What is the most important automaker of all time? That’s a difficult question when you really break it down and as is so often the case it depends on who you’re asking Some people might argue longevity and heritage. Hardcore petrol/gearheads might argue motorsport success and bringing gobs of power to the masses. Sentimental people might go with something deeply personal, like the fact that their parents always had one, so the nostalgia factor creeps in. Numbers people would probably argue for profitability — how many units were produced and how much of the world they conquered. Big picture people always look for industry-changing innovations that shaped the automotive landscape for years to come. Detail-oriented people will look for things like how the doors shut and the feel of the ride.
All of these people will almost all have different answers to that question posed in the first sentence, but what about a brand that people forgot about? A brand that made cars for 107 years in the heart of Michigan.
…that invented the assembly line.
… that helped invent the automatic transmission and made it a mainstream luxury.
… that turbocharged their aluminum V8 and gave it water injection, oh by the way, in the early 60s.
…that helped win a world war.
…that made one of the first overhead valve V8’s.
…that took a 455ci V8 and made it front-wheel drive the hard way.
…that came out with countless crossover and small SUV prototypes, in the 80s and early 90s- 30 years before they became the most common things on the road.
…and whose death rattle produced a way to move cars to the masses through a warranty so good, it has become the norm.
So come with us, as we explore one of the most important automakers of all time in our first installment of “The Makes” by Grease the Wheels. In this episode, we talk about some of the innovations carried out and invented by Oldsmobile that have completely defined the automotive world today. It’s just a shame that they are not around to see it.
Also, Uncle Jimmy talks about running over a “steaming pile of guts,” pitches LS swapping a space shuttle, and Erik forces him to talk about a truly great idea with disastrous execution.
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