- Ransom E. Olds
Infobox Person
name = Ransom E. Olds
image_size = 200px
caption = Ransom E. Olds
birth_date = birth date|1864|06|03
birth_place = Geneva,Ohio
death_date = death date and age|1950|08|26|1864|06|03
death_place = Lansing,Michigan
occupation =Business ,Automobiles
spouse = Metta Ursula Woodward
parents = Pliny Fiske Olds and Sarah Whipple Olds
children =
networth =Ransom Eli Olds (
June 3 ,1864 –August 26 ,1950 ) was a pioneer of the Americanautomobile industry , for whom both theOldsmobile and Reo brands were named. He claimed to have built his firststeam car as early as 1894, and his first gasoline powered car in 1896.Olds was born in
Geneva, Ohio , the youngest son of blacksmith and pattern-maker Pliny Fiske Olds and his wife Sarah Whipple Olds. His parents moved the family toCleveland, Ohio , when Olds was still a boy. He eventually settled inLansing, Michigan , where he married Metta Ursula Woodward onJune 5 ,1889 .Oldsmobile
He founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in
Lansing, Michigan , onAugust 21 ,1897 . The company was bought by a copper and lumber magnate namedSamuel L. Smith in 1899 and renamed Olds Motor Works. The new company was relocated from Lansing to Detroit. Smith became President while Olds became vice president and general manager.In 1901 Olds designed the Curved Dash Oldsmobile which sold for $650.00. It was this car, rather than
Henry Ford 'sModel T , that was the first mass-produced, low-priced American motor vehicle. [Berger, Michael L. (2001). "The Automobile in American History and Culture: A Reference Guide", p. 40. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN 0313245584.] Although the factory was destroyed by fire that year, the company still sold over 600 models of the Curved Dash. In 1904 sales were up to 5000 units.As Smith's son, Frederick, came into the business, he and Olds clashed frequently until Fred Smith removed Olds from the position of vice president and general manager in 1904 and Olds left his company. [Dunbar, Willis F., and May, George S. (1995). "Michigan: A History of the Wolverine State" (3rd ed.), p. 424. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 0802870554.] He went on to form the R.E. Olds Motor Car Company. Its name was quickly changed to
Reo Motor Company to avoid a lawsuit from the Olds Motor Works. The name REO came from the initials of his name as anacronym . Olds served as president (until 1925) and later chairman of REO.The Olds Motor Works was bought by General Motors in 1908. The Oldsmobile brand, after a production run of 107 years, was discontinued by General Motors in 2004.
Assembly line
Olds created the assembly line in 1901, although most credit
Henry Ford , whose contribution was to refine the process and perfect the standardization of components. This new approach to putting together automobiles enabled him to more than quadruple his factory’s output, from 425 cars in 1901 to 2,500 in 1902. [cite web | title = Pioneers of the auto industry | first = Curtis | last = Redgap | url = http://www.allpar.com/corporate/bios/pioneers.html | date = 2007 | accessdate = 2008-01-08 ]Racing career
Olds was also famous for his
auto racing on the beaches of Florida at Ormond and Daytona. He had the first timed run on the beach in a solo run some time between 1894 and 1897. In 1896 or 1897, rich automobile pioneers Olds andAlexander Winton (Winton Motor Carriage Company ) staged an unofficial event; Winton beat Olds by only 0.20 seconds.Oldsmar
In 1913, Olds purchased 37,541 acres (152 km²) of land by the northern part of
Tampa Bay inFlorida and developed the area into what is now the city of Oldsmar.Other Lansing businesses
In 1906, Olds organized the Capital National Bank, later called Lansing National Bank, and
Michigan National Bank . Olds was also involved in the organization of the Michigan Screw Company and Atlas Drop Forge Company, all located in Lansing, Michigan.Olds was the primary financier of the Olds Tower. When completed in 1931 it was the tallest office building in Lansing, and retains that distinction today. Located at 124 West Allegan Street, the building is now called the
Boji Tower .Olds was also involved in the Hotel Olds located at 111 South Capitol Avenue in Lansing. Today this is known as the
George W. Romney Building, where the office of the Governor of Michigan is located.Politics
Olds was a Republican, and served as a delegate from Michigan's 6th District to the
1908 Republican National Convention , which nominatedWilliam Howard Taft for president.Residence
In the early 1900s, Olds built an elaborate Queen Anne-style mansion on South Washington Avenue in Lansing. Among the home's many technological innovations was a turntable in the garage which allowed Olds to pull in at night and leave again the next morning without driving in reverse. The mansion was demolished in 1972 to make way for
Interstate 496 , which ironically was then named for Olds himself. He had another house inAnn Arbor, Michigan , which is still standing, and is open to the public for tours.ee also
* REO Speed Wagon - The wagon
* REO Speedwagon - The band named after the wagonReferences
* 1880 Census of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, page 321B.
External links
* [http://www.reoldsmuseum.org/ R.E. Olds Museum]
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