2004 Spelled The End For Oldsmobile

2004: The end of the road for Oldsmobile

Oldsmobile, the oldest surviving brand name in US automotive history, grew steadily over many decades. Despite that, the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line on April 29, 2004 in Lansing, Michigan, ending its 106-year history.

The death of the Oldsmobile marked the end of an era in United States automaking. Oldsmobile was the second brand to become part of General Motors, two months after Buick, in 1908.

Ransom Eli Olds, who co-founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897, left the company in 1904, and went on to start a new car company called Reo, which became a truck manufacturer.

While the Oldsmobile Cutlass was America's best-selling automobile from the mid-1970's to the early 1980s, sales started to decline by 2000 when General Motors announced it would end production of the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 model year. GM said the division had failed to turn a profit.

The final vehicle sold, the Alero, had been a best seller for Oldsmobile since its debut in 1997. The Alero offered engine choices of a 2.2-litre four and a 3.4-litre V-6 as well as a 5-speed manual. General Motors gave Alero a five-year/60,000-mile warranty, which was the most extensive in the company's lineup.

The last 500 Alero's off the assembly line came equipped with special exterior (painted metallic cherry red) and interior trim to mark the end of the Oldsmobile era. One of the last 500 Alero's remains in the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum. Final edition versions of Oldsmobile's Bravada SUV and Silhouette minivan were also offered to mark Oldsmobile's end.

Oldsmobile became a top brand for General Motors pioneering features such as chrome-plating and the first fully automatic transmission for a mass-market vehicle. The unprofitable century old-brand was phased out after having produced roughly 35 million+ cars.

by: RW Tanner

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