Ransom Eli Olds

Ransom Eli Olds is a Michigan historical marker in Detroit, Wayne County, dedicated 1997.

Wayne County · dedicated 1997 · Belle Isle, Detroit

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In Lansing, on August 21, 1897, Ransom E. Olds (1864-1950) founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Company, the precursor to Oldsmobile. He produced four vehicles that year. In 1899 Olds relocated to Detroit, opening the Olds Motor Works on West Jefferson Avenue near the MacArthur Bridge. In 1901 he built 425 gasoline-powered Curved Dash Oldsmobile Runabouts, driving them on Belle Isle prior to sale. Mounds of dirt excavated during canal construction on the island provided perfect “hills” for drivers who tested the mettle of early automobiles. Runabouts were the first cars to carry the Oldsmobile name.

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Marker data: Michigan History Center
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Ransom Eli Olds

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