1934 Oldsmobile Series L

Oldsmobile introduced the F-33 six-cylinder and the L-33 eight-cylinder models in 1933. Styling revisions followed the next year. The L-34 was rated at 90 horsepower from the 240 cubic-inch engine and had a wheelbase that measured 119-inches. The front featured an independent suspension.

This car was purchased by the owner in San Diego, California who then drove it home to Michigan. It has been repainted to its correct maroon color with red striping with a new leather interior and top in 1997. It was featured at the 100 years of Oldsmobile display in 1997.

Sold for $57,200 at 2012 RM Auctions - St. Johns, Michigan.
Sold for $81,400 at 2016 The Finest : The Elegance at Hershey.
For 1934, Oldsmobile offered a Six and Eight cylinder model, named the Series F and Series L respectively. Several body styles were available within each model. The six-cylinder models proved to be far more popular, partly due to the fact that both engines produced almost identical horsepower. (The six produced 84 horsepower while the Eight offered 90 horsepower).

The Oldsmobile marque, the second nameplate in William Durant's General Motors, overlapped market segments with several other GM marques until Alfred P. Sloan established a price hierarchy in the mid-1920s. During the 1920s, Oldsmobile's fortunes began to slip, yet they were able to survive the Great Depression by providing tangible value for the money. The cars produced were well-engineered, stylish, solid, and outfitted with many advanced features. Oldsmobile earned the reputation as the 'engineering' division of General Motors. Oldsmobile would continue to produce automobiles until 2002 and remains as the sole North American automobile manufacturer with history touching the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries.

This eight-cylinder L-34 convertible coupe is one of only five known to exist. It was restored by Anderson Restorations of Wisconsin, to award-winning standards, with AACA Senior Grand National First Prize and Senior National First Prize awards to its credit.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the St. Johns sale presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $60,000 to $80,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $57,200 inclusive of buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2012