Ida Grove grapples with dealer losses May 24, 2009
After GM discontinued their Oldsmobile line in 2003, they added a Kawasaki motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle dealership at the same location. The loss of the Chevy franchise won't force them to lay off any of their six employees, which includes their son, Matt, and daughter, Kriss Phillips. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Nostalgia lane May 24, 2009
Even the departure of Oldsmobile in 2004 and plans to dump the Saturn nameplate left GM with more divisions than it wanted. Holbrook, who drives a 2007 G6 as his everyday car, doesn't share GM's views. (Erie Times-News, PA)
Elderly couple attacked in Loganville robbery May 23, 2009
Once inside the couple s home, the suspects severely beat Ewing and his wife and stole his wallet before fleeing in a late-model dark blue or black Chevrolet or Oldsmobile sedan driven by a third suspect. Ewing was in serious condition at Gwinnett Medical Center. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
GM to cut out 1 600 dealerships in US May 23, 2009
7bn) to close its Oldsmobile division and some 2 800 dealerships earlier this decade, an experience that made it reluctant to take on its widely recognised problem of having too many dealers competing for shrinking US car sales. GM is not offering dealers any compensation this time, but it offered to help them wind down their operations. (Business Report, South Africa)
Time to buy? May 22, 2009
After all, you can still get Oldsmobile parts, Toprak says. Oldsmobile was slowly phased out in the early 2000s and stopped production in 2004. (MSNBC -- Business)
Mergers fail more often than marriages May 22, 2009
The group could only think of two: The formation of General Motors in 1908, which folded together Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and several other independent companies; and Volkswagen with Skoda and SEAT in 1990. Don't Miss. (CNN -- International)
Don't blame UAW for bad cars May 22, 2009
Did the unions kill the once highly esteemed Pontiac and Oldsmobile brands with boring, cheaply made and unreliable cars. Is the UAW responsible for the appearance of just about the entire line of Chrysler vehicles landing on Consumer Reports unreliable list each year and their failure to develop hybrid cars for sale. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
HINGHAM YESTERDAYS: Longest 9-inning game ever played May 18, 2009
OLDSMOBILE, 1954, 98 Hardtop coupe, R. & H., hydramatic, power steering, power brakes, whitewall tires, solid color, Beautiful, well kept car at a very special price, $1195 ... Hingham Oldsmobile, 74 North St., Hingham, RI 9-1929. (Hingham Journal, MA)
Turning layoffs into lessons May 17, 2009
She ended up driving something less flashy - her great-grandmother's 1990 Oldsmobile. "I wanted a car and needed to drive, but I wasn't so happy about it," she said. (Boston Globe)
The Big Money: Good GM/bad GM May 17, 2009
Back when GM ruled the world, the idea was that you bought a Chevy, then you moved up to a Pontiac, then an Oldsmobile, then a Buick, and finally you arrived at the pinnacle of the GM brand ladder, lordly Cadillac. Not long after, you were measured for a pine box. (MSNBC -- Business)
GM Begins Announcing its 1,100 Dealership Closures May 16, 2009
"This is absolutely nerve wracking. It's like a death sentence. It's the worst feeling in the world," said Mugford, 45, who bought the dealership with his younger brother in 2002 after owning an Oldsmobile franchise down the street. GM closed its Oldsmobile line of cars in 2004. (Fox News)
GM, Chrysler slash US dealerships May 16, 2009
GM spent more than $1 billion to close its Oldsmobile division and shut down some 2,800 dealerships earlier this decade, an experience that made it reluctant to take on its widely recognized problem of having too many dealers competing for a shrinking share of US auto sales. Tough terms. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Business)
Don't drive my Jeep off the road May 16, 2009
They've already stopped making Oldsmobiles. During the years I was in school, we owned an Oldsmobile, a Ford, a Dodge and a Packard. (Albany Times Union)
Following Chrysler, GM Slashing U.S. Dealers May 16, 2009
GM spent more than $1 billion to close its Oldsmobile division and shut down some 2,800 dealerships earlier this decade, an experience that made it reluctant to take on its widely recognized problem of having too many dealers competing for a shrinking share of U.S. auto sales. TOUGH TERMS. (ABC News -- Wire)
This guy was stopped May 14, 2009
Police responded to the area and spotted the car, a gray Oldsmobile, and pulled it over. One of the officers talked to one of the reporting persons, who said the car was all over the road and crossed the double yellow line. (Allston Brighton TAB, MA)
Fundraiser on wheels May 14, 2009
Besides the Rolls, other cars on display will include a 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II; 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300sl Roadster; 1954 Mercury Monterey Woodie Wagon; 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300d; 1948 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet; 1964 Lincoln Continental Convertible; 1960 Thunderbird Convertible; 1963 Buick Riviera Coupe; 1957 Oldsmobile Super 98; 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow; 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250se Cabriolet; 1950 Ford Convertible; and 1960 Imperial Crown Sedan ... 1957 Oldsmobile Super 98. (Athens Banner-Herald)
White Lightning Movie (1973) May 9, 2009
The principal props used in the movie were automotive, and included the following: a 1971 Ford Custom 500, a 1971 Mercury Monterey, a 1972 Ford LTD, a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu, a 1963 Mercury Comet, a 1962 Ford Fairlane, a 1962 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 and a Chevrolet Camaro of undetermined vintage. Interestingly, White Lightning had been envisioned as Steven Spielberg's first feature film. (Suite101.com)
Consumer Reports Survey Reveals Higher Satisfaction With Independent Auto Mechanics May 5, 2009
Despite the turmoil surrounding the American auto industry, six American automakers (Buick, Saturn, Mercury, Cadillac, Lincoln and Oldsmobile) ranked among the top ten in terms of customer satisfaction with dealership maintenance. "In many cases, we heard that independent shops were more thorough and consumers were more satisfied with repairs they made, there was less of a difference in routine service," said David Champion, senior director, Consumer Reports Auto Test Center. (PR Newswire)
Garage sales and General Motors May 4, 2009
Oldsmobile went away a few years ago. In the seventies somewhere Buick, Olds, Chevy, Cadillac and Pontiac became very generic anyway. (Alva Review Courier, OK)
Life without Pontiac looms May 2, 2009
Haydocy added GMC in 1992, Oldsmobile in 1997 and Buick in 1999, but said Pontiac has always been the heart of the west-side operation, accounting for 40 percent of sales in 2008 ... 5 million Pontiac Buick GMC dealership and a neighboring Oldsmobile dealership in 2000, taking on additional debt to leave a showroom that had been paid off ... A month later, GM said it was pulling the plug on Oldsmobile. (Columbus Business First, OH)
River City Speedway revs up for new season May 2, 2009
Steven Schreiner will drive the GRV Mobile Repair-sponsored Oldsmobile Cutlass in the Tracers, a class for kids age 13-17. Larry Lemmons of Toledo and his wife Kim will also compete at the speedway. (Longview Daily News, WA)
Pontiac is gone, but not the memories May 2, 2009
In April 2004, GM stopped production of the 106-year-old Oldsmobile, whose original company was the first to mass-produce cars and which pioneered the use of chrome and automatic transmissions ... Almost unbelievably, the Oldsmobile is gone and soon, the Pontiac. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Riding shotgun May 1, 2009
That's the second verse of a song Erick Anderson first heard nearly a decade ago, when GM announced it was discontinuing the Oldsmobile brand. Anderson owns Placer Motors, which had the Olds line and today sells Pontiacs in addition to Subarus at the dealership on Euclid Avenue. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
So long, Chief Apr 30, 2009
It was only five years ago that GM closed down ancient Oldsmobile, which dated to the dawn of the auto age. Three years earlier, Plymouth slipped off Chrysler's roster. (Montana Standard, MT)
Pontiac bites the dust Apr 29, 2009
By 1926, GM management concluded that the companys vaunted stepping stone business model had a step missing between its entry-level Chevrolet brand and the more aspirational Oldsmobile brand, so Oakland added Pontiac models to fill that gap ... Through the 50s, Pontiac remained an unremarkable brand for people who couldnt afford Oldsmobiles. (MSNBC -- Business)
Dealers prepare for worst if GM files Chapter 11 bankruptcy Apr 28, 2009
GM already has said it needs fewer dealers and also said it's not going to buy out dealers as it did at huge cost when it closed Oldsmobile. But dealers first must keep from going under because of cash flow problems. (USA Today -- Autos)
Where will we put our beers? Apr 28, 2009
As General Motors considers phasing out such all-American rides as Buick, Saturn and GMC, Im feeling a pang for the last car to be crowded out of the companys lineup of look-alike autos: the Oldsmobile. The Oldsmobile was first built in my hometown of Lansing, Mich ... In fact, in the 1970s and '80s, Oldsmobile was moving over a million units a year, making it the nations third most popular brand, after Ford and Chevy. (Salon)
Talking cars: I want a shiny Corvette Apr 19, 2009
Question: I own a 1997 Oldsmobile Cutlass with 70,000 miles. I noticed a coolant leak on my driveway and took it to the shop. (Kingston Mariner, MA)
My Car: Hitting the high notes in his SUV Apr 16, 2009
Hand-me-down Pontiacs and my dad's Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera ... All the vehicles I've driven were pretty reliable cars: the Plymouth, the Pontiac, the Oldsmobile. (Globe and Mail)
GM pushes faster plan to cut U.S. dealers: sources Apr 16, 2009
For the remainder, GM is preparing to terminate franchise agreements without the kind of payouts that it made when it shut down its Oldsmobile division and closed some 2,800 dealerships. That process cost GM more than 1 billion. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
From rusting in a field to shining on the highway Apr 15, 2009
Stacy Allen, right, stands beside his 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass in front of Carlton clothing retailer Kions, where he works. Flanking Allen is one of his friends, Marcus Shivers of Carlton. (Athens Banner-Herald)
GM plans to lose money on its electric Chevy Volt Apr 14, 2009
Pay them to go away -- even though it took about $1 billion to eliminate the Oldsmobile brand a few years ago. This time, GM wants to get rid of Hummer, Saab and Saturn. (USA Today -- Money)
Is General Motors gasping under a mountain of governmental red tape? Apr 8, 2009
More than one out of every two new cars on the road in the U.S. was a Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick or Cadillac ... Oldsmobile, a car for many years that was in the top eight of U.S. sales, disappeared. (Lodi News Sentinel, CA)
Inside the GM Plant Apr 5, 2009
VAN SUSTEREN: Or was that Oldsmobile that did that. HANKERD: That was Buick. (Fox News)
Not So Fast On Bankruptcy Apr 2, 2009
When GM closed its Oldsmobile line of cars in 2004, it cost the company more than $1 billion to buy out the dealers. The plan GM submitted to the administration called for reducing its dealership network from 6,246 in 2008 to 4,100 in 2014. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
It really was my father's Oldsmobile Apr 2, 2009
Brand Graveyard: Oldsmobile - The Brand Graveyard - Salon ... A commemorative logo is seen on the Alero, the last Oldsmobile to roll off the assembly line April 29, 2004, in Lansing, Mich ... As General Motors considers phasing out such all-American rides as Buick, Saturn and GMC, I m feeling a pang for the last car to be crowded out of the company s lineup of look-alike autos: the Oldsmobile. (Salon)
Greene: Astonishing day for GM, America Apr 1, 2009
Not only did GM handily outsell Ford, but each of the five individual GM brands -- Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Cadillac -- outsold the entire outputs of Chrysler, American Motors, Packard and Studebaker. Chevrolet alone sold more cars than those manufacturers combined. (CNN -- US)
GM CEO Wagoner Forced out as Part of Gov't Plan Mar 30, 2009
Wagoner also closed factories; shed the unprofitable Oldsmobile brand; globalized GM's engineering, manufacturing and design to save billions; and led a resurgence in quality and performance of its long-neglected cars. In 2007, the company reached a landmark agreement with the United Auto Workers that shifted massive retiree health care costs to a union-run trust and ushered in a $14-per-hour wage for new hires, about half that of a current laborer. (ABC News -- Wire)
In my corner Mar 26, 2009
Oldsmobile engines were also popular as well as the Chrysler hemi and occasional Cadillac. Big engine, small car, hmmmm, sounds like fun. (Alva Review Courier, OK)
No ifs, ands or butts Mar 21, 2009
This is a message to the woman who drives a late 90s Oldsmobile, blue, license plate 500-MTD. There s a butt at Clinton and Rose streets that belongs to you. I know, because you were right in front me recently when you carelessly tossed it out the window. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
‘Rocket ship' transit system proposed in Missoula Mar 20, 2009
Chuck wrote on Mar 19, 2009 10:45 AM:" Jeff, You tell others to research this before they speak. I'm guessign that you ahvent checked into this company and their histiry over the past 10 years. They have been rejected by town after town after town. Their claims of 375 miles per gallon to 200 to 150 are ridiculous. Your claim that this transport is being done in other parts of the world is not true. I found one site Heathrow)that is a tiny pilot project that goes nowhere, is not even built and... (Missoulian, MT)
Pile in! Station wagons making a comeback Mar 20, 2009
The wagon's heyday was the late 1950s, when American-made models like the AMC Rambler, Ford Country Squire and Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser ruled the market. In the span of a decade, sales rose from about 3 percent in 1950 to almost 17 percent of the U.S. auto market, before they fell in the 1970s and '80s, largely due to the minivan and rising gas prices. (MSNBC -- Business)
U.S. car repair shops getting mileage... Mar 16, 2009
She brought in her daughter's 1996 Oldsmobile for new rotors and brakes, and said her daughter would be driving the car "until it drops dead.". "Believe it or not, we were raised to fix things, and to hold on to things as long as we could," White said. (CNN -- Law)
Vroom, vroom!! Mar 14, 2009
Among them were Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Packard, Maxwell, Pierce-Arrow, Franklin, Marmon, Overland, Reo, Locomobile and White. Invitations were sent to more than 1,500 automobile dealers and garage owners. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
AJC Auto Show revs up with 600 vehicles Mar 13, 2009
Among them were Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Packard, Maxwell, Pierce-Arrow, Franklin, Marmon, Overland, Reo, Locomobile and White ... Among them were Cadillac, Oldsmobile, Packard, Maxwell, Pierce-Arrow, Franklin, Marmon, Overland, Reo, Locomobile and White. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Ask the Auto Doctor Mar 12, 2009
Dear Doctor: I have a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue with a headlight problem. During the day the daytime running lights work as they should, but at night only one headlight works. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
One on One with Richard Childress, President and CEO of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Mar 12, 2009
"I think it was a 1950 Oldsmobile coupe. It had a hot rod package in it. Let's just say it had some 'history' to it. On the track, I started out with a 1937 Plymouth I bought for 20!". Q: What do you do off the track to take care of your personal cars and keep them running at their best. (Chronicle Newspapers, VA)
Maserati's North American CEO sells and lives the lifestyle Mar 4, 2009
An internship at Oldsmobile hooked her on the auto industry. "It was exciting," she says, a great way to strike up conversations. (USA Today -- Autos)
Where to take your car for repair Feb 28, 2009
But when he took his 2003 Jeep Liberty and 1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue to an independent shop, LaBella said he was told things like "This is what you need. Maybe you can wait on that.". Another respondent, Michael Burandt, of Cleveland, reported that he was not happy with the experience he had when taking his 2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser to a dealership. (CNN)
Dealers Pose Big Hurdle For General Motors Feb 27, 2009
Many point to the last major discontinued brand, Oldsmobile, as proof of how difficult ending a marque can be. GM had to buy out most of the 3,000 dealers. (Investors Business Daily)
GM prepared to drop Saturn Feb 23, 2009
Tad2 wrote on Feb 22, 2009 11:11 PM:" It's a shame GM is willing to let go of Saturn. Evidently the top executives at the other GM divisions were more adept at kissing up than those representing the Saturn division. Saturn was an is a very good product, but politics prevail not only in public life but in the board rooms of big corporations such as GM. I also think GM made a grave mistake when it discontinued the Oldsmobile line. They have some real smart boneheads at corporate headquarters in... (Columbia Daily Herald, TN)
Racing into the spotlight Feb 21, 2009
At first, Will raced his father s 1970 Oldsmobile 442. The younger Marks, who s now 24-years-old, finished second in his class points championship at Beaver Springs Dragway his first year out. (Milton Standard Journal, PA)
Its muscle car glory faded, Pontiac shrivels up Feb 20, 2009
It gave Pontiac vehicles like the TransSport minivan and the Sunbird, Sunfire and Phoenix cars that were barely distinguishable from models sold by Chevrolet and Oldsmobile. Pontiac also garnered unwanted publicity in 2001 with the Aztek, whose tag line declared, "Quite possibly the most versatile vehicle on the planet." Its bulky looks landed it on lists of the world's ugliest cars. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
A painful departure for some GM brands Feb 18, 2009
It spent more than $1 billion to buy out dealers at Oldsmobile, which built its last cars in 2004. Rick Wagoner, GM's chief executive, said the automaker had set aside money to buy out dealers, but declined to specify a figure. (International Herald Tribune)
Saturn may hit the ditch in GM's loan plans Feb 17, 2009
That happened with Oldsmobile. Rob Cochran of No. 1 Cochran in Monroeville and Robinson said he held out hope that Saturn would continue as a brand. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Natures ways: A rare adventure Feb 13, 2009
When I was about 8 years old and the proud owner of a new Kodak Brownie camera my family piled into the old 1955 black Oldsmobile and drove to Wellfleet to see a rare bird. Now, my family was not a family of birders. (Yarmouth Register, MA)
Couple's odyssey ends in tragedy at Super 8 motel Feb 10, 2009
Sudbury was 12 hours behind them when Peter and Yanisa Fonteece limped into Thunder Bay in their 1998 Oldsmobile. They checked into the Super 8 motel and told the desk clerk they had car trouble. (Globe and Mail)
Which Used Cars are Worth the Most? Least? Feb 8, 2009
Chrysler Sebring Coupe Chevrolet Venture Van Buick Park Avenue Sedan Oldsmobile Alero Coupe Ford Freestar Van Dodge Intrepid Sedan Oldsmobile Alero Sedan Mercury Monterey Van Oldsmobile Silhouette Van Cadillac Seville Sedan. It should be noted that each vehicle on the lowest value list is no longer in production. (KWTX.com, TX)
End of line for four generations at GM? Feb 7, 2009
Forseven decades, the Green family has built Chevys, Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs ... Over seven decades and four generations, the Greens have together poured nearly 300 years into building Chevys, Oldsmobiles, Buicks, Pontiacs and Cadillacs ... He became a tool and die maker at Oldsmobile, joining the UAW at a time when a labor agreement could be summed up in a pocket-size brochure. (MSNBC -- Business)
Work was never a grind for co-op employee Mar 27, 2008
"I've got some projects at home to keep me busy," he says, indicating he can't wait to restore a 1958 Oldsmobile two-door hard-top. "I had one just like it brand new back in 1958," he says. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Not-so-secret weapon: GM's Chinese engines Mar 26, 2008
Oldsmobile owners in 1981 were so angered that their cars had been fitted with Chevrolet engines instead of Oldsmobile "Rockets," subject of another hit song, that they successfully sued GM over the swap ... Early in his career, the company was running short of engines for Chevrolets but had a surplus of Oldsmobile motors ... He was assigned to find a way to modify the incompatible Oldsmobile engine - the two brands had not even been able to agree on common bolt sizes - to fit into a Chevy body.... (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
General Motors Class Action Settlement Could Drive Big Attorney Fees Mar 26, 2008
Lawyers in California and Missouri first filed suit against GM about five years ago, claiming the auto manufacturer used an engine coolant in factories that created performance problems in more than 30 models of GM cars, including the Oldsmobile Cutlass and Chevy Impala. All of the cases targeted Dex-Cool, a coolant GM started using with the 1995 model year. (Law.com)
Biggest business blunders ever Mar 22, 2008
In the mid-1950s, flush with the exceptional success of the Thunderbird, Ford wanted to create a new model to compete head-to-head with General Motors' Oldsmobile. Ford's solution: the Edsel, named for founder Henry Ford's son. (MSNBC -- Business)
European models drive US carmakers' hopes Mar 8, 2008
While GM is infamous for "badge engineering" - sharing the same car across several brands, the philosophy that helped kill Oldsmobile - executives say that era is over and while the company is still building cars that share similar parts, they no longer share personalities. "At the end of the day, the question of whether or not you can keep a body style alive is: Are you able to create a lot of enthusiasm about maintaining it?" said Hans Demant, GM Europe's managing director of Opel. (Boston Globe)
Vintage cars set to roar on Sunday Mar 8, 2008
While there will be an awards presentation, the point of the event on Sunday is for car enthusiasts to get together and show their specs whether it s a 1955 Oldsmobile or a vintage war vehicle ... For Kathy Wood, a member and treasurer for the Texas Gulf Coast Oldsmobile Club, which has two other Texas chapters in Dallas and San Antonio, the picnic ushers in the season of showcasing their cars. (Pasadena Citizen, TX)
