Olds was able to promote the vehicle as a form of transportation which was cheaper and more dependable than a horse. The success of the Curved Dash was enough to help the oft-maligned automobile industry gain legitimacy and it paved the way for the overall success of the Oldsmobile brand.
The Curved Dash is considered to be the first high production automobile. 1901 was the first full year of production for this vehicle and, between then and its final production run in 1907, almost 11,000 were produced. By 1909 many automobile companies were producing that many automobiles in a single year. However, back in 1901 yearly production for most manufacturers might be a dozen rather than hundreds or thousands.
The Museum has four Curved Dash Oldsmobiles on display. One is a 1901, one is a 1903 that did the London to Brighton tour, one is a 1904 that was driven all the way from San Francisco to New York, and the other is a 1903 that was given to Michigan State University by R.E. Olds himself.
We also currently have a 1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile on display at the Capital Region International Airport for all to see.
