Lot details Registration No: BS 8410 Chassis No: 8220 Mot Expiry: Oct 2008
"Come away with me Lucille In my merry Oldsmobile,
Down the road of life we'll fly, Automobubbling you and I.
To the church we'll swiftly steal, Then our wedding bells will peal,
You can go as far as you like with me, In my merry Oldsmobile"
(Oldsmobile publicity song)
Named after its distinctively shaped footboard, the Curved Dash Oldsmobile was introduced in 1901. Adopted as the marque's sole retail model the following year in the wake of a near catastrophic factory fire, the two-seater became America's first mass-produced gasoline-powered car. Featuring a water pump, trembler coil ignition and overhead valves, its advanced rear-mounted single-cylinder engine was allied to two-speed planetary transmission. Displacing some 1.6 litres (later 1.9 litres), the eager powerplant was reputed to develop some 4.5bhp @ 500rpm and to emit one chug per telegraph pole. Designed to negotiate unmade roads, the Oldsmobile's sturdy yet lightweight chassis featured so-called 'Concorde' leaf springs and tiller steering. While, the two brakes provided acted on the transmission and differential respectively (but not on the wire wheels). Initially priced at $650, the Curved Dash proved a runaway success. Though, the Runabout's popularity was not only due to its affordability but also to a clever marketing campaign that encompassed everything from songs (such as the one above) to various headline grabbing publicity runs (one of Ransom Eli Odls's diminutive cars made a coast-to-coast crossing of America in 73 days during 1903).
Finished in black over red with black upholstery, this particular example is described by the vendor as being in "good" condition with regard to its interior trim, chassis, bodywork, paintwork and wheels / tyres (while, he rates the engine and transmission as "OK"). Reportedly "imported from the USA" three years ago, 'BS 8410' is understood to have participated in the 2004 and 2005 London to Brighton runs. Said to have been out with the TVVCCO during 2006 but to have seen little use since, the Curved Dash Runabout is summed-up as "a nice car and lots of fun". Eligible for a host of motoring events, this iconic Oldsmobile is offered for sale with a copy Veteran Car Services Ltd Certificate (no. E026), Science Museum certificate, manual and MOT certificate valid until October 2008.
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