Marque: Oldsmobile - Company History & Models - Cars By Brand
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile is one of America’s oldest marques. Inventor Ransom Eli Olds who was born in Geneva, Ohio, in 1864 established the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897 aged 34. Oldsmobile was the first company to mass produce automobiles with its highly successful Curved Dash Model that became America’s most popular car between 1903 – 1905. With minimal bodywork and the distinctive ‘curved dashboard’…
Oldsmobile Cutlass
PRICE: £5000 - £10,000
Introduced in 1961 the Cutlass was the top of the range F-85 model, before becoming a model in its own right from 1964. With boxy styling the upscale compact F85-Cutlass was built on a Y-body platform, and powered by the all new Buick 215ci 155bhp V8 engine. From 1962 all Cutlasses offered a 185bhp Power Pack V8 and a convertible was also available. From 1963 the model grew to an intermediate size. In 1964 the F-85 Cutlass 4-4-2 was Olds’ answer to the Pontiac GTO, a fi ne performer with more fl owing “Coke Bottle” styling contours for 1966 cars. The Cutlass went on to become Olds’ best seller in the 1970s and 1980s, one of the most popular being the Supreme Colonnade saloon which sold 219,857 in 1973.
Oldsmobile Tornado
PRICE: £8000 - £12,000
A hugely ambitious undertaking and technically innovative to build only America’s second front wheel drive car since the mid-1930s. It was the way ahead for GM as far as FWD technology was concerned. The Toronado was penned by David R. North and masterminded by legendary GM Design Chief Bill Mitchell. This huge two-door coupe measuring in at a whopping 17.58ft long adopted a rakish fastback styling with concealed headlamps, a small full width egg crate type grille, and accentuated fl ared wheel arches. Powered by a 425ci 385bhp V8 engine, theautomatic transmission was situated alongside, and beneath the left cylinder bank, thus requiring the torque converter to deliver power via a multi-link chain and sprocket arrangement. There was insuffi cient space to use coil spring front suspension, so instead longitudinal torsion bars were used, while at the rear there half-elliptic springs. Motor Trade magazine made it Car of The Year for 1966. A milestone model with impressive traction, handling and performance they can provide a lot of metal for the money.
