identified with the prefix "Series" followed by a number, while models developed by pre-GM engineers were identified with the prefix "Model" followed by a letter. Early on, Oldsmobile was a competitor to Hudson as some former engineers of Oldsmobile took positions with Hudson. The 1910 Limited Touring Series 23

3420-447: The company produced 635 cars, making it the first high-volume gasoline-powered automobile manufacturer (electric car manufacturers such as Columbia Electric and steam-powered car manufacturers such as Locomobile had higher volumes a few years earlier). Oldsmobile became the top-selling car company in the United States from 1903 to 1904. Ransom Olds left the company in 1904 because of a dispute with sales manager Frederic L. Smith , who

3496-471: The company, Oldsmobile production was moved to Lansing . Officially, the cars were called "Olds automobiles," but were colloquially referred to as "Oldsmobiles." It was this moniker, as applied especially to the Curved Dash Olds, that was popularized in the lyrics and title of the 1905 hit song " In My Merry Oldsmobile ". The last Oldsmobile Curved Dash was made in 1907. General Motors purchased

3572-514: The early 1960s, driving it daily to work. He detached and rearranged the Oldsmobile lettering above the grille to spell out slobmodel as a reminder to himself and co-workers of what "bad" auto design meant to their business. In 1959, Oldsmobile models were completely redesigned with a rocket motif from front to rear, as the top of the front fenders had a chrome rocket, while the body-length fins were shaped as rocket exhausts which culminated in

3648-401: The edge of the headlights was a broad belt consisting of two strips of chrome on regular 88s, three strips on Super 88s, and three strips (top and bottom thin, inside thick) on 98s that ended in a point at mid-body. The bottom of the rear fender featured a thick stamping of a half tube that pointed forward, atop which was a chrome assembly of four horizontal chrome speed-lines that terminated into

3724-452: The famed 20th Century Limited train, an event immortalized in the painting Setting the Pace by William Hardner Foster. The Limited was at the time considered technologically advanced and cutting edge, if on the expensive side, but it established the division's reputation for innovation. The Oldsmobile Series 40 was offered in 1912 and was considerably more affordable and smaller, and later

3800-557: The fire was a Curved Dash prototype, which was wheeled out of the factory by two workers while escaping the burning building. While the factory was being rebuilt from insurance, many subcontractors were used to keep production going, including Henry M. Leland for engine production and the Dodge Brothers . Olds was a strong competitor to other independent companies Buick and Cadillac before they became divisions of General Motors between 1908 and 1909. Later after Mr. Olds left

3876-733: The following December, and in 1925 their widows sold the Dodge Brothers automobile business to Dillon Read , investment bankers , for $ 146 million (equivalent to $ 2 billion in 2023 ). Dodge's newborn daughter Anna Margaret died of the measles before age five. His son Daniel drowned in the waters off Manitoulin Island after falling overboard while being transported to hospital following an accident involving dynamite. He had just recently married, at age 21. After Dodge's death, Matilda married Alfred Wilson and adopted two children with him, Richard and Barbara Wilson. Matilda Dodge Wilson

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3952-423: The heads due to undersized oil galleys; head bolt failures; and the use of aluminum rockers and stanchions in the 4.3L V8 engines. While the 5.7L was also offered on various Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and Pontiac models, it was eventually discontinued by all divisions in 1985. V6 diesels of 4.3L displacement were also offered between 1982 and 1985. In 1988 the then all-new 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Pace car

4028-404: The introduction of the four-door Holiday pillarless hardtop, the industry's first (along with Buick). General Motors' styling as a whole lost its frontrunner status in 1957 when Chrysler introduced Virgil Exner 's " forward look " designs. When compared side to side, Oldsmobile looked dated next to its price-point competitors DeSoto and Mercury . Compounding the problem for Oldsmobile and Buick

4104-527: The mid-1990s, a reported shortfall in sales and overall profitability prompted General Motors to announce in December 2000 its plans to shut down the Oldsmobile organization. That announcement was officially revealed two days after Oldsmobile distributed the Bravada SUV – which became another critical hit for the division but turned out to be the final new model for the Oldsmobile brand. The phaseout

4180-487: The model numbers. This resulted in the Oldsmobile 88 emerging as base Dynamic 88 and the highline Super 88 . Other full-size model names included the "Holiday" used on hardtops, and "Fiesta" used on its station wagons. When the 88 was retired in 1999 (with a Fiftieth Anniversary Edition), its length of service was the longest model name used on American cars after the Chrysler New Yorker . Mid-1955 also saw

4256-544: The new Ford Motor Company . By 1910, John Dodge and his brother were so successful they built a new plant in Hamtramck, Michigan . For ten years (1903–1913), the Dodge brothers' business was a Ford Motor Company supplier, and Dodge worked as vice president of the Ford company. He left Ford in 1913, and in 1914 he and Horace formed Dodge Brothers to develop their own line of automobiles. They began building motor trucks for

4332-403: The newly constructed Ford Auditorium in 1956, and the building was used for other purposes, especially a movie theater showing Cinerama films. In 1971, Music Hall became home of the fledgling Michigan Opera Theatre . The opera company staged most of its productions here through the 1984 season. Restoration efforts began in 1973 and continued for several years. In 1974, the venue was renamed

4408-415: The newly formed entity was known as Olds Motor Works." The company moved to a new plant in Detroit, located at the corner of East Jefferson Avenue and MacArthur Bridge . By March 1901, Olds Motor Works had a whole line of models ready for mass production. However, that month the factory caught fire and burned to the ground, destroying nearly all of the prototypes that were inside. The only car that survived

4484-472: The other engines that were popular during that era, and found favor with hot-rodders and stock car racers. The basic design, with a few minor changes, endured until Oldsmobile redesigned its V8 engines in the mid-1960s. Oldsmobile entered the 1950s following a divisional image campaign centered on its 'Rocket' engines and the Space Race , and its cars' appearance followed suit. Oldsmobile's Rocket V8 engine

4560-435: The rocket image, that was used throughout the late 1950s, the make used twin jet pod-styled taillights as a nod to its "Rocket" theme. Oldsmobile was among the first of General Motors' divisions to receive a true hardtop in 1950 called the "Holiday coupe" (Buick's version was called the "Riviera", and Cadillac's was called the "Coupe De Ville"), and it was also among the first divisions (along with Buick and Cadillac) to receive

4636-456: The third best-selling brand in the U.S. behind Chevrolet and Ford. In the late 1970s and again in the mid-1980s, model-year production topped one million units, something only Chevrolet and Ford had achieved. The very popularity of Oldsmobile's cars created a problem for the division in the late 1970s, however. At that time, each General Motors division produced its own V8 engines, and in 1977, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Buick each produced

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4712-470: Was Lieutenant Governor of Michigan briefly in 1940 under Republican Governor Luren Dickinson . In 1957, the Wilsons donated their 1,500-acre (6.1 km ) Meadow Brook Farm, including Meadow Brook Hall , Sunset Terrace and all its other buildings and collections, along with $ 2 million (equivalent to $ 17 million in 2023 ), to Michigan State University to establish an extension campus. In 1963,

4788-443: Was a gifted mechanic and inveterate tinkerer. Using a dirt-proof ball bearing Horace invented and patented, in 1897 Dodge arranged a deal for the brothers to join with a third-party investor to manufacture bicycles . Within a few years, they sold the bicycle business and in 1900 used the proceeds of the sale to set up their own machine shop in Detroit. In their first year of business, the Dodge brothers' company began making parts for

4864-536: Was a styling mistake which GM called the "StratoRoof", which was reminiscent of the "greenhouse" canopy used on the Convair B-36 Peacemaker high altitude bomber. Both makes had models which contained the heavily framed rear window, but Detroit had been working with large curved backlights for almost a decade. Consumers disliked the roof and its blind spots, forcing GM to rush a redesign into production on some of its models. Oldsmobile's only off year in

4940-710: Was an American automobile manufacturing pioneer and co-founder of Dodge Brothers Company . Dodge was born in Niles, Michigan , where his father ran a foundry and machine shop. John and his younger brother, Horace , were inseparable as children and as adults. The origins of the Dodge family was earlier thought to lie in Stockport, England , where a Dodge ancestral home still stands (Halliday Hill Farmhouse in Listed buildings in Stockport ), however recent DNA testing conducted by

5016-504: Was an early, ambitious high point for the company. Riding atop 42-inch (1067 mm) wheels, and equipped with factory "white" tires, the Limited was the prestige model in Oldsmobile's two model lineup, with the smaller Oldsmobile Autocrat Series 32 having 36-inch wheels. The Limited retailed for US$ 4,600, ($ 150,420 in 2023 dollars ) an amount greater than the price of a new basic three-bedroom house. Buyers received goatskin upholstery,

5092-510: Was completed in 1966 to accommodate the company's major administration departments. Located at 920 Townsend Avenue, at what is currently the GM Lansing Grand River Assembly plant, the project was constructed by Michigan contractor Utley-James, with architectural design contracted by GMAC. The headquarters accommodated about 900 employees in a Modern design with exterior marble and curtain walls reminiscent of

5168-480: Was conducted on the following schedule: The last 500 Aleros, Auroras, Bravadas, Silhouettes and Intrigues produced received special Oldsmobile heritage emblems and markings which signified 'Final 500'. All featured a unique Dark Cherry Metallic paint scheme. Auroras and Intrigues would be accompanied by special Final 500 literature. However, only the Intrigue, Aurora, Bravada, and Alero had all Final 500 models built;

5244-560: Was his housekeeper) in Walkerville, Ontario , on December 8, 1902. They separated in 1905 and quietly divorced in 1907; the marriage was kept secret until after the death of his third wife. Shortly after the divorce from Isabelle, Dodge married his secretary, Matilda Rausch (1883–1967). Dodge had three more children with Matilda: In 1908, John Dodge and Matilda purchased the land for Meadow Brook Farms near Rochester, Michigan . At Meadow Brook, their eldest child, Frances , developed

5320-491: Was manually progressed, meaning that the vehicle being assembled was manually pushed to the next workstation after the assigned assembly was performed at the previous station. This differed from hand-made vehicles in the past where various workers would work on one car until it was completed and was labor- and time-intensive. After Ransom Olds merged Olds Motor Vehicle Co. with the Olds Gas Engine Works in 1899,

5396-854: Was no question that the engines were different from one another. Many customers were loyal Oldsmobile buyers who specifically wanted the Rocket V8, and did not discover that their vehicle had the Chevrolet engine until they performed maintenance and discovered that purchased parts did not fit. This became a public relations nightmare for GM. Following this debacle, disclaimers stating that "Oldsmobiles are equipped with engines produced by various GM divisions" were tacked onto advertisements and sales literature; all other GM divisions followed suit. In addition, GM quickly stopped associating engines with particular divisions and to this day, all GM engines are produced by "GM Powertrain" (GMPT) and are called GM "Corporate" engines instead of GM "Division" engines. Although it

5472-584: Was questioning production techniques and wanted Mr. Olds to certify that each car that left the plant was free from defects. Mr. Smith then set up an experimental engineering shop without Mr. Olds' knowledge or consent, causing Mr. Olds to leave in 1904 and form the REO Motor Car Company . This was similar to the situation Henry Ford experienced when he was forced out of the company he founded (the Henry Ford Company ) before starting

5548-531: Was the first production car with heads up display . Notable models : After the tremendous success of the 1970s and 1980s, things changed quickly for Oldsmobile, and by the early 1990s the brand had lost its place in the market (as annual sales had fallen from a record high of 1,066,122 in 1985 to just 402,936 in 1993), squeezed between other GM divisions, and with competition from new upscale import makes Acura , Infiniti and Lexus . GM continued to use Oldsmobile sporadically to showcase futuristic designs and as

5624-420: Was the leader in performance; its cars were generally considered the fastest on the market; and by the mid-1950s their styling was among the first to offer a wide, "open maw" grille, suggestive of fighter jet propulsion. From 1948 to 1957, Oldsmobile adopted a ringed-globe emblem depicting North America to stress what marketers felt was its universal appeal. Starting in 1958, the grille logo changed again to reflect

5700-537: Was the oldest surviving American automobile brand , and one of the oldest in the world, after Peugeot , Renault , Fiat , and Opel . Oldsmobiles were first manufactured by the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan , a company founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In 1901 (the same year that Horace and John Dodge won a contract to produce transmissions for the Oldsmobile company),

5776-428: Was the popularity of the Oldsmobile division vehicles that prompted this change, declining sales of V8 engines would have made this change inevitable as all but the Chevrolet version of the 350-cubic-inch engine were eventually discontinued. Oldsmobile also introduced a 5.7L (350 cu-in) V8 diesel engine option on its Custom Cruiser, Delta 88 and 98 models in 1978; and a smaller 4.3L (260 cu-in) displacement V8 diesel on

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