1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobie at TTM since 2015

1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobie Photo Shoot in April 2019

The Curved Dash Oldsmobile (see specifications on the right-hand side column) was introduced in 1901. It was the only prototype to survive an almost disastrous fire at Olds Motor Works in Lansing, Michigan. Ransom Olds had numerous local manufacturers make the parts, which his company then assembled. This became an industry standard, especially for start-ups. The Model T was built this way for four years after its introduction in 1908. Due to the Oldsmobile's simple and rugged design, the "horseless carriage" was a big success. It became the first mass-produced automobile in history. 425 were built in its first year and 2,500 in 1902, making it the best-selling vehicle to that point by a wide margin. 4,000 were built in 1903. Altogether, some 19,000 vehicles would be built in the USA before they were replaced with more modern vehicles after 1907. It was also built under license in other countries, including both Russia and Germany.

1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobie restoration process

In late December 2015, museum members began preliminary work to find out how easy it might be to get this wonderful and historic vehicle to run again. Removing the radiator water and gas tanks was relatively easy. Both were found to hold a significant amount of residual debris from the fluids last used in them. The water pump will need to be rebuilt. The car has been retrofitted with a Ford Model T carburetor, so finding a rebuild kit for it will be child's play. The toughest part of the project was figuring out how to remove the flat radiator located under the floor boards. A whole bunch of other items, such as rods that connect the brake and gas pedals, had to be removed first, but they were safely extracted.

1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile at Cavender Toyota

The Curved Dash Oldsmobile sold for $650 in 1903, the equivalent of around $16,000 today. The type was upgraded with a slightly more powerful 7-hp engine and a longer wheelbase in 1904, but sales began to fall as more modern vehicles emerged. In its early days, the Oldsmobile company ran masterful campaigns to popularize the vehicle. Initially, it simply stated that it was a great replacement for horses and mules. It soon became a staple in reliability runs on roads that destroyed its competitors. They were driven increasingly long distances, including a transcontinental run in 1903. The journey from San Francisco to New York took 60 days. It also did well in a race from New York to Portland, Oregon, the following year. One was driven up the steps of the Capitol building in Lansing, Michigan, with wooden blocks added to the rear wheels for traction. The vehicle was also celebrated in a very popular music hall song, "In My Merry Oldsmobile," which was a huge sheet music hit before the age of radios.

Historic images of Curved Dash Oldsmobiles in San Antonio

Curved Dash Oldsmobile replica

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