The Oldsmobile Special was the entry-level Oldsmobile of 1910 and 1911. It replaced the Models D, DR and X, followed the end of the smaller Model 20, and was itself replaced by the Defender after two seasons.
Oldsmobile Special at a glance
| Maker | Oldsmobile, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 1910–1911 |
| Class | entry-level car |
| Series names | Series 22 and 25, then Series 26 |
| Engine 1910 | 5,506 cc side-valve four, 40 bhp |
| Engine 1911 | 5,506 cc side-valve four, 36 bhp |
| Gearbox | four-speed, lever on the right |
| Clutch | leather cone |
| Brakes | mechanical drum brakes on the rear wheels |
| Wheels | wooden spokes |
| Body styles | four-door tourer and saloon, two-door roadster |
| 1910 production | 1,525 |
There is no English Wikipedia article on the 1910 Special; this page is based on the German and Italian articles, which cite the Standard Catalog of American Cars. There are no free photographs of the car, so the article uses the existing record photograph.
History of the Oldsmobile Special
A new bottom of the range
Oldsmobile introduced the Special in 1910 as the successor to the Models D, DR and X, and as its new entry-level car once the smaller Model 20 was not continued. Under the bonnet was a side-valve four-cylinder engine of 5,506 cc producing 40 bhp, driving the rear wheels through a leather cone clutch, a four-speed gearbox with the lever on the outside right, and a propeller shaft. All four wheels had wooden spokes and the rear wheels were braked mechanically by drums with external bands.
Two series and two years
The car was sold as a four-door tourer or saloon under the Series 22 name, and as a two-door roadster under Series 25. For 1911 it continued with only minor changes, although engine output fell to 36 bhp, and the two bodies were renamed Series 26. Oldsmobile built 1,525 Specials in 1910; in 1911 the figure of 1,000 covered both the Special and the larger Autocrat together. The Defender replaced the Special in 1912.
Design and features
- Entry-level model: the cheapest way into an Oldsmobile in 1910.
- 5.5-litre four: a side-valve engine of 40 bhp, reduced to 36 bhp for 1911.
- Two body styles: a four-door tourer or saloon and a two-door roadster.
- Short life: two seasons before the Defender took its place.
Oldsmobile Special versions
- Series 22 (1910): the four-door tourer and saloon.
- Series 25 (1910): the two-door roadster.
- Series 26 (1911): the renamed pair with 36 bhp.
The Special was the smaller stablemate of the Autocrat and the Limited. More models are in the Oldsmobile collection.
Sources
- Oldsmobile Special, German Wikipedia: engine, gearbox, series, production
- Oldsmobile Special, Italian Wikipedia: body styles, output, production
