While it was originally founded as its own company, Oldsmobile was owned by General Motors for most of its time on the market.
Established in 1897, Oldsmobile was the oldest American marque on the market until its closure in 2004. While its sales fell sharply near the end, Oldsmobile once ranked in the top five-passenger car divisions owned by General Motors—right alongside household names like Pontiac
and Buick
. If you’re hoping to learn more about Oldsmobile’s one-of-a-kind ownership history, you’ve come to the right place. We're here to teach you everything you need to know about Oldsmobile’s owners.
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Who owns Oldsmobile?
While Oldsmobile went belly-up in 2004, it was owned by General Motors at the time.
In case you haven’t heard the name, General Motors (also known as GM) is a multinational manufacturer worth around $170 billion. To make things even more impressive, General Motors also held the title of the world’s largest automaker for 77 years in a row.
These days, GM is probably best known for brands like Chevrolet
and Cadillac
. What other makes does General Motors own?
General Motors has owned a huge assortment of vehicle marques, over the years. That said, it’s a little tricky to remember exactly which brands are still a part of the manufacturing giant.
Here’s a full list of car makes that GM currently owns:
Where are Oldsmobiles made?
While General Motors has factories all over the world, a huge number of Oldsmobiles were produced in Lansing, Michigan. In the 107 years that Oldsmobile was on the market, it produced over 35 million units for sale.
Of those 35 million units, over 14 million of them were produced in the Lansing, Michigan factory.
While that may seem like a ridiculous percentage given the higher costs of manufacturing in the United States, it speaks to Oldsmobile’s reputation as one of the premier, affordable American sports cars of the 1980s.
Key Takeaway Oldsmobile was produced in General Motors factories all over the world, but around one-third of all units were produced in Lansing, Michigan.
A short history of Oldsmobiles ownership
Believe it or not, Oldsmobile was one of General Motors' oldest assets when it closed in 2004. In fact, General Motors originally bought Oldsmobile in 1908—only 11 years after it was founded.
Between 1897 and 1901, Oldsmobiles founder and engineer Ransom Olds built an assembly line for his product. As a result, Olds was able to produce a whopping 635 cars in a single year—making Oldsmobile the first mass-produced gas-powered vehicle in the world.
Contrary to what you might picture when you imagine an assembly line, this one was actually stationary. That means cars would stay in a single spot and workers would move down the assembly line to outfit each new model with their specialized piece.
Because of its mass producibility and stylish design, Oldsmobile sat alongside Buick and Cadillac at the front of the auto industry in the early 1900s. It was only when those three companies were bought out by General Motors between 1908 and 1909 that they stopped competing and began filling different consumer needs.
From 1908 until its end in 2004, Oldsmobile thrived under the ownership of General Motors.
How to save money on Oldsmobile insurance
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