Audacious Beginning: Steam to Gasoline

Ransome E. Olds was fortunate to have a father who owned a machine shop. Early on Ransome would learn accounting in order to organize the business, and then buy out his brother’s share of P.F. Olds, and eventually taking over P.F. Olds & Son from his father Pliny. A super salesman with a head for business and an able machinist as well, R.E. Olds had what it took to be a pioneer in automobiling.

Initially building his own steam-driven tricycle in 1887 at the age of 23, R.E. Olds would go on to develop a steam engine that P.F. Olds & Son would exploit to expand the business. Olds had also developed a four-wheeled steamer, but after seeing gasoline engines at the 1893 World’s Fair and riding in Gottlieb Daimler’s gas tricycle, R.E. Olds which direction to take with his dream of starting an automobile company.

Disappointing initial efforts to capitalize both the machine works and his new auto company resulted in a partnership that would prove to be R.E.Olds’ undoing. On May 8, 1899, R. E. Olds consolidated his two companies into the Olds Motor Works and sold control of it to a Detroit railroad and mining magnate named Samuel Smith. Smith installed his two young sons as partners in Olds Motor Works, and R.E. Olds became the minority partner in charge of development and production.

Frederic L. Smith, president of Oldsomobile and R.E. Olds’ nemesis. *image courtesy Wikipedia*

Over the next two years R.E. Olds experimented with different sizes of cars using both gas and electric options. A fire at the plant on March 9, 1901 brought focus to his efforts, as the plant and all developmental conveyances, except one, were completely destroyed.

Rescued out of the ashes, like a mythological Phoenix, stood what would become the car that established the company—the curved dash Oldsmobile!

The “CDO” Runabout 1904-1907

The curved dash Oldsmobile, also known as the “CDO,” was brought to market in 1901 with a single-cylinder cast iron block engine producing 4.5 horsepower and powering a two-seat runabout with 28-inch tires and a wheelbase of 66 inches.

R.E. Olds’ target market was the Everyman consumer, and his car was the first produced in quantity, largely because he had the marketing ability to get the news out. Which he did, in a variety of ways.

1904 Oldsmobile side view. *images courtesy Horseless Carriage Foundation library*

1904 Oldsmobile chassis top view. Note the horizontal radiator.

Produced at a cost of $350 and selling for $650, 425 CDOs were produced in that first year despite the fire, and from there the company steadily expanded its product line choices, and thus sales, to 6500 Oldsmobiles for 1905.

R.E. Olds, in his years at the company, would regularly give interviews, issue press alerts, take part in speed and endurance competitions that he often initiated, and in this manner promote Oldsmobile as the car on the move.

1903 “Pirate” with R.E.Olds, testing on a horse track prior to his 57 mph run on Ormond beach at Daytona, which was a world speed record at that time, only matched by Winton in his “Bullet,” also at Ormond. *image courtesy New York Public Library*

Oldsmobile transcontinental trip 1903. Stunts like these were great press at a time when the public was curious whether this car had “the right stuff.” It did! *image courtesy Library of Congress*

Others who worked as subcontractors to supply the company with parts—coachbuilder Byron Everitt, upholsterer Fred Fisher, carriage maker C. R. Wilson, metal worker Benjamin Briscoe, engine builders the Dodge brothers—as well as those who just visited Olds Motor Works, like Henry Ford, would learn important marketing lessons from R.E. Olds and go on to form their own successful car makes.

1905 Oldsmobile factory Detroit. What’s better than one factory? Why, two, of course! *Images courtesy HCFI.org*

Expansion was one theme to not overlook, and Olds had two plants from which to churn out cars by 1906. Volume became Oldsmobile’s mantra.

1907 Olds Model B - piano box front. This was the last iteration of this monumental early car.

By the time of its phase-out in 1907, the CDO had added a “piano box” dash as an option, and Oldsmobile was now concentrating on other larger and more expensive models to fulfil the Smith’s wishes of offering a large luxury car.

In fact, this focus on the large and expensive had impelled R.E. Olds in 1904 to leave the firm that he had birthed in 1887 and start over with the Reo Motor Car Company. Although Reo would outsell Olds by 1906 and continue as a car company with R.E. Olds at its head until 1937, it must have been heartbreaking to be ousted from the company that bore his very own name….

Sporting Initiatives: The Flying Roadsters

The Smiths may have been behind the push to go bigger and faster, and the line of runabouts known as the “Flying Roadsters” were every bit of a street speedster from their inception in 1906.

1906 Oldsmobile Flying Roadster. The funky fenders were not uncommon among speedsters of this era, but usually only one was mounted to protect the driver, as in the 1906 Locomobile. *HCFI.org*

The 1907 Flying Roadster was styled to make a statement as a dashing, fast, and fun vehicle, and its flared, upright fenders accentuated that. Certainly, these wing-like fenders made an impression on the sporting public!

Definitely steppin’ out! *image courtesy AACA Library*

The company brochure stated that

“…the seat is placed well to the rear, and in such a position as to give the car a very racy appearance….the fact that it has already attained a reputation as a pace-maker, has caused it to become a favorite with those who desire a car which is distinctive and sportsmanlike, [with] plenty of power and speed.”

1908 Oldsmobile Flying Roadster ad. For cruising or sporting, or just grocery-getting, this speedster had it covered. *AACA Library*

The 1907 Flying Roadster was built on a simple ladder frame, and its L-head engine was a basic 2-pot iron en bloc assembly, displacing 302 cubic inches and producing a rated 35/40 horsepower. A three-speed sliding gear transmission connected front to back.

1907 Olds Model H chassis, 106.5-inch wheelbase. *images courtesy* *HCFI.org*

1907 Oldsmobile cast iron en bloc, carb side. The intake manifold actually feeds the other side!

1907 Oldsmobile engine, exhaust side. Note the L-head design (with all valve work on one side).

Given its inherent simplicity and lightness, this speedster no doubt gave one quite a ride!

Unfortunately, the Smiths were not great marketers like R.E. Olds had been, and in 1907 sales had fallen to 1200 units, down from 6500 in 1905 after steady growth while under R.E. Olds’ supervision. Growth continued to lag and free market does not long tolerate slouches, and so in 1908 Billy Durant marched in with backing from J.P. Morgan bank and wrested control; by 1909 the Smiths were out. And, ironically, in 1910—so too was Durant!

Despite all of this kerfuffle, Oldsmobile soldiered on, and so too did iterations of the Flying Roadster. In subsequent years up to 1911, This four-cylinder compact speedster model would change its name and reconfigure the body: below are some of its changes.

The 1908 Series MR and Model X

In 1908 the Model X Special was introduced as a remodel of the 1907 Flying Roadster. Its 302 cubic inch engine now produced 32 hp.

1908 Olds Model X ad. Note the nicely reshaped fenders.

Oddly enough, the Series MR, with a slightly overbored engine (336 cubic inches and 36 hp), kept the wacky fenders. These would last for the 1908 season and disappear with the MR.

1908 Oldsmobile Model MR. Note the fenders. *image courtesy AACA Library, from the Behr collection*

The 1909 Model DR and Model X

The catalogs weren’t too sophisticated back in this era, and we are stuck with crude images of what these models looked like.

The Model X, also referred to as the Series X, rode on a 106-inch wheelbase and had the 32 -hp engine.

1909 Olds Model DR Flying Roadster. *HCFI.org*

The Model DR was placed on a 112-inch wheelbase to accommodate the mother-in-law’s seat (in the rear, of course) and was powered by the 40-hp engine.

The 1910-11 Special Series

1910 Oldsmobile Special Roadster. *AACA Library*

The last two seasons of the small sporting roadster featured the Special, with the 336 cubic inch four, a four-speed transmission, sitting on a 118-inch wheelbase and rolling on 36-inch treads. This would be the end of the trail for Oldsmobile’s “small speedster” but not the end of their dalliance with the concept.

Meanwhile, Another Development

1909 Olds 6-cylinder L-head engine. *HCFI.org*

With the introduction of a six-cylinder engine in 1908, Oldsmobile had deepened its bench, and with this, the possibility of a large sports model using the big six engine. As well as adding another pot to make a six-cylinder en bloc L-head, Oldsmobile would also develop their own T-head powerplant to match those offered by Mercer and Stutz, among other competitors.

The T-head was the way to go in speedsterism, and the Aristocrat would be Oldsmobile’s answer. More on that in our next installment of the Oldsmobile story!

See you next time, and

Go drive that speedster!

Oldsmobile Speedsters, pt. 1

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