1912 Oldsmobile Limited

The Oldsmobile Limited Touring was available from 1910 through 1912 and was given its name after it beat a train (named the '20th Century Limited') that traveled from Albany to New York. In 1910, the catalog that announced its arrival stated: 'such a car cannot be produced rapidly, therefore a limited quantity can be built.'

The Olds Limited was based on the Model Z and rested on the same 130-inch wheelbase but on larger 42-inch wheels. The engine, formed by three sets of two cylinders, initially displaced 505 cubic-inches and delivered 60 horsepower. It later grew to 707 cubic inches and 60 hp the following year when the wheelbase was stretched to 138 inches. The four-speed manual gearbox sent power to the rear wheels.

The Limited Touring was a luxury vehicle that was available in four body styles and carried a price tag of around $5000. The production of a luxury car by Olds was a shocking move to many, as the Oldsmobile Company had recently been taken over by General Motors. Oldsmobile had excelled in the past at building one-cylinder vehicles so a move into the competitive luxury car segment was a gamble. Luckily, it paid off, but only for a short period of time. After 1912, the company went back to producing smaller models.

For 1912, Oldsmobile marketed three cars including the Limited, Autocrat, and a new model called the Defender – all available in any body style. The Defender was powered by a 267 cubic-inch T-head inline four-cylinder engine delivering 35 horsepower and backed by a three-speed manual transmission. Its wheelbase measured 116 inches. The Limited now rested on a wheelbase that measured 140-inch wheelbase, approximately the same number of Limiteds produced that year. The 707 cubic-inch T-head six-cylinder unit delivered 60 horsepower and was backed by a four-speed gearbox. In the front was a solid axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, while the back was a live axle with three-quarter-elliptic leaf springs. Braking was handled by two-wheel mechanical brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2007