A factory fire in 1901 destroyed every prototype but one, and that survivor became America's first mass-produced car.
Lead trim: Model R 1,560 cc single-cylinder (5 hp, 1901–1903)
Oldsmobile Curved Dash1901–1907
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Oldsmobile Curved Dash yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactA factory fire in 1901 destroyed every prototype but one, and that survivor became America's first mass-produced car.
The gasoline-powered Oldsmobile Model R, also known as the Curved Dash Oldsmobile (named for its sleigh-like curved dashboard), is credited as the first mass-produced automobile, built on an assembly line with interchangeable parts. Introduced in 1901 and produced through 1907 (425 in the first year, 2,500 in 1902 and over 19,000 in all), it was a two-seat runabout selling for US$650 (below the US$850 Ford Model C "Doctor's Car"), built as a city car for short-distance driving. The flat-mounted, water-cooled single-cylinder 1,560 cc (95 cu in) engine sat at the center of the car and produced 5 hp with a brass gravity-feed carburetor, driving through a semiautomatic two-speed planetary transmission; the car weighed 850 lb with Concord springs and had a top speed of 20 mph. The success was partly accidental: in 1901 a fire destroyed the other prototypes and only the Curved Dash was rescued. In 1904 the Model R was replaced by the Model 6C with a larger 1,931 cc (118 cu in) engine and drum brakes in place of the band brake (2,234 built), followed by the Model B (1905; about 6,500 built, with a Straight Dash offered) and the Model F (1907). A stripped-down Model R "Pirate" racer built by Mr. Olds was driven by Horace Thomas to a record 54.38 mph at Ormond Beach, Florida (raced there in 1902 and 1903).
Collectors Spotted in the Oldsmobile Curved Dash Lineage
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Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 6C 1,931 cc single-cylinder (1904) | 1904–1904 | 1.9 L Single-cylinder | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Model R 1,560 cc single-cylinder (5 hp, 1901–1903) | 1901–1903 | 1.6 L Single-cylinder | 5 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
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Owners’ builds
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Photographs
