The Oldsmobile O4 was a front-wheel-drive concept car designed by Bertone and presented by Oldsmobile in 2001. It was a four-door convertible aimed at younger buyers and previewed features intended for the next-generation Alero, which was cancelled when the brand was wound up.
Oldsmobile O4 at a glance
| Maker | Oldsmobile Division, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Year | 2001 |
| Type | concept car |
| Design house | Bertone |
| Body | four-door convertible, four seats |
| Platform basis | Opel Astra mechanicals |
| Engine | four-cylinder, 190 hp |
| Gearbox | manual |
| Roof | twin carbon-fibre targa tops |
| Doors | front doors plus rear suicide doors |
| Name | O for Oxygen, 4 for the number of seats |
| Fate | shown after the end of the Oldsmobile brand was announced |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Oldsmobile O4. There are no free photographs of the car, so the article uses the existing record photograph.
History of the Oldsmobile O4
A convertible for younger buyers
The O4 was designed in 2001 as a four-door convertible intended to bring younger customers to Oldsmobile. Many of its mechanical components came from the Opel Astra, a German small family car, with a 190 hp four-cylinder engine and a manual gearbox. The roof had twin targa panels made of carbon fibre that could be stowed behind the rear seats, and the rear window retracted into a compartment behind them. The doors opened as conventional front doors with small rear suicide doors behind, and there were silver handles only on the front doors.
The info ring
Instead of a traditional instrument cluster the O4 had an “info ring” inspired by the Palm Pilot and similar devices. Ten switches operated all of its functions, and media, maps and telephone numbers could be stored and displayed from a Sony Memory Stick. The car also had General Motors’ OnStar service. The name stood for Oxygen and four seats.
Cancelled with the brand
Weeks before the O4 was unveiled, GM announced that it was phasing out Oldsmobile, and by the time of the unveiling the car was called the GM O4 with the Oldsmobile name removed. The features it showed would have appeared on the next-generation Alero, but that car was never built and the O4 remained a show car.
Design and features
- Four-door convertible: conventional front doors with small rear suicide doors.
- Carbon-fibre targa roof: twin panels that stow behind the rear seats.
- Info ring: a circular display with ten switches replacing the instrument cluster.
- Bertone design: European styling on Opel Astra mechanicals.
Oldsmobile O4 versions
- Oldsmobile O4 (2001): the original show car.
- GM O4: the same car renamed after the Oldsmobile brand was dropped.
The O4 was meant to preview the next Alero. More models are in the Oldsmobile collection.
Sources
- Oldsmobile O4, English Wikipedia: design, roof, interior, cancellation
