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OLDSMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA EASTERN MA. GMO CHAPTER Issue #34 Ma M May 2008 ROCKET POWER NEWSLETTER!! GMO 20TH Anniversary A Perspective on Oldsmobile Spring Dust-Off on May 4, 2008 By Karl Sup Oldsmobile Club of Arizona Is your Oldsmobile out of winter storage yet? If not, you better get cracking - the GMO Spring Wind is an amazing event. It comes from a Dust Off show will be held May 4, 2007 at distance as a faint whisper, approaches unseen Haskins Auto Sales in Wellesley under the through the trees until it envelopes you with its Oldsmobile sign (one of the few left standing) will, departing into the distance. And it only lasts whether you are ready or not. but a delicate moment. In it’s passing, there is a void. A void to us, like the last Oldsmobile rolling off the assembly line April 29th, 2004. We, the Oldsmobile Club of America, are left to write the epitaph and speak the eulogy of a great tradition, heritage and legacy; founded and forged with the heart and soul, the brains and brawn of innumerous inventors, engineers, marketers, office and assembly workers. Common folks. But uncommon to a man and woman. For what they have created in Oldsmobile has been masterful. And for that we are very grateful. We perused the online editions of the Lansing State Journal for historical facts. Typing 'OLDSMOBILE' into their website search engine returns a thousand results. Far less than ten percent of these results were articles, with the remainder being over 800 obituary entries. Each obituary had a common thread... 'retired from Oldsmobile' or 'ex- Oldsmobile employee'. We are captivated by their stories. Their accomplishments. Their individual The theme this year is the twentieth anniversary of Oldsmobile legacy painted within the small the founding of the GMO and above is the plaque strokes of an obituary's canvas. To name them all we will be presenting to Haskins Auto Sales in here would be an honor. To omit a name would be appreciation for hosting the event. I spoke with a travesty. It was through their dedication to Bob Haskins during a recent visit to their facility excellence that a tremendous base of loyal, and he asked if the GMO might like to hold a satisfied customers were developed. “session” with several of the Haskins technicians who worked on the 442s and other Oldsmobiles of Through the years, we have seen families, no, the 60’s and 70’s. If you are interested in an event generations of Oldsmobile owners. Dedicated to a of this type we will see what we can set up. brand they had defined as unique to America, in an ubiquitous landscape of innovative automotive 1942-45: Car production stops and Olds workers history. The Oldsmobile was not the rich man, nor make 48 million rounds of ammunition, 140,000 the poor man's car. It was the brand that defined aircraft machine guns and tank cannons. the emerging middle class of America in post- World War II. It was a statement of achievement, 1949: The Rocket V-8 engine is introduced. and once tasted, could never be forgotten. What better way to commute from the new suburbs than 1950: R.E. Olds dies. taking a rocket-ride in a Rocket 88? But where did Oldsmobile originate? 1958: Olds becomes the nation’s 4th largest automaker. 1864: Ransom E. Olds is born in Geneva, Ohio. His family moves to Lansing when he is 16. 1965: Employment tops 15,000 in Lansing. 1887: R.E. Olds develops a steam-powered car. 1968: Hurst/Oldsmobiles roll off the assembly line and are shipped over to Demmer Tool and Die for 1893: Olds’ steam-powered car becomes the first conversion. American car sold abroad - but the ship sinks on the way to India and the car is lost. 1978: With the dedication of a new Cutlass plant, Oldsmobile’s Lansing operations become North 1896: Olds builds a gas-powered car and starts America’s largest passenger car assembly motoring around Lansing. complex. 1897: Olds and Lansing business people start the 1979: Engine plant opens in Delta Township. GM Olds Motor Vehicle Co. and build four cars. The employment tops 23,000. Lansing-based manufacturer is the first company organized specifically to produce cars in quantity. 1984: With the reorganization of GM, Oldsmobile becomes a sales and marketing division in the 1899: Olds’ second company, Olds Motor Works, Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac Group. Oldsmobile moves to Detroit. sells more cars this year than any other year. 1900: The Oldsmobile name is first used. 1992: Buick-Oldsmobile-Cadillac disappears as a GM name. Lansing’s factories become part of the 1901: Detroit plants are destroyed by fire and Olds Lansing Automotive Division, which made its returns to Lansing. home offices in the city. 1905: The Curved Dash Oldsmobile is 1996: GM announces Olds will move to Detroit. immortalized by the song “In My Merry Oldsmobile.” 1997: Olds celebrates 100th anniversary. 1908: Oldsmobile joins the newly organized 1998: Olds moves from Lansing to Detroit. In General Motors Co. as one of its first two mid-1998, Olds starts to build the Alero in operating divisions. The other is Buick. Lansing. 1916: Oldsmobile uses the first V-8 engine. 1999: A GM vice president says the automaker could build two new assembly factories in the 1927-29: Olds employment skyrockets to 7,000 Lansing area. with 12 new buildings. 2000: GM announces it will phase out its 1935: One millionth Olds is built. Oldsmobile division. 2001: Oldsmobile dealers begin receiving settlement payments from GM to avert lawsuits related to the Oldsmobile phase out. 2004: An amendment to a pending federal tax bill may give Oldsmobile dealers two years to spend their GM settlement checks before tax on the money is due. April 29, 2004: The last Oldsmobile to be built, an Alero, rolls off the line at Lansing Car Assembly. In the end, GM claimed that Oldsmobile was no Ransom notes is a GMO member profile in honor longer a viable division, operating at a loss, while of Ransom Eli Olds who founded the Olds Motor Saturn continues to operate at a loss since its Vehicle Company on August 21, 1897. Ransom inception. So answer this: where is the Saab, Notes is authored By GMO member David Saturn or Hummer loyal customer base today? Consoli. Perhaps after these brands age another 50 years, GM corporate marketing will discover they have, The phase “To be or not to be that is the question” by dumb luck, nurtured loyalties for these newer comes from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, GM brands. But I know they will never create prince of Denmark. You may be wondering why I such brand recognition and loyalty as displayed by am quoting Shakespeare for a Ransom Notes generations of Oldsmobile customers; loyalties feature? Well that is simple. It was meant to be, that GM discarded callously on the roadside, like so to speak when by accident Andrea and Nelson an old shoe. What a shame... what a travesty. DesJardins stumbled on to the GMO. Some say it's the end of an era. We believe that It was July 2003. Andrea had just purchased her through the Oldsmobile Club of America, it's the 1971 Oldsmobile Delta 88, palm green 2 door start of an era. Close your eyes. Tilt your head to coupe that she had found in an ad in Hemmings the sky... we feel another breeze coming. magazine. Innocently enough, Andrea and Nelson decided that they would like to attend the Endicott GMO Glimpse of the Month show to show off their original 24,000 mile gem By David Consoli with fellow car enthusiasts. Like many others they sat in the long line to get into the Endicott show. As they approached the registration table Andrea was directed to the GMO section of the show by chance. Andrea recalls, “At first, we did not know anyone and most people kept to themselves”. (Obviously I was not involved in the club back then because congressman Consoli would have been campaigning to get them to join.) Since then, we have met many wonderful people in the club. The DesJardins’ said that at first they were grateful for the members helping them find Sam Murray on the move… resources and giving them recommendations for their Oldsmobiles. Now they are grateful because they consider these people their friends. “That’s the best part of the club.” Andrea said. Nelson then added “At first I saw names like Iantosca, of some sorts in case your head hit the dash. In Santucci & Consoli so I figured with all these 1962 Leonard bought a new Dynamic 88 coupe Italians in the club at least the food will be good. white with a red interior, for Victoria. Victoria Then I attended a meeting at this guy Berejik’s always received the new Oldsmobile’s in the garage and all there is to eat is doughnuts and family and Leonard would assume the older coffee so I said maybe this isn’t what I thought it Oldsmobile’s and “run them into the ground”. would be.” All kidding aside Nelson had nothing but praise for his fellow GMO members. For In 1968 the Puglisi’s purchased the “CURSED” example he told a tale of GMO member John Delmont 88. “We had a lot of problems with that Anderson. Nelson recalls how impressed he was one” Andrea said. “My father had an accident when he met John with his knowledge of with it.

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