Oldsmobile

In 1896 Ransom Eli Olds built his first petrol-engined car in Lansing, Michigan. In 1900 the Oldsmobile brand was created, its famous early model being the 'Curved Dash'. In 1908 General Motors absorbed Oldsmobile, and launched the Limited Touring in 1910. Oldsmobile gained its first V8 engine in 1916. The one millionth Oldsmobile was built in 1935, and after heroic wartime production levels, the Rocket V8 engine was launched in 1948. By 1958 Oldsmobile was the fourth biggest-selling car marque in the USA. Notable models included the 98 (in the range from 1940 to 1996, with many changes of design, of course), 88 (1949 to 1999), the Starfire (1954 onwards), the compact F-85, the Cutlass (from 1961), the 4-4-2 muscle car (1964), the front-wheel drive Toronado (1966-92), Omega (1972-84) and the Firenza (1982-88). In 1984 the brand was incorporated in GM's Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac Group, and in 1999 Oldsmobile moved from Lansing to Detroit. Later models would include the Calais (1985-91), Aurora (1995 onwards), Achieva (1992 onwards), Bravada, Eighty-Eight, Intrigue (1998-2002), Silhouette mpv and the Bravada suv. In 1998 the Oldsmobile Alero was launched, but in 2004 GM closed down Oldsmobile after it had been in existence for 107 years.