Was Oldsmobile made by Chevy?
No. Oldsmobile was a General Motors brand, not Chevrolet. It began as an independent company founded by Ransom E. Olds and later became a division within GM long before Chevrolet existed as a separate marque.
To understand the relationship, here's a concise look at the origins and corporate trajectory of Oldsmobile and Chevrolet within General Motors, and how the two brands were positioned over the decades.
Origins and ownership within General Motors
Here are the key milestones that outline Oldsmobile's and Chevrolet's places within General Motors.
- 1897 – Ransom E. Olds establishes the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, which becomes Oldsmobile.
- 1908 – General Motors acquires Olds and folds the brand into GM’s developing corporate structure.
- 1911 – Louis Chevrolet and GM founder William C. Durant establish Chevrolet as a separate GM marque to broaden the company's offerings.
- 1960s–1990s – Oldsmobile operates as a distinct GM division, producing popular models such as the Cutlass line and Delta series.
- 2004 – GM announces the wind-down of the Oldsmobile brand, ending new-vehicle production.
These milestones show that Oldsmobile originated prior to Chevrolet and that both brands remained under General Motors, functioning as separate divisions rather than one being created by the other.
How these brands relate today
Today, Chevrolet remains a core GM brand while Oldsmobile, as an independent marque, was discontinued in 2004. The two brands share corporate heritage but were never the creator/created relationship; instead, they ran as parallel GM brands with different product lines and leadership across the 20th century.
Summary
Oldsmobile was not made by Chevrolet. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds and became a General Motors division in 1908. Chevrolet was launched in 1911 as a separate GM brand. Both brands were part of GM, but Oldsmobile was not produced by Chevrolet, and Chevrolet did not create Oldsmobile. Oldsmobile ceased production in 2004 as GM refocused its brand lineup.
Why did GM discontinue Oldsmobile?
However, in the decades that followed, sales began to decline, prompting GM to announce in 2000 that it would discontinue the Oldsmobile line with the 2004 models. When the last Oldsmobile rolled off the assembly line in April 2004, more than 35 million Oldsmobiles had been built during the brand's lifetime.
Did Chevy make Oldsmobile?
Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors.
Is an Oldsmobile 350 the same as a Chevy 350?
Chevrolet's 350 was also unique
With a 4.00-inch bore and 3.48-inch stroke, it wasn't as potent as Oldsmobile's Rocket 350, but it still provided solid performance. Chevy's iconic 350 plant could generate 295 horsepower in the '67 Camaro, aided by the car's smaller overall size compared to a 1969 Cutlass.
What car is the poor man's Cadillac?
1940 LaSalle (poor man's Cadillac.)
