Olds left the company
following financial difficulty to form the REO
Motor Car Company, the last of the famous “Curved
Dash Olds” being manufactured in 1907 before
a GM buyout in 1908. By this time, Oldsmobile had developed a well deserved
reputation for innovative firsts, including the
speedometer (1901), out-sourcing of parts, chrome
plating, mono-block V8’s and automatic
chokes. In 1908, Oldsmobile became the first manufacturer to begin using nickel, rather than brass, trim.
