1902 Oldsmobile Model R Curved Dash

The Olds Motor Works was established in 1897 by Ransom Eli Olds, in Lansing, Michigan. Olds had tested his first car, a steamer, in 1887, and a gasoline-fueled car soon followed. Capital for the Olds Motor Vehicle Works was provided by a wealthy lumber merchant, Samuel L. Smith. R.E. Olds began work on several different models, including electric vehicles.

On March 9th of 1901, the factory burned down. After this, Olds focused his attention on the surviving car, a gasoline runabout. It had a single-cylinder engine and a two-speed transmission. Series production of the Model R Curved Dash soon began and quickly became America's first volume car. It was high off the ground, simple and effective, with a buggy-like design and an elegantly curved dashboard, a term first applied to buggies to ward off the mud and manure thrown up by horses' hooves. With tiller steering and weighing a mere 850 pounds, they were easy to operate and looked familiar. The 'Curved Dash' received its name from its toboggan-like dashboard appearance. The design was familiar to many of the era, as buggies often had this feature to protect occupants from mud and manure thrown up by the horses' hooves.

The Oldsmobile Curved Dash Series R rested on a 66-inch wheelbase platform and was powered by a one-cylinder engine with a 4.5-inch bore and six-inch stroke. The 95 cubic-inch unit had two main bearings, mechanical valve lifters, a single carburetor (initially a mixer system which used a fuel pump; later, a gravity-fed floatless unit), and delivered around 5 horsepower at 600 RPM. The transmission was a Planetary two-speed unit (plus reverse) with the controls located to the right of the driver. The passenger sat on the driver's left-hand side. The power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a chain, the suspension used leaf springs on the solid axles, the braking was via a mechanical drum on the axle, and the tires were tubeless. Optional equipment included fenders, lights, and a top. Truss rods, an emergency braking system on the rear differential housing, were added to the axles mid-way through the 1902 year.

Olds sold 425 of the $650 cars in 1901, another 2,500 or so in 1902, and 3,924 in 1903. It is estimated that over 6,800 examples of the Model R were produced between 1901 and 1903, and additional variants followed through 1907. It was neither the most nor least expensive car on the market, but it did offer solid value for the money and was simple and effective.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020