Landau Sedan
In 1907 the Edward P. Murphy Oakland Motor Company was formed and based in Pontiac, Michigan. Their first vehicles were powered by the Alanson Brush-designed vertical two-cylinder engines. A year later, the company switched to 4-cylinder engines. Over 5,000 vehicles were produced during their second year of automobile production. Their stylish vehicles and competitive pricing helped stimulate of sales. In January 1909, Murphy sold half of the company to General Motors. A few months later, Murphy died, and GM acquired the remaining rights to the company. General motors positioned Oakland to fall below the cost of Oldsmobile and Buick but above Chevrolet. This worked well for the Oakland automobiles, and sales continued to be strong. During the early 1920s, things changed. The company was plagued with quality control problems, and its vehicles began to accumulate a reputation for being unreliable. Fred Hannum, the General Manager, created a quality control program to help improve the company's woes. This worked well, and sales began to increase.General Motors had designed its marques to fill certain price points. The Chevrolet Company offered entry-level vehicles for competitive prices. Oakland was next in line when comparing the price, power, and prestige of the vehicles they produced, followed by Oldsmobile and then Buick. The Cadillac was at the top of the product ladder and often outfitted with powerful engines, elaborate amenities, and high prices. Price gaps increased throughout the years between the GM Company's marques, and this was true for Chevrolet and Oakland. In 1926 Oakland introduced the Pontiac car to fill the gap. The cost-effective six-cylinder Pontiac vehicles became very popular while sales declined for the Oakland Company. In 1931, General Motors formed the Pontiac Motor Division, replacing Oakland.
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2012
By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2012
Related Reading : Oakland Six History
The first six-cylinder car to bare the Oakland name was introduced in 1913. It had a 6246cc displacement size and rested on a wheelbase that measured 130 horsepower. It was given the name the Greyhound 6-60 and came well equipped with features such as Delco electric lighting and ignition. The engines were made by Northway and the body coachwork was handled by Budd. The six-cylinder engine....
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