The Victim: Oldsmobile’s History

Oldsmobile’s updated rocket emblem (1981-1996)

Founded in 1897 by Ransom Eli Olds, the Olds Motor Vehicle Company sold “Olds automobiles,” which gained the nickname “Oldsmobiles.” After Olds left the company to join the REO Motor Car Company, General Motors purchased the company in 1908. Oldsmobile and Buick were the first brands owned by GM when the company began; GM remained the owner for nearly a century before it retired the brand in 2004.

Over a hundred years, Oldsmobile produced 35 million vehicles, most of them out of Lansing, Michigan. Known for reliability and value, it pioneered many innovations still seen today, including the first automatic transmission and mass-produced front-wheel drive. Some people contend that Oldsmobile was also the first automaker to use the production assembly line, rather than the typically-attributed Henry Ford.

CONTINUE: Where did Oldsmobile get the idea for its logos?

The Evidence: Oldsmobile’s Early Emblems

The most prevalent Oldsmobile emblems are:

	Original (1887-1919): The traditional crest with flourishing, turn-of-the-century style was reflective of the graphic design conventions of the time.
	Winged Spur Crest (1919-1940): The wings on the central spur, as worn on cowboy boots, represented the brand’s harnessing of horsepower (don’t you just love automotive humor?). The acorns were the seeds that Oldsmobile was planting to help the industry grow. The three artifacts–the Lamp of Knowledge, the micrometer, and the triangle–signify research, exactness, and precision.
	Ringed Globe (1940-1959):  As the automaker began using more sheet metal and mechanical components in its products, the next emblem emphasized global influence power (depicted by a globe and rocket trail).
	Rocket Emblem (1960-1979): Running with the rocket theme and based on the popularity of its Rocket V8 engine, Oldsmobile fully embraced the rocket as its insignia. It even altered the grilles and taillights on its models to imitate the upright rocket. During this time, Oldsmobile hit its peak with the country’s best-selling car, the Cutlass.
	Rocket Emblem II (1981-1996): Little changed in Oldsmobile’s logo in the 1980s, except the removal of the rocket’s tail and the boxing-in of the logo.

In 1996, Oldsmobile began using an entirely different logo–one that foreshadowed its last-ditch overhaul and impending demise.

CONTINUE: Keep reading to learn about Oldsmobile’s drastically different final logo!

The Scandal: Oldsmobile’s Bizarre Final Logo:

After losing its place in the market over similar GM brands and upscale luxury imports, Oldsmobile’s sales were plummeting, and the brand needed a new identity. In conjunction with a redesign of its entire lineup (part of the Oldsmobile’s Centennial Plan), Oldsmobile ditched its previous logo and all of the “negative baggage” it represented.

Oldsmobile’s final logo, a “soaring rocket with a gentle oval” debuted on the Oldsmobile Antares concept car at the New York Auto Show on Thursday, April 13, 1995. It was developed with the GM Industrial Design Studio and relied heavily on public feedback. The emblem announced the company’s radical re-positioning as it attempted to save itself by targeting young consumers interested in foreign makes. The old rocket logo didn’t coincide with executives’ vision of where the company should be headed.

Oldsmobile’s last emblem has an “international” influence to it, almost appearing nautical–like a sailboat. According to the company’s official explanation, it’s still the iconic rocket–but turned horizontally and going “in a new direction” for Oldsmobile. The rocket piercing the oval shows the brand going outside the boundaries, and its asymmetrical shape reflects its originality.

If you look closely you can even see the first four letters of “Oldsmobile” hidden in the logo.

CONCLUSION: But why is this logo missing from Oldsmobile’s final models?

The Ruling: Oldsmobile’s Identity Crisis

The only place you’ll find the Oldsmobile logo on most of its later models: the hubcap.
Because…people typically look there. Obviously.

The problem wasn’t with the logo itself–it was with Oldsmobile’s desire to disassociate its brand identity from its marketing and products. Starting with the controversial Aurora, its vehicles barely mentioned Oldsmobile on the inside or outside of its models.

With cars on the street that weren’t recognizably tied to a brand–sometimes lacking any badge altogether–everyone who saw the cars became frustrated and confused. Who in the world produced these mysterious cars?

With no sense of identity, Oldsmobile vehicles hardly sold…leading to the automaker’s demise.

It’s ironic that the negative space in the logo looks like an aerial view of Pac-Man–representative of GM eating its way through Oldsmobile until the brand was merely a ghost.

Enjoy learning about the history of the Oldsmobile emblem? Check out other auto brand logos in our fascinating Behind the Badge series!

Used Car Tips: How to clean your car to get more trade-in money

News Sources: Oldsmobile press release via the Free Library, OutrightOlds, and autoevolution