NINETY EIGHT REGENCY
April 29th, 2004, 02:52 PM
Oldsmobile Trivia
FACT: Oldsmobile is the oldest continuing car marque in the U.S.
FACT: The Olds Motor Co. was incorporated in 1897.
The initial capital investment was $50,000.00!
In 1897 the company produced 4 automobiles.
FACT: Ransom Eli Olds also put his name on a line of trucks: REO's
Q: What was the Oldsmobile Pirate?
A: The Pirate was a world speed record setting automobile:
In 1903 the Pirate traveled a distance of 5 miles in 5:49 minutes at Ormond Beach, FL.
This computes out to a whopping 52 M.P.H.!
Q: The full name "Oldsmobile" first appeared when?
A: 1900. Prior to that, they were known simply as "Olds".
Q: What is Oldsmar?
A: Oldsmar is a community in the state of Florida.
It is north of Clearwater and west of Plant City.
It was founded by R. E. Olds.
FACT: In 1967 Olds set the world closed course speed record.
Q: What was the speed and who was the driver?
A: The speed was 257 M.P.H. A. J. Foyt was at the wheel.
Q: When did an Oldsmobile first pace the Indy 500?
A: Olds led the pack for the first time at the brickyard in 1949.
Q: Airbags were first made available when, by what company?
A: Oldsmobile was the first auto manufacturer to make an airbag available.
It was a feature on the 1974 Toronado.
FACT: The first 4-Door Hardtop was introduced by Oldsmobile.
Q: In what year did they hit the streets?
A: 1955
FACT: The inaugural Daytona 500 was won by an Oldsmobile.
Q: What year was it, and who was the driver?
A: The year was 1959.
Lee Petty took the first checkered flag at Daytona.
He was behind the wheel of a 1959 Olds.
Q: How long was R. E. Olds affiliated with Oldsmobile?
A: All of eight (8) years; from August of 1897 through January of 1904.
Q: The WWI head of Oldsmobile went on to do what?
A: The President of Olds from 1913-16 was Charles Nash.
He later founded, you guessed it!
Q: A steering wheel first appeared on an Oldsmobile when?
A: The tiller rod was replaced by a steering wheel in 1904.
Q: What is the connection between Oldsmobile and the Hudson Motor Car Co.?
A: In 1901 Olds employee Roy Chapin drove a Curved Dash Olds
from Detroit to the New York Auto Show.
In later years he went on to found the Hudson Motor Car Co.
Q: The "automatic" transmission was presented to the motoring public by Oldsmobile when?
A: In 1937 Olds debuted the Automatic Safety Transmission (AST).
Strange as it may sound, one had to depress the clutch pedal to shift
between the low and high ranges!
Q: In what year did a truly automatic transmission see the light of day?
A: Olds presented the Hydra-Matic transmission to the motoring public in 1940.
Q: Why did Oldsmobile put Dyna-Flow transmissions in its 1954 models?
A: A fire at the Olds Hydra-Matic plant necessitated use of Dyna-Flow
trannys in approximately 23,000 1954 Oldsmobiles.
Q: What technological advances were introduced by Oldsmobile in 1934?
A: 1934 witnessed the introduction of:
Hydraulic brakes
Independent front wheel suspension and
The vent (cozy) wing window for "draftless" driving.
Q: Oldsmobile became the first American automobile exporter in what year?
A: In 1893 R. E. Olds exported a 4-wheeled steam engine vehicle to India.
The purchaser never received the vehicle as the ship transporting it sunk!
Q: When did Oldsmobile become a division of General Motors?
A: G. M. welcomed Oldsmobile into the family in 1908.
Q: What is the derivation of the name "Oldsmobile"?
A: The name resulted from a contest R. E. Olds ran to name his vehicles.
It was suggested by a timekeeper at the Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in 1900.
Q: Oldsmobile was the leading American automobile producer in what years?
A: Oldsmobile held this distinction in the years of 1900 through 1903.
Q: What did R. E. Olds do after leaving Oldsmobile in 1904?
A: R. E. Olds went into competition with Oldsmobile.
After leaving the company in 1904 he formed REO Motor Vehicles.
In the years of '05 and '06 more REOs were sold than Oldsmobiles!
Q: Did Oldsmobile manufacture and sell cars other than Oldsmobiles?
A: Yes.
At the worst possible time, 1929, Olds manufactured and sold a vehicle named Viking.
It was a luxury motor car for the upscale buyer.
The Viking line lasted all of two (2) model years, 1929 and 1930!
A total of 8,003 were manufactured.
The selling prices were $1,695, $1,795 and $1,855.
All had 261 c.i./81 h.p. V-8 engines; compared to the Olds standard fare
of a 6-cylinder, 198 c.i./62 h.p. engine selling for $875 to $1,190.
Q: Did Oldsmobiles ever traverse the country on anything but tires?
A: Oldsmobile did have some involvement with railroads.
It did manufacture a railroad inspection car which basically was a
Curved Dash without the dash and with railroad wheels.
In 1904 it formed and began operating the Lansing Manufacturer's Rail Road
to provide a link from the factory to the rail transport center in Lansing, MI.
Additionally, Olds engines powered both boats and a Cessna aircraft.
Q: A V-8 engine first appeared in an Oldsmobile when?
A: In 1916 Olds installed a L-head V-8 in its touring car.
The engine had 2.88 x 4.75 bore and stroke, was 246 c.i.
and produced 40 horse power.
It sold for $1,295.
The 303 c.i. Rocket V-8 first appeared in 1949.
Q: The now common steel wheel replaced the wooden spoked wheel in what year?
A: Steel wheels were introduced by Oldsmobile in the year 1924.
They were offered as a factory option.
Q: Who pioneered front-wheel drive?
A: Oldsmobile holds that distinction among American automobile manufacturers.
Front-wheel drive was first presented in 1966.
It was introduced on the Toronado.
Q: What was the cost of R. E. Olds' first car?
A: In 1897 Olds offered his first gas powered vehicle to the public.
The asking price was one of $1,000.
FACT: Oldsmobile is the oldest continuing car marque in the U.S.
FACT: The Olds Motor Co. was incorporated in 1897.
The initial capital investment was $50,000.00!
In 1897 the company produced 4 automobiles.
FACT: Ransom Eli Olds also put his name on a line of trucks: REO's
Q: What was the Oldsmobile Pirate?
A: The Pirate was a world speed record setting automobile:
In 1903 the Pirate traveled a distance of 5 miles in 5:49 minutes at Ormond Beach, FL.
This computes out to a whopping 52 M.P.H.!
Q: The full name "Oldsmobile" first appeared when?
A: 1900. Prior to that, they were known simply as "Olds".
Q: What is Oldsmar?
A: Oldsmar is a community in the state of Florida.
It is north of Clearwater and west of Plant City.
It was founded by R. E. Olds.
FACT: In 1967 Olds set the world closed course speed record.
Q: What was the speed and who was the driver?
A: The speed was 257 M.P.H. A. J. Foyt was at the wheel.
Q: When did an Oldsmobile first pace the Indy 500?
A: Olds led the pack for the first time at the brickyard in 1949.
Q: Airbags were first made available when, by what company?
A: Oldsmobile was the first auto manufacturer to make an airbag available.
It was a feature on the 1974 Toronado.
FACT: The first 4-Door Hardtop was introduced by Oldsmobile.
Q: In what year did they hit the streets?
A: 1955
FACT: The inaugural Daytona 500 was won by an Oldsmobile.
Q: What year was it, and who was the driver?
A: The year was 1959.
Lee Petty took the first checkered flag at Daytona.
He was behind the wheel of a 1959 Olds.
Q: How long was R. E. Olds affiliated with Oldsmobile?
A: All of eight (8) years; from August of 1897 through January of 1904.
Q: The WWI head of Oldsmobile went on to do what?
A: The President of Olds from 1913-16 was Charles Nash.
He later founded, you guessed it!
Q: A steering wheel first appeared on an Oldsmobile when?
A: The tiller rod was replaced by a steering wheel in 1904.
Q: What is the connection between Oldsmobile and the Hudson Motor Car Co.?
A: In 1901 Olds employee Roy Chapin drove a Curved Dash Olds
from Detroit to the New York Auto Show.
In later years he went on to found the Hudson Motor Car Co.
Q: The "automatic" transmission was presented to the motoring public by Oldsmobile when?
A: In 1937 Olds debuted the Automatic Safety Transmission (AST).
Strange as it may sound, one had to depress the clutch pedal to shift
between the low and high ranges!
Q: In what year did a truly automatic transmission see the light of day?
A: Olds presented the Hydra-Matic transmission to the motoring public in 1940.
Q: Why did Oldsmobile put Dyna-Flow transmissions in its 1954 models?
A: A fire at the Olds Hydra-Matic plant necessitated use of Dyna-Flow
trannys in approximately 23,000 1954 Oldsmobiles.
Q: What technological advances were introduced by Oldsmobile in 1934?
A: 1934 witnessed the introduction of:
Hydraulic brakes
Independent front wheel suspension and
The vent (cozy) wing window for "draftless" driving.
Q: Oldsmobile became the first American automobile exporter in what year?
A: In 1893 R. E. Olds exported a 4-wheeled steam engine vehicle to India.
The purchaser never received the vehicle as the ship transporting it sunk!
Q: When did Oldsmobile become a division of General Motors?
A: G. M. welcomed Oldsmobile into the family in 1908.
Q: What is the derivation of the name "Oldsmobile"?
A: The name resulted from a contest R. E. Olds ran to name his vehicles.
It was suggested by a timekeeper at the Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in 1900.
Q: Oldsmobile was the leading American automobile producer in what years?
A: Oldsmobile held this distinction in the years of 1900 through 1903.
Q: What did R. E. Olds do after leaving Oldsmobile in 1904?
A: R. E. Olds went into competition with Oldsmobile.
After leaving the company in 1904 he formed REO Motor Vehicles.
In the years of '05 and '06 more REOs were sold than Oldsmobiles!
Q: Did Oldsmobile manufacture and sell cars other than Oldsmobiles?
A: Yes.
At the worst possible time, 1929, Olds manufactured and sold a vehicle named Viking.
It was a luxury motor car for the upscale buyer.
The Viking line lasted all of two (2) model years, 1929 and 1930!
A total of 8,003 were manufactured.
The selling prices were $1,695, $1,795 and $1,855.
All had 261 c.i./81 h.p. V-8 engines; compared to the Olds standard fare
of a 6-cylinder, 198 c.i./62 h.p. engine selling for $875 to $1,190.
Q: Did Oldsmobiles ever traverse the country on anything but tires?
A: Oldsmobile did have some involvement with railroads.
It did manufacture a railroad inspection car which basically was a
Curved Dash without the dash and with railroad wheels.
In 1904 it formed and began operating the Lansing Manufacturer's Rail Road
to provide a link from the factory to the rail transport center in Lansing, MI.
Additionally, Olds engines powered both boats and a Cessna aircraft.
Q: A V-8 engine first appeared in an Oldsmobile when?
A: In 1916 Olds installed a L-head V-8 in its touring car.
The engine had 2.88 x 4.75 bore and stroke, was 246 c.i.
and produced 40 horse power.
It sold for $1,295.
The 303 c.i. Rocket V-8 first appeared in 1949.
Q: The now common steel wheel replaced the wooden spoked wheel in what year?
A: Steel wheels were introduced by Oldsmobile in the year 1924.
They were offered as a factory option.
Q: Who pioneered front-wheel drive?
A: Oldsmobile holds that distinction among American automobile manufacturers.
Front-wheel drive was first presented in 1966.
It was introduced on the Toronado.
Q: What was the cost of R. E. Olds' first car?
A: In 1897 Olds offered his first gas powered vehicle to the public.
The asking price was one of $1,000.