Car Brands Like Me

Oldsmobile’s Rise and Fall

The oldest US car brand, Oldsmobile dates back to 1897, and was known for innovation. In the nineteen twenties, Oldsmobile’s sported chrome-plated trim, as opposed to the standard nickel-plate. 1938, GM offered the first fully automatic transmission in an Oldsmobile, in 1949, the first high compression overhead valve V8 engine and in 1966, the first front wheel drive. In 1994, Oldsmobile once again led the way by introducing an innovative optional safety feature: airbags!

Why did this iconic brand die? GM failed to maintain Oldsmobile’s distinct points of differentiation, those things that made it different, special, and unique. It stopped being the “innovative” brand and started to look like (and drive like) all of the other GM brands. Driven by a Chevy engine, a 1980s era Oldsmobile could have easily been mistaken for a Buick or Pontiac.  This was an era during which GM car brands became generic, distinguishable only by their GM brand. Oldsmobile never recovered from the loss of its unique identity. To read the full story, click here.