1904 Oldsmobile Curved Dash Runabout
Highlights
- Superb example of a true pioneer - the first production-line mass-production motor car
- London to Brighton Veteran Car Run eligible - and took part in the event in 2018
- Matching numbers example with VCC Certification
- Model 6C boasting a 1931cc single-cylinder engine with two-speed planetary gearbox and centre chain drive
The Appeal
Ransom E. Olds set up the Olds Motor Company in 1897 and, in the process, created one of the most important pioneers in motoring. Not only were they the first American motor to export a motor vehicle, and the first high-volume petrol car producer in the world - but the first to enter mass production as we now know it. Pioneering the assembly line, they used interchangeable parts and standardisation to amp up their volumes and become the very first name in automobiles.
Their first true foundation-shaking success - shaking almost as much as that gravity-fed single-cylinder engine - came in the form of the Curved-Dashboard Model R. It was really a matter of luck - the company had experimented with a great manner of prototypes, only to lose the vast majority in a warehouse fire. The Model R was the only one to be salvaged, and taking it as a sign, production began immediately. To call it a success would be a remarkable understatement - over the next six years, 19,000 were built and sold, many of them entering international export and popping up in well-to-do communities worldwide.
In 1904, the Model 6C replaced the original 'R', offering a larger engine, higher top speed - a blistering 20mph if you were particularly brave - and drum brakes. As was standard for the day, it ran only until December, to be replaced by the Model 'B'. The result is that the 6C only entered 2,234 units. Enormous quantities for the time, but in 2024? An incredibly scarce curiosity. Thankfully, that standardised concept means that support is relatively easy to come by for a 120-year-old automobile.
This very handsome 6C comes to us in fine order, chugging contently away and ready to ply its trade on such events as the London-Brighton Veteran Car Run, for which it offers the latest possible legibility. It's a truly incredible opportunity to take on one of the most historically significant cars in motoring.
The History and Paperwork
- Built in 1904 at the Lansing Car Assembly, Michigan
- Chassis number 22076
- Carries UK registration BS 8111
- The DVLA records the car's first UK registration in 1970
- Restored in recent decades, which is extensively documented
- In current ownership since 2017
- Previously based in the United Kingdom
- Certified as having completed the 2018 London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
- VCC dating certification received in 1991 accompanied the car
The Condition
- Older restoration, maintaining superb historical accuracy
- Artillery wheels
- Some wear to the paintwork
- The wooden coachwork is in fine fettle and very cleanly presented
- Paraffin-fuelled brass lamps in very good condition
- Leather upholstery is free of any rips or tears
As you'd expect from such a pioneering age of the motor car, there's not much to the 6C. It's a true horseless carriage, and represents a very transitionary era for the discerning motorist. The dashboard is very much in the horse-drawn sense, still being intended for catching any dirt or dust 'dashed up' by a pony in motion, or, in this case, thrown up by the front wheels in the days before mass asphalt.
The wooden coachwork is immensely evocative - free of any issues and still holding up beautifully from an older, fully catalogued restoration. Sat astride a set of bright red artillery wheels, it's unmistakably Edwardian and loaded with character. The bench is padded with a studded leather seat that belies the car's horse-drawn lineage, while the outsized brass lamps are fuelled by paraffin.
All of this is still in good, sharp condition, free of any significant fault and defying its 120-year heritage. Some wear has bedded into the paintwork, as you'd expect, and there are some rough textures to the dashboard facade - though this isn't of any major concern, and we've no reports of woodworm or rot.
The Mechanics
- 1931cc single-cylinder engine
- Fed by a replica Oldsmobile gravity-feed carburettor
- Two-speed planetary gearbox and centre chain drive
- Tiller steering and drum brakes
- Engine is in very good order
- Car is reportedly starting as it should and driving well
The 6C showed a level of mechanical development compared to its predecessors. Pedals and foot levers had finally arrived, flanking the distinctive tiller steering, and the engine was a relatively hefty 7-horsepower unit. This was a motor car capable of exceeding horse-drawn speeds, and was largely intended for intercity use - something it proved very capable of.
As time has gone on, an impressive level of support has been developed for these early Oldsmobiles - standardised parts have proven a great asset for their owners, and this one was fitted with a replica carburettor supplied by these surprisingly vast communities.
The car is starting and running as you'd expect, with that distinctive bouncing and chugging motion only an early, single-stroke vehicle can provide. It's a remarkable little thing that we've no doubt will become a highly prized classic for the lucky new keeper. It's certainly one of the most fascinating veterans we've covered at Car & Classic.
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Vehicle specification
- Year 1904
- Make Oldsmobile
- Model Model R
- Colour Black
- Odometer 0
- Engine size 1931
Listing Details
- Seller type Trade
- Town Limbrug
- Location International
- Country Belgium
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