The Oldsmobile Autocrat, known in its first year as Series 28, was the mid-range Oldsmobile of 1911 and 1912. It followed the engineering of the big Limited model, carried a 7.7-litre four-cylinder engine, and was replaced by nothing when it was dropped after 1912.
Oldsmobile Autocrat at a glance
| Maker | Oldsmobile, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1911–1912 |
| Class | mid-range car |
| Series name | Series 28 in 1911, Series 32 in 1912 |
| Engine | 7,718 cc side-valve four, 40 hp |
| Gearbox | four-speed manual, lever on the right |
| Clutch | leather cone |
| Final drive | propeller shaft to the rear wheels |
| Brakes | mechanical drum brakes on the rear wheels |
| Wheels | wooden spokes |
| Wheelbase | 3,150 mm, 3,200 mm from 1912 |
| Body styles | four-door tourer, four-door saloon, two-door roadster |
There is no English Wikipedia article on the Autocrat; this page is based on the German and Italian articles, which cite the Standard Catalog of American Cars.
History of the Oldsmobile Autocrat
A middle model on Limited lines
Oldsmobile brought out the Autocrat in 1911 as the middle of its range. Apart from the engine, its engineering followed the top model, the Limited. Under the bonnet sat a side-valve four-cylinder engine of 7,718 cc that produced 40 bhp, driving the rear wheels through a leather cone clutch, a four-speed gearbox with the lever mounted outside on the right, and a propeller shaft. All four wheels had wooden spokes, and the rear wheels were braked mechanically by drums with external bands.
Two years and two series
The car was sold as a four-door tourer or saloon, or as a two-door roadster, all under the Series 28 name. For 1912 it continued almost unchanged as Series 32, the only significant difference being a wheelbase two inches longer. In 1911 Oldsmobile built 1,000 cars across the Autocrat and the smaller Special together; in 1912 the Autocrat alone accounted for 500. The model was dropped the following year without a replacement.
Design and features
- Large four-cylinder engine: 7,718 cc and 40 bhp, shared in concept with the Limited.
- Four-speed gearbox: unusual for 1911, with an outside right-hand lever.
- Three body styles: tourer, saloon and roadster under one series number.
- Short life: two seasons and two series names before it was discontinued.
Oldsmobile Autocrat versions
- Series 28 (1911): the original Autocrat.
- Series 32 (1912): the same car with a two-inch longer wheelbase.
- Four-door tourer and saloon: the closed and open four-door bodies.
- Two-door roadster: the open two-seater.
The Autocrat was the middle model between the Special and the Limited. More models are in the Oldsmobile collection.
Video: 1912 Oldsmobile Autocrat
Video by Great Race on YouTube.
Sources
- Oldsmobile Autocrat, German Wikipedia: engine, transmission, body styles, production
- Oldsmobile Autocrat, Italian Wikipedia: wheelbase, series names, production
