Auto industry / Business & brands
Ransom E. Olds
1864–1950 · automotive pioneer, founder of Oldsmobile and REO
Lansing carmaker who opened Detroit's first dedicated auto factory in 1899; after it burned in 1901 his Curved Dash Olds became America's first mass-produced car.
- Born
Geneva, Ohio- Died
Lansing, Michigan
aged 86- Birth name
- Ransom Eli Olds
- Also known as
- R. E. Olds
- Detroit years
- 1899–1901
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Olds grew up in Lansing, where he built steam and gasoline vehicles in his father's machine shop and founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in 1897. In 1899 lumber and copper magnate Samuel L. Smith invested in the business, renamed it Olds Motor Works and moved it to Detroit, into a new factory on East Jefferson Avenue near the bridge to Belle Isle, often called the city's first purpose-built car plant. Olds hired suppliers such as the Dodge brothers and Henry Leland. On March 9, 1901, the plant burned; a single Curved Dash prototype was pushed out of the flames. The runabout became the first car built in large numbers, and production soon shifted back to Lansing. After clashing with Smith's son, Olds left in 1904 and founded REO. The detour through Detroit helped build the city's early network of auto suppliers and skilled workers.
Highlights
- Olds Motor Works moved to Detroit in 1899
- Detroit factory destroyed by fire on March 9, 1901
- Curved Dash Olds: first mass-produced gasoline car (1901–1907)
- Founded REO Motor Car Company in Lansing in 1904
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Founded · 1899–1901
Olds Motor Works Detroit factory
Demolished · 1899–1901
The plant near the Belle Isle bridge that burned on March 9, 1901; only one Curved Dash prototype was saved.