Sales were going strong for Oldsmobile during the first years of the 1900s, but dissent began to brew within the company.
The Departure of Ransom Eli Olds From Oldsmobile The curved-dash Oldsmobile had become the first mass-produced automobile in America. Ford may have streamlined the assembly line process, but Olds was the man who came up with the idea and used it before anyone else. Olds did more than anyone to help the car become a viable and profitable business prospect, thanks to his creation of the assembly line. That honor actually belongs to Ransom Eli Olds. Nowadays, Henry Ford usually gets the credit for starting the American automobile industry. His cars became more affordable for consumers while still yielding higher profits per car. Olds had created the assembly line and received fame at the time for doing so. Workers would perform each task in order, with each set of workers specializing in one part of the process.
He stationed his workers at fixed locations and rolled the car on a wheeled platform to them. Instead of making workers bring the parts to a location, the parts would come to them. Olds decided to switch the equation around. The process was slow and disorganized and often led to wasted time and effort. Workers would haul heavy materials, parts and paint to a single location where they would work together to build the car from the ground up. The old way of producing cars is the Craft Method. For that to happen, he would need to produce more cars while spending less money in the process. The curved-dash car saw major success in the marketplace, but Olds knew he needed to make more money to rebuild his factory. Olds agreed, and he was able to quickly resume production of his vehicles. The city of Lansing decided to deed 50 acres of land to Oldsmobile to keep its operation within the city while recovering from the fire. Ransom Olds lost all his car blueprints except for the curved-dash model, which would become Oldsmobile's top product in the coming years. A huge fire erupted in the Oldsmobile complex in 1901, consuming almost every area except the foundry. But soon, Oldsmobile would face both major successes as well as its share of hardships. The company rebranded two years later as Olds Motor Works, and by 1900, people began referring to the cars as "Oldsmobiles." The name stuck. While the company had yet to take on its eventual name, historians agree that August 21, 1897, was the birth of the Oldsmobile brand. The investors began lining up, and Olds changed the family business into Olds Motor Vehicle Company. He succeeded in patenting the design for a gas-powered vehicle in 1896. The work of Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz across the Atlantic inspired Olds to begin experimenting with internal combustion engines. A four-wheeled version followed, which some people claim was shipped to a buyer in Mumbai, India, making it the first vehicle built in Michigan to ship internationally. By 1897, he had created a three-wheeled, steam-powered vehicle. As the business grew, Olds began experimenting with the idea of self-propelled vehicles. Together, they would make steam engines for yachts. Ransom Eli Olds founded the company after joining his father's machine shop around 1880. Oldsmobile began as Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan, in 1897. Whether you're familiar with this car company or are hearing about it for the first time, you're sure to delight in the history of Oldsmobile and how their cars changed over the years.
You'll also learn more about specific Oldsmobile models that you may want to get your hands on someday. Take a walk down memory lane and discover more about Oldsmobile, from its inspirational founding to the driving forces behind what killed Oldsmobile at the end of its lifespan. General Motors ceased production of this storied car brand in 2004, but the name lives on when people remember having one of their own or as enthusiasts discover how influential these cars were in their time. You may see fewer Oldsmobiles on the road these days, but when you do spot one, you're looking at a piece of American history in action.
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