Ingham-Statewide-Wayne County MI Archives News.....Olds, Pioneer in Auto World, 75 Years Old September 17, 1922 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilyn Johnson McDowell texas26@gmail.com May 21, 2009, 10:25 pm Fort Worth Telegram September 17, 1922 Just 25 years ago on August 21, 1897, the Olds Motor Company was born. That little company, the brain child of Ransom E. Olds and Frank Clark of Lansing, Mich., is held to have made Michigan the automobile center of the world. Back in 1895, both Ransom and Clark, young men in the employ of their fathers, and against their fathers wishes, spent a major part of their time in a shed perfecting their work. Olds, whose father made gas engines, was to furnish the engine and mechanical work, and Clark, whose father was a builder of buggies, was to furnish the carriage and body work. After two years spent in experiments, the young men incorporated the Olds Motor Vehicle Company at Lansing in 1897 with Ransom E. Olds as president and the young men as principal stockholders. In 1898 they finished their first automobile and today it is on exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. Shortly after this Clark sold his stock to Olds who went to Detroit for more capital, continuing operation in his old plant in Lansing however. On May 8, 1898 the name of the firm was changed to Olds Motor Works, and a capitalization was affected. In what was destined to be the world's greatest motor city, Olds established a second factory, with the support of S.L. Smith, a Michigan copper king, and in 1900 the company produced 1400 cars. In 1901 it marketed 2,500 cars. In 1906 the Oldsmobile made a sensation when the "Pirate" driven by H.T. Thomas, then associate engineer of Olds, broke the world's speed record at Daytona Beach, Florida. The same year the car won the Tour de France. At that time no other American had started to build cars commercially. Many of the biggest automobile concerns in the United States owe their existence to order placed by the Olds Motor Works for parts. In 1902 as a result of a fire in the Detroit plant, operations were confined entirely to the Lansing plant. In 1904 the Oldsmobile again set a high mark for production in 1905 two Oldsmobile's raced against each other from Washington D.C. to Seattle, Wash. In those daysJust 25 years ago on August 21, 1897, the Olds Motor Company was born. That little company, the brain child of Ransom E. Olds and Frank Clark of Lansing, Mich., is held to have made Michigan the automobile center of the world. Back in 1895, both Ransom and Clark, young men in the employ of their fathers, and against their fathers wishes, spent a major part of their time in a shed perfecting their work. Olds, whose father made gas engines, was to furnish the engine and mechanical work, and Clark, whose father was a builder of buggies, was to furnish the carriage and body work. After two years spent in experiments, the young men incorporated the Olds Motor Vehicle Company at Lansing in 1897 with Ransom E. Olds as president and the young men as principal stockholders. In 1898 they finished their first automobile and today it is on exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. Shortly after this Clark sold his stock to Olds who went to Detroit for more capital, continuing operation in his old plant in Lansing however. On May 8, 1898 the name of the firm was changed to Olds Motor Works, and a capitalization was affected. In what was destined to be the world's greatest motor city, Olds established a second factory, with the report of S.L. Smith, a Michigan copper king, and in 1900 the company produced 1400 cars. In 1901 it marketed 2,500 cars. In 1906 the Oldsmobile made a sensation when the "Pirate" driven by H.T. Thomas, then associate engineer of Olds, broke the world's speed record at Daytona Beach, Florida. The same year the car won the Tour de France. At that time no other American had started to build cars commercially. Many of the biggest automobile concerns in the United States owe their existence to order placed by the Olds Motor Works for parts. In 1902 as a result of a fire in the Detroit plant, operations were confined entirely to the Lansing plant. In 1904 the Oldsmobile again set a high mark for production in in 1905 two Oldsmobile's raced against each other from Washington D.C. to Seattle, Wash. In those days macadam and cement roads were unknown. In 1905 Olds factory offered the first medium-priced four-cylinder car ever produced. It was shown at the New York Auto Show. In 1910 the company was acquired by W.C. Durant for the General Motors Corporation, a division of which it is at present. In 1905 Olds factory offered the first medium-priced four-cylinder car ever produced. It was shown at the New York Auto Show. In 1910 the company was acquired by W.C. Durant for the General Motors Corporation, a division of which it is at present. Additional Comments: Transcriber's note: My grandfather, Valmer F. Johnson establisted an Oldsmobile dealership in Portland, Michigan following the great depression, His son, Robert J. Johnson was given the dealership in 1950, and was active in the National Automobile Dealers Association until his retirement in 1980. Olds was the first company to mass-produce cars, not Ford, according to historical documents. Olds Motor Works was the second brand to become part of General Motors, the first was Buick. Olds merged with General Motors in November 1908, not 1910 as the article stated. Ransom E. Olds went on to establish REO. (his initials). That company stopped making cars in 1936 but continued for some time as a truck manufacturer. In 2004, after 106 years of manufacturing automobiles, General Motors ceased production of Oldsmobile's. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ingham/newspapers/oldspion211gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb