Oldsmobile was a brand of American
automobiles produced for most of its existence by
General Motors. Olds Motor Vehicle Co. was founded by
Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its
Lansing, Michigan factory. When it was phased out in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile
marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after
Daimler,
Peugeot and
Tatra. Though it was closed in 2004, it still remains an active trademark of the General Motors Corporation. The closing of the Oldsmobile division presaged a larger consolidation of GM brands and discontinuation of models during the company's 2009
bankruptcy reorganization.