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1903 Oldsmobile Model R Curved Dash

Ransom Eli Olds experimented with electric and steam production before switching to internal combustion. His light runabout, the curved-dash model, was completed in 1900 and ready for the market early in 1901. The start of production was delayed by a fire in the factory, so cars did not reach the public until late summer.

The first model to wear the name 'Oldsmobile' and the first produced by the Olds Motor Works was the Model 'R', the first of three models to be called the Curved Dash Oldsmobile. Approximately 425 examples were built that first year.

The Model R was a two-passenger vehicle that weighed 650 pounds and had a base price of $650. Buyers had the option of purchasing a dos-a-dos (French for back-to-back) seat to carry an additional adult or two small children. The wooden body was painted black with trim in cherry color. Both the body and frame were given a gold pinstriping. All Curved Dash Oldsmobile's were right-hand drive and steering was controlled by a tiller. On the floor was a brake pedal that operated the transmission brake band. Sitting next to the brake pedal was a foot throttle that connected to the carburetor via a thin iron wire.

The Olds Model R was started by a crank handle that was permanently attached to the engine and extended out the sides of the body. This allowed the driver to start the engine while sitting in the seat.

Power was from a horizontal single-cylinder engine located under the seat. It had a two-speed planetary transmission and driver controls on the right, with steering by the center tiller. The chassis design incorporated long leaf springs on each side connecting the front and rear axles. Attached to the top of the strings was the wooden body, and a small transverse fully elliptical spring in front damped out any fore-aft rocking motion. In 1902, truss rods were added to the axles.

By 1903, the Curved Dash Olds surpassed the steam Locomobile and became America's best-selling car. The Curved Dash remained in production through 1907, with successive improvements made over the years.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout
Chassis number: 15481

Oldsmobile was started in 1897 by Ransom E. Olds and when it was phased out by General Motors it was the oldest surviving American manufacturer.

During the 1901 fire at the Detroit Plant, this Runabout was the only prototype rescued.

This car was manufactured by the Olds Motor Works in Lansing, Michigan. It is considered to be the first mass produced vehicle in the USA and was the basis of the 1905 song 'In My Merry Oldsmobile.'

The car has a side crank for the driver to start the engine from the seat. It has a two-speed transmission, center chain drive, mechanical brake on the transmission. Available options include cloth buggy top, fenders and 'Neveroul' lights.

This vehicle is an unrestored car with serial number 15481. The compression release pedal number dates the car to 1903 production though title shows 1904. The engine is a one-horizontal cylinder with 4.5 horsepower. The wheelbase is 66 inches and the weight is 650 lbs. Total production was 3,924 units for 1903. A selling price of $650.

Runabout
Chassis number: 15168

This vehicle was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars sale at Hershey, PA presented by RM Auctions. It was estimated to sell for $10,000 - $20,000 and offered without reserve. Bidding quickly surpassed the estimates with the final bid settling at $45,100. It has a wheelbase that measures 66-inches and its 95.4 cubic-inch single-cylinder engine is capable of producing 7 horsepower. It had a cosmetic refresher many years ago; since then the finish on the red-and-black body has degraded and the front fenders show wrinkles. There are brackets for headlights but no lighting installed. The engine is mostly intact but is without a carburetor.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout

'Nothing to watch but the road' - The 1903 Oldsmobile Model R Runabout is better known as a 'Curved Dash Olds' and represents a major defining point in the development of the early automobile. R E. Olds, the founder of the Olds Motor Works, believed that cars should be produced simply and inexpensively so the common man could afford them and to do so he had to create the first mass production assembly line. In 1903 the Curved Dash production was 4,000 cars and total models produced from 1901 to 1907 was nearly 19,000 cars. The engine was centrally located and the hand crank is by the driver's seat. The owner of this Model R Runabout is the great-granddaughter of R.E. Olds.

Runabout

This is the first mass produced car. It sold for $650 new before options. The weight is 650 pounds. Early ads referred to the dollar per pound as a measure of affordability.

This car has the top and side curtains ($50 option) as well as the 'mother-in-law' seat (a $25 option) along with the original foot rest.

This car has tiller steering, a 1-cylinder engine that develops five horsepower, two forward speeds, and has a top speed of about 25 mph which was fast enough for the early roads. The car is started by turning a fixed crank; it was designed so the driver could crank from his seat.

Runabout

Oldsmobile produced 3,924 Model R Curved Dash Oldsmobiles in 1903, making the Olds Motor Works the largest automobile producer in the United States. Running changes were made to the little car through 1906 when it went out of production.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout
Chassis number: 17083

This 1903 Olds Curved-Dash Runabout is fitted with a folding top, a horn, correct oil front lighting, four fenders and a two-passenger wicker basket seat which mounts on the rear deck. It has an older restoration and an ownership history that dates back to the 1960s, when it was owned by a Mr. Nelson Holmwood of Laguna Beach, CA. In the late 1970s it changed hands within the family and was moved to Washington, DC. It remained in the family until around 1999 when it was sold. It has been in a private museum on the east coast since that time.

In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Hershey Auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $60,000 - $80,000. As bidding came to a close, the car was sold for the sum of $60,500 inclusive of buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout
Engine number: 18003

The Oldsmobile factory in Lansing developed the concepts of mass automobile production on continuous assembly lines. They fostered the development of specialist suppliers like Leland & Faulconer, Dodge Brothers and others that i turn, supported the burgeoning auto industry that would transform Detroit the center of automobile manufacturing in North America.

The Olds Curved Dash helped change the public image of the automobile as an economical and viable alternative to horse drawn transportation. They were a lightweight and simple machine that made graduating from horse to gasoline power a manageable step. Power came from a horizontally-mounted single-cylinder 4.5-horsepower 95 cubic-inch engine with mechanically operated valves mated to a 2-speed planetary gearbox with single chain drive to the rear axle. Initially offered only with a transmission brake, a mechanical brakes on the rear axle was later added in the event the drive chain broke. Many other changes were made to the Curved Dash during its production lifespan of 1901 through 1904.

This example was in the Pierce A. Miller Carriage Collection. It is a later 1903 model with roller chain drive, bolted differential housing and finned radiator tubes. There are a number of optional features including the dos-a-dos rear seat with fold-down footrest, and a pair of kerosene sidelights. The car is in original condition.

In 2013, the car was offered for sale at Bonhams Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $62,100 including buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout

The cost of the Oldsmobile Curved dash was based on its weight, at $1.00 per pound. The vehicle weighed 650 pounds, so its cost was $650. The Curved Dash also served as the inspiration for the song 'In My Merry Oldsmobile.'

The Curved Dash had large wheels, ample ground clearance, and was lightweight. It was capable of traversing various terrains. The U.S. Postal Service threw its support behind the Curved Dash by purchasing them for use as its first mail 'trucks.'

This particular example has made 21 successful tours in the United States.

Runabout
Engine number: 17282

The Olds Motor Vehicle Company was founded in August 21st of 1897 in Lansing, Michigan by Ransom Eli Olds. This was the first automobile company in Michigan organized solely for manufacturing and selling motor vehicles. Olds first car, a steam, was built in 1887 and was soon followed by a gasoline version. The Olds Motor Vehicle Works was capitalized in 1899 by a wealthy lumber merchant, Samuel L. Smith.

On March 9th of 1901, the factory burned down. Olds turned his attention to the surviving car - a gasoline runabout. The Curved Dash featured a single-cylinder engine and had a spur-geared, two-speed transmission. The engine offered 4.5 horsepower at 600 RPM and was capable of a top speed of 20 mph. The Curved-Dash Oldsmobile soon became America's first volume car. With a price of $650, Olds sold 425 examples in 1901 followed by approximately 2,500 in 1902. For 1903, the company built 3,924 examples and production continued through 1904.

This particular example was part of the Paul Teutul Jr. collection. It is an original and unrestored example. It is believed to still wear its original paint along with later advertising where it was likely shown in an auto dealer's showroom.

This Olds is currently not in running condition.

by Dan Vaughan

Runabout

The Curved Dash olds was high off the ground, simple, elegant, and effective. The term 'curved dash' design was first applied to buggies to ward off the mud and manure thrown up by the horses' hooves. The appearance and operation was similar in ways familiar to farmers. It had tiller steering, a 2-speed planetary gear transmission, and a single-cylinder, 95 cubic-inch, engine offering 7 horsepower (rated 4.5 hp by ALAM).

This particular example has no truss rods, relying on the simple leaf spring suspension characteristic of the earliest Model Rs. It has a black livery with red accents on the wooden body, black leather upholstery, and matching canvas top. There are chrome spoke wheels with white rubber tires. At some point, it was given a restoration.

by Dan Vaughan

The Oldsmobile Model R Curved-Dash Runabout was a vehicle that was nearly snuffed from history before it was even introduced to the world. Ransom Eli Olds had experimented with steam and electric propulsion but ultimately decided on the internal combustion engine. His curved-dash model was completed in 1900 and ready for market in early 1901. However, a fire at the factory delayed the start of production with only one prototype rescued.

Production resumed shortly thereafter and the first runabout was available to the public in the late summer. The runabouts weighed a mere 650 pounds and sold for $650.

Power was from a horizontal single-cylinder engine placed under the seat and mated to a two-speed planetary transmission. Steering was by a center tiller and suspension was comprised of a long leaf spring on each side connecting the front and rear axles. The body was made of wood and attached to the top of the springs. Any rocking motion was eliminated by the small transverse full-elliptic springs in front. The following year, truss rods were added. Improvements were made throughout its lifespan, which lasted until 1907.

The cars were instantly popular, becoming the best selling motorcar in America in 1903.

by Dan Vaughan