The End of the “Small” Speedster
As we outlined in our previous post on Oldsmobile, the 1907 Flying Roadster had developed into a right nice little speedster by 1910, the “Special.” Planted on a 118-inch wheelbase ladder frame, powered by a 336-cubic inch two-pot en bloc engine that pumped out 40 horsepower, this little tyke could keep up with the likes of the Kissels, Coles, Haynes, and many others competing in this arena.
1910 Oldsmobile Special Roadster, factory image.
1911 Cole 30 Model S Speedster, catalog image. Note the similarities between these two “light car” speedsters, “light car” meaning small displacement (for this period) of less than 300 cubic inches.
1911, however, was the final season for this contrivance, as the Smiths, who almost bankrupted the company through mismanagement, had initiated a line of larger, more expensive cars. These had been their desire all along— to offer a large and luxurious car that would please their mining and lumber buddies, a richer demographic than the curved dash crowd. And, of course, along with the touring cars and limousine bodies, a racy sport roadster was offered.
The 1908-9 Series Z
This 1909 Oldsmobile Model Z Runabout is listed as having a four-cylinder engine, but it actually sported a six!
The Series Z models were the larger Oldsmobiles, and the sport roadster for this line used the series 130-inch wheelbase and 36-inch tires, while the smaller (four-cylinder) models such as the Special made use of the 112-inch wheelbase. The 453 cubic inch L-head was the six that had been in development since 1905, and it was rated at 48 bhp.
As the catalog stated:
“A greyhound among roadsters in appearance and performance…smart and dashing in its lines, it has dignity and grace as well, being in no sense a modified racer or freak car and sacrificing nothing to comfort…. The motor is very responsive; ‘picks up’ quickly and is an unfaltering source of power on hills.”
In 1908, the ability to climb hills unimpeded was a BIG deal!
1909 Olds 6-cylinder engine. Note that this is the L-head.
The 1910-12 Limited
The Limited Series succeeded the Series Z, was Oldsmobile’s effort to “go big,” and big the series cars were. Stated in their catalog was Oldsmobile’s rationale for the Limited:
“In the Limited we offer a car which leaves nothing to be desired in design, construction, finish, power, or equipment. It stands in the front rank of high grade cars; the greatest of a line universally recognized and ranked among leaders.”
The 1910 Limiteds started with the 130-inch wheelbase of the retired Series Z, but the tire diameter was enlarged to 42 inches for a smoother ride. The 42’s were retained throughout this model series.
The 1910 Limited used the Series Z six-cylinder L-head but bored out to 505 cubic inches to give it 60 bhp. A four-speed was developed for the series that continued through the series run.
Also notable for this year was the commissioned depiction of the 1910 Oldsmobile Limited in a match race with the New York Limited railroad train on its run from Albany, the state capital, to New York City. As seen in this painting by William Hamden Foster, the Olds was clearly ahead!
1911 Oldsmobile Limited catalog cover. Image title pretty much says it all, eh?
In 1911 the Limited chassis wheelbase would be lengthened to 138 inches, and in 1912, its final year, the chassis would sport a 140-inch wheelbase!
The engine of choice for 1911 was a newly-developed T-head four that displaced 471 cubic inches and produced 60 bhp; T-heads were “crossflow” in their layout and thus more efficient. This engine was also installed in the Autocrat series (see below). A.L.A.M.-rated at 40 horsepower, this four more likely pulled 60-70 bhp. In a nod to developing technology, Oldsmobile offered a compressed-air starter as part of its package for 1911.
For 1912, a six-cylinder version (with three pairs of cylinders) displaced 707 cubic inches! Rated at 60 A.L.A.M. horsepower – nah! Think: 90 bhp easy!
1911 Oldsmobile Limited exhaust side. Three pairs of en bloc castings.
1911 Oldsmobile Limited intake side. This was a T-head, so there were valves on each side of the block.
Full-Blown Speedsterism: 1911-12 The Autocrat
The Autocrat series was a step up in size from the small-series Oldsmobiles whose sport roadsters had evolved into the 1911 Special with a 118-inch wheelbase, with 36-inch tires and a 40 bhp engine displacing 336 cubic inches. Oldsmobile’s reason for continuing this series: “The Oldsmobile Special has an established reputation.” Translation: “We keep making ‘em because folks keep buying ‘em.”
It was, after all, a nicely-sized speedster.
1911 Oldsmobile Special Roadster on a 118-inch wheelbase, catalog image. Compare this to the Aristocrat, a more massive vehicle.
The 1911 Autocrat’s wheelbase was initially 124 inches, and of course it featured a choice of configurations, two of which are shown below.
1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat, in three-passenger Roadster and four-passenger Tourabout models. These were on a distinctly longer chassis than the Special. The two-seat Speedster model would not have doors.
The Autocrat series sported a newly-developed four cylinder engine that promised more power, and the firm was anxious to place this model in a special niche:
“The Autocrat is equipped with a motor which is larger and more powerful than any four-cylinder engine which we have previously built and is designed to answer the requirements of those who wish unlimited power in a strictly high grade product. It ranks foremost among four-cylinder cars and possesses mechanical features which appeal to those who are familiar with the best development in recent motor car construction.”
1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat T-head engine exhaust side.
1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat T-head engine intake side.
This T-head powerplant displaced 471 cubic inches and was A.L.A.M-rated at 40 hp, but it was probably good for at least 60 bhp. This was a real thumper!
The Aristocrat’s mettle was tested on October 1, 1911, when it competed in the Vanderbilt Cup race on Long Island. Oldsmobile stripped a showroom car to its track speedster configuration and ran it for 265 miles in 265 minutes. As the factory related,
“The remarkable part of the performance lies in the fact that whereas the car was new…and of a design never tried out in a contest of any nature…it went through…without a single adjustment…and…without one tire change.”
This last statement about no tire changes is quite astonishing, given the quality of tires in this era.
1911 Oldsmobile Vanderbilt racer.
The Speedster was designed for the man who had it all and wanted to flaunt it. This was not a vehicle for lightweights.
1912 Autocrat Speedster. This image is of Lou Torovsky, a Toronto photographer. image courtesy City of Toronto archives
For 1912, the Autocrat would enlarge its wheelbase to 126 inches, but otherwise factory specs would remain the same. Nickel plating was now offered, as well as an ornate horn in the shape of a dragon. These probably did not appear on the Speedster models, as they were mostly unadorned as was customary with “stripper” models. Nevertheless, The Autocrat Speedster was the highwater mark for Oldsmobile’s indulgence with this concept.
1912 Oldsmobile Autocrat Speedster. image courtesy AACA library
Stepping Down: 1912-13 The Defender
Despite experimenting with different sized models and marketing in low and high price tiers, Oldsmobile had consistently experienced disappointing sales of 1000-1400 units per annum for years. Given that there were two factories, that was a serious problem, and even the Series 40 Defender didn’t seem to help.
Something had to change, and so after 1913 Oldsmobile consolidated their lines and shrank their automobile sizes in an effort to make a less expensive car (under $3000) and thus reach the middle market. By 1915, Olds must have done something right, for now it was up to 7700 units sold, and its production would swell to 26,00 by 1920. The middle market became their new home.
1912 Oldsmobile Defender ad. Note the Dreadnought-class warships in the background, the uniformed officer taking charge of driving duties. Women in the back seat. So early 20th century!
Despite its proud moniker, the model’s name also hinted that the company had been on its back foot. In fact, the Defender Series was a two-year effort to increase sales by downsizing. After all, two “panics” (1907, 1909) and the recession of 1913-14 were deadly economic headwinds that had relentlessly battered all American markets. The Series 40 was an effort to start anew, a less ostentatious model with a 116-inch wheelbase and 36-inch tires. Its T-head engine was downsized to 267 cubic inches and it produced a reasonable 35 horsepower. Since there were only 325 Defenders produced in 1912, it was doubtful that a speedster was produced in this line. Oldsmobile had reached the end of its affair with speedsters….
Markets Prevail
The first-gen speedsters, both large and small, that Olds produced—they had a positive effect on sales and establishing Oldsmobile as a viable force in the automotive world. However, as soon as it was incorporated into the General Motors family, Olds became another auto division seeking its unique identity and niche. Bouncing back and forth between luxury and middle tiers, large car or medium, expensive or not so much, Olds had a hard time over the decades distinguishing itself from its siblings, some of whom shared the same space.
The Olds nameplate had sought for years to find a distinct niche in the GM family. Despite its development of the famous Hydramatic transmission in 1939 and the generations of great engines—the Rocket 88 and the Aurora DOHC to name but a couple—for some reason Oldsmobile wasn’t selling in 2000.
Postscript
On Dec 12, 2000, Oldsmobile became the first American automobile division to be terminated, with an assigned sell-by date of 2004. General Motors’ reasons were vague at best. After all, how do you ditch a car make that had produced over 30,000,000 vehicles?
Theories for its demise:
• maybe the sales figures during the recession of 1998-2000?
• maybe the need for GM to trim its lines down from 12 as the Asian invasion of automobiles was overwhelming the corporation?
• maybe the name “Olds” didn’t appeal to the newer generations?
Who knows?
Despite storied wins in NASCAR, IMSA, Indycar, and the NHRA, competition victories were not enough. Despite selling 30 million Oldsmobiles from 1897-2004, sales weren’t enough. Despite being the first American automobile to have reached 100 years of continuous manufacture, heritage wasn’t enough.
Bean counters had decided: Olds had to go. And it did.
But what a ride it had been. And those early speedsters—yowsa!