1913 Oldsmobile Series 53

The little single-cylinder Curved-Dash Oldsmobile was one of the first successful automobiles built in Michigan. Production started in 1901 as plants in Detroit and Lansing. Oldsmobile founder Ransom E. Olds left his namesake firm in 1904 to start a new company to manufacture his new REO automobiles.

Meanwhile, Oldsmobile management continued to build Curved-Dash models, but also added larger and more expensive models - such as the massive 1907 'Palace Touring Car' - to the line with each passing year. By 1908, Oldsmobile production had dwindled to about 1,000 cars annually. Before the year was out, Oldsmobile was acquired by the new General Motors organization.

Oldsmobile would eventually become a solid upper-medium priced car under GM ownership. But before that happened, the gigantic Limited models of 1910-1912 were built. Powered by a 707 cubic-inch, 6-cylinder, T-head engine, the Limited is said to be the largest automobile ever made in the U.S. The Limited rode on 42x5-inch tires and stood so tall that dual-step running boards were provided for the passengers.

This particular Model 53 was purchase din July of 1913 by Howard A. Welch of Dover, Massachusetts. The car remained with Mr. Welch until 1949, when he sold it to Duane C. White of Waban, Massachusetts. The next owner, from 1972 to 1985, was Philip Peterson of Worcester, Massachusetts, after which it went to California with owner William Manly. The current caretaker acquired the car from Manly in 1995.

The car has an aluminum body by Rothschild & Co. It is finished in Brewster Green with black leather upholstery. It has a cocoa mat for the rear floorboard, a German silver radiator with gold medallion, winged mascot with MotoMeter temperature gauge, Carl Zeiss parabolic headlight lenses, double Firestone Non Skid spare tires, and the factory data plate. The horn is a rare 'triple-twist' Klaxon electric-bulb combination.

Power is from the original Northway six-cylinder engine that was recently rebuilt. It has new aluminum pistons and Stellite valves, new babbit bearings, a new timing chain, and a new leather clutch. Upgrades include an electric fuel pump and an updated starter, but the original compressed-air fuel system and Delco-Remy electrics remain on the car.

The Model 53 Oldsmobile was built for just one year and it is believed that just 500 examples were built.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2016