bassinguy

April 29, 2004 – Oldsmobile shuts down
This Day
April 29, 2021
When Oldsmobile closed its doors on this day in 2004, it was currently the oldest automaker in the United States, at 107 years old. Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in 1897. Throughout its century and seven year existence it produced more than 35 million cars. Early company highlights include being the first high volume gas powered auto manufacturer. In 1901 the company built an astonishing 425 cars, even more impressive considering the plant had a massive fire that year.
This Day
April 29, 2021
When Oldsmobile closed its doors on this day in 2004, it was currently the oldest automaker in the United States, at 107 years old. Ransom E. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in 1897. Throughout its century and seven year existence it produced more than 35 million cars. Early company highlights include being the first high volume gas powered auto manufacturer. In 1901 the company built an astonishing 425 cars, even more impressive considering the plant had a massive fire that year.
Bassinguy 1965 Cutlass

rocketraider

Mercy killing. Except for Aurora, W41 and Intrigue GM hadn't built anything worthy of the Oldsmobile name in years. Badge engineered **** is what Oldsmobile Division was given to sell, with predictable results.

As an aside, 4/27/2009 GM announced Pontiac was going away. GM did the same thing to them, though the G cars were good in anyone's book.

It's what happens when you put people who know nothing about cars in charge of producing and trying to sell them. GM wholeheartedly deserves their new "gm" logo and the people who came up with it. My hard-earned money will never again support them.

66SportCoupe

x2

JohnnyBs68S

Buick had gone even longer since they produced anything respectable, like the GNX. Both the Aurora V8 and W41 were showcases of real Oldsmobile ENGINEering under the hoods, can't say that about anything Buick produced since then (or Pontiac for that matter). Pontiac attempted some uniqueness with the GTO, Solstice and G8 before their last breath was taken away, they at least went down fighting. Yet new badge-engineered Buicks are still found in showrooms. What's wrong with this country's appetite for cars? If it weren't for the V-series cars, Cadillac would also be a big yawn. :shakeshead:

solly

I could be wrong but I seem to remember reading that one of the reasons for Buicks continued existence is the Chinese appitite for Buicks.

no1oldsfan

Had to make from for all the new Kia and Hyundai owners. 🤮

Tri-Carb

While in China we toured in a good number of Buicks. They are very popular. LA and New York traffic does not compare with that of metropolitan China. Not only is it congested but mixed in are electric scooters, unicycles and pedal vehicles going with and opposite traffic. Gasoline cycles are prohibited within a certain number of rings of the city centers. Anything goes as long as you do not make contact with another vehicle.

matt69olds

Whats going to happen if and when China moves on from Buick? Other than trucks and the really expensive cars, GM doesn’t have much. Come to think of it, once again the Big 3 seem to be putting all their “eggs” into the “big cars, big profits” mentality basket.

Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it. Wonder what Alfred Sloan would have to say about today’s corporate way of thinking.

tva442

That is the story - the last emperor of China was a Buick owner and since it has been seen there as a highly respected brand.

I have been to China many times and have done double takes to what I have seen on the roads there! I called it "organized chaos"!

And by the way, I bought one of those last Oldsmobiles new. I do also own a Chevy truck and an SUV as daily drivers and both have been decent vehicles. Though I would like to maybe go back to a sedan next. Won't be many choices though.

rocketraider

My guess is there'd be murder!🔪😺

jaunty75

You have it right. In fact, I would guess that Buick sells more cars in China than it does in North America. Remember, they've got a population about five times that of the U.S. Even if their per-capita income is only half that of the U.S., that's still more than double the total purchasing power over there compared to here.

It wouldn't surprise me to hear one day that Buick abandons the U.S. market altogether and sells cars only in China.

GM overall sells more cars in China than it does in the U.S.

Koda

I think the big 3 know that the country thinks all their cars are made and sold in America, and I think they use that misconception to their favor. How many people read the domestic parts content on the sticker, anyway?

I'm kind of annoyed my employer Toyota is moving all Tacoma production to Mexico. Granted, the Texas plant is getting a replacement vehicle, and it makes sense vehicle structure wise, but I don't like Mexico as a country nor as a manufacturing base. I wish we could do more things in the impoverished areas of the US, but there is this area in Mexico in Leon that has many car plants there (it's where all the made in Mexico cars are made unless you have a plant on the border in CA like we also do) and supposedly it is quite nice and safe and high quality, but I still have my doubts. Fortunately Toyotas in the US show up as either North American made or Japanese made, and nothing from like the Philippines or India or something, where we do have plants for those markets only.

Jon442

My dad lost his Olds dealership when they shut down, something he poured 30 years of his life into. I have not, and will not, buy a new GM product.

jaunty75

I always wondered how this process actually went. Aren't there state laws regarding auto dealer franchises? Did GM offer or was it required to offer compensation of any kind?

Also, it's not like GM announced the closure of Olds one day and then closed it the next day. The end of Olds was announced in 2000, and the brand ended in 2004, so there was some lead time there. Did your father try to do anything in anticipation of the closure? Take on another brand? I have found over the years that, while many Olds dealers are gone completely, others are still in existence but are now a Chrysler/Subaru dealer or something like that.

Jon442

Missouri has very strong franchise laws, but it doesn’t matter when the franchise no longer exists. GM did offer compensation, but it wasn’t enough, he felt. Plus, it was a huge sentimental loss. Fortunately, he had the foresight to buy a Honda franchise in 1973. But he was always an Olds dealer at heart.

jaunty75

Good to hear. Glad he was able to continue on.