The death of Oldsmobile....
I read today that the final days had come for Oldsmobile Americas oldest car company, a significant American brand, in business since 1897 and a part of General Motors since 1908. Sad it is and also a lesson in letting a brand with a huge and loyal customer base just slip away.
Back in the good old days of my youth getting an Oldsmobile meant you had moved up a notch in the social and economic conundrum. Until I was 16 we had been a two Chevy family...sedan and station wagon. But with one son headed to college and another soon to go, my Dad decided that with business going well, the lady of the house deserved a better means of transportation than the usual Chevy Bel Aire wagon. She got a nicely fitted out 1967 Cutlass Supreme. And it was nice inside and out, a fairly luxurious med-sized sedan with a big V-8, power windows [a real extra in those days] and well built. Though a family car it was fun to drive...not that I got the opportunity much, it was to nice a car for a teenager, or so the theory went.
After I was on my own, out of the Army and had run through my sports car craze [MGA, Triumph Tr-6, Corvette, Porsche] the first "regular car" I owned in Dallas was an Oldsmobile Cutlass. A beautiful 1976 Black on Black Coupe that was a joy to drive. However, having been gone from Texas for years, I forget that one never wants to own a completely black car here, thus the reason for the sale of the car within a year and a half...and the fact that I found another Corvette.
It was shortly after this period, in my opinion, that Oldsmobile started it's slide to obscurity. The cars started to have a cheap feeling about them and new exciting design was non-existant. They became the classic econoboxes of the late 70s and early 80's. They became the ride of choice for Grandma and Grandpa on a retirees budget. In truth, almost the entire American auto industry fell into this glum depression, but most car makers eventually recovered and starting making models that had, in some form, an air of glamour to them. Cars that young drivers could identify with, which like it or not, is what makes auto lines popular. I can't think of one exciting, glamorous or snob appeal car that Olds has made in the last three decades. And there apparently was no major attempt to revive the brand, no glitz machines, no sexy advertisements, no appeal to snobbery. Oldsmobile had just become the national generic plain vanilla car. No small wonder that the official reason cited for the end of production was lack of sales. Sizzle sells and the fire under Oldsmobile died years ago. To bad.
I read today that the final days had come for Oldsmobile Americas oldest car company, a significant American brand, in business since 1897 and a part of General Motors since 1908. Sad it is and also a lesson in letting a brand with a huge and loyal customer base just slip away.
Back in the good old days of my youth getting an Oldsmobile meant you had moved up a notch in the social and economic conundrum. Until I was 16 we had been a two Chevy family...sedan and station wagon. But with one son headed to college and another soon to go, my Dad decided that with business going well, the lady of the house deserved a better means of transportation than the usual Chevy Bel Aire wagon. She got a nicely fitted out 1967 Cutlass Supreme. And it was nice inside and out, a fairly luxurious med-sized sedan with a big V-8, power windows [a real extra in those days] and well built. Though a family car it was fun to drive...not that I got the opportunity much, it was to nice a car for a teenager, or so the theory went.
After I was on my own, out of the Army and had run through my sports car craze [MGA, Triumph Tr-6, Corvette, Porsche] the first "regular car" I owned in Dallas was an Oldsmobile Cutlass. A beautiful 1976 Black on Black Coupe that was a joy to drive. However, having been gone from Texas for years, I forget that one never wants to own a completely black car here, thus the reason for the sale of the car within a year and a half...and the fact that I found another Corvette.
It was shortly after this period, in my opinion, that Oldsmobile started it's slide to obscurity. The cars started to have a cheap feeling about them and new exciting design was non-existant. They became the classic econoboxes of the late 70s and early 80's. They became the ride of choice for Grandma and Grandpa on a retirees budget. In truth, almost the entire American auto industry fell into this glum depression, but most car makers eventually recovered and starting making models that had, in some form, an air of glamour to them. Cars that young drivers could identify with, which like it or not, is what makes auto lines popular. I can't think of one exciting, glamorous or snob appeal car that Olds has made in the last three decades. And there apparently was no major attempt to revive the brand, no glitz machines, no sexy advertisements, no appeal to snobbery. Oldsmobile had just become the national generic plain vanilla car. No small wonder that the official reason cited for the end of production was lack of sales. Sizzle sells and the fire under Oldsmobile died years ago. To bad.
