Oldsmobile was an American carmaker that was a division of General Motors (GM) for most of its existence. Founded as the Olds Motor Works in 1897, it was officially branded Oldsmobile in 1942 and went on to produce more than 35 million cars before GM discontinued the brand in 2004.
In This Article:
Who Makes Oldsmobile Cars?
Oldsmobile (then known as the Olds Motor Vehicle Company) was founded by Ransom E. Olds in Lansing, Michigan, in 1897. After being acquired by GM in 1908, Oldsmobile was a sub-division of the company until it was wound down in 2004. Its position in the GM brand lineup was dead centre, offering cars that were a cut above Chevrolet and Pontiac but not as high-end as Buick or Cadillac.
What Sort of Vehicles Does Oldsmobile Make?
Oldsmobile was a key GM brand for a long time, producing a wide variety of stylish and often forward-looking cars. It’s best-known for its mid-range sedan, coupe and convertible models, although it also produced wagons. Oldsmobile created some highly-desirable muscle cars over the years, too, including the Rocket 88, various 442 models and the Rallye 350. Oldsmobile innovations included the first automatic headlight dimming system (in 1952) and the first turbocharged car (in 1962). It was behind the curve with SUVs, however, with the Bravada (1990-2004) the only SUV model it produced.
Popular Oldsmobile models throughout its history include the Cutlass, F-85, Firenza, Omega and Starfire.
