The 5 Most Iconic Oldsmobiles to Roll Out of Lansing
For more than 100 years, Lansing was home to Oldsmobile.
Millions of cars rolled off the assembly lines in Michigan's capital city, destined to make their ways into dealerships and driveways around the nation and around the world.
Beginning in 1901 and continuing until 2004, more than 35 million Oldsmobiles were manufactured, at least in part, at Lansing Car Assembly (on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., adjacent to the Grand River). In addition to Oldsmobile, the facility would also ultimately produce vehicles for General Motors sister brands Chevrolet, Buick and Pontiac in its later years.
The Oldsmobile brand cranked out several remarkable models over the course of its existence, but which ones were the most iconic? See our countdown below.
5. The Oldsmobile 30-D
The Oldsmobile 30 was built in Lansing from 1923 through 1927. The 1923 model got the suffix -A, the 1924 was the -B, and so forth, hence the Oldsmobile 30-D from 1926 pictured above. Almost a quarter million of these were cranked out during this model's five years in production.
4. The Oldsmobile Series 70
Between 1939 and 1950, Lansing produced the Oldsmobile Series 70. The 1940 model pictured above was considered a mid-range vehicle at the time. Chevy and Pontiac were GM's budget brands, while Buick and Cadillac were considered the luxury ones. Oldsmobile was in the middle.
3. The Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight
For decades, the Ninety-Eight was Oldsmobile's top-of-the-line model. Lansing originally produced them during the early part of WWII, and brought them back after the war and continued to produce them between 1946 through 1996. A variety of coupes and sedans would roll off the line in Lansing.
2. The Oldsmobile Series L
The Oldsmobile L-Series, also known as the Oldsmobile 8, was produced in Lansing between 1932 and 1938. The suggested retail price for the 1938 Oldsmobile Series L pictured above was just over $1100 at the time (roughly $22,000 in today's dollars).
1. The Oldsmobile Cutlass
Between 1961 and 1999, Lansing produced the Oldsmobile Cutlass, and several related sub-brands (including the Cutlass Calais, the Cutlass Ciera and the Cutlass Supreme). Originally considered the make's entry-level model, the Cutlass would eventually attain legendary status, and the Cutlass Supreme is still considered one of the most iconic models among all makes of vehicles.