The Curved Dash Oldsmobile, introduced in 1901 by the Oldsmobile Company, is heralded as the first mass-produced automobile. This runabout model, produced until 1907, was a revolutionary vehicle built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. Priced at $650, it featured a flat-mounted, water-cooled single-cylinder engine positioned at the center of the car. This engine produced 5 horsepower, allowing the car to reach speeds of up to 20 mph. The transmission was a semi-automatic design with two forward speeds and one reverse. Interestingly, the car’s success was partly due to a factory fire in 1901 that destroyed several other models, leaving the Curved Dash as the only intact prototype ready for production.

Curved Dash Olds – Catalog #140

This Pen & Ink drawing by Maggie LaNoue is available as cards and prints.  It is part of the Nostalgia series.