Photos courtesy of Cars In Depth
Whether they’re found at curbside in the Pacific northwest, or on the island that rust forgot off the coast of California, most of the cool-old-cars-found-by-car-bloggers tend to be from relatively recent decades like the 1960s or 1970s. So when I saw this 1928 Oldsmobile Six sitting in front of the insurance agency in Ferndale, Michigan that it was advertising, I knew that I had to stop and take some photos – particularly after I noticed that it is registered with non-historical, handicapped license plates, indicating that it’s currently in running condition.
The owner of the agency told me that the car indeed runs and is driven regularly, though it is for sale. He wasn’t sure of the exact model so I checked some histories, though there really isn’t much about Oldsmobile history online about the period between Ransom E. Olds and Harley Earl. Oldsmobile did introduce a new model in 1928, the F-28, with a more powerful 55HP six, but this appears to be a regular Oldsmobile Six. There’s almost more information available online about Oldsmobile’s short-lived “sister brand” Viking, than on 1920s vintage production Oldsmobiles.
The car appears to be 100% complete, including the windshield visor and all the trim. Everything looks to be original including the paint, wooden spoke wheels, the interior upholstery and the leatherette roof. I’m guessing that the tires, though, are not 83 years old. Though the wheels are a now fashionably large 18 inches, there are go-kart tires with larger contact patches than the 5.25/5.50″ Excelsiors.
When I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s my grandfather only drove Oldsmobiles. My mother tells me that’s what he drove when she was a child as well. She hadn’t yet started kindergarten when this 1928 Olds Six was built, so it’s possible that during her childhood she rode in a car very much like this one.
Automakers have used brightwork since the brass era, but Oldsmobile was the first automaker to offer chromium plated trim, starting in 1926 with chrome plated radiator shells and grilles. Some of that chrome remains, though it started to oxidize long ago. Whoever buys this car would be a fool to restore it. You can’t get more authentic patina. As they say, it’s only original once, and this old Olds looks about as original as they get.
If you’re interested in buying this car, you can get more information from the Strauss Insurance Agency, 800-450-6700/
The full gallery of photos, in your choice of 3D formats and 2D can be found at Cars In Depth.
What a beautiful find; thanks for sharing it with us!
You’re welcome. A genuine survivor. I think a car like this should be left as is, with proper maintenance and necessary repairs to keep it running but nothing more than that. I feel the same way about that barn find Bugatti. I know that a fully restored car will be worth more money right now, but as we go forward the original condition cars may appreciate more. The cars that are > or = 100 years old are more antiques than cars and if you ever watch Antiques Roadshow, you know that an original, but worn, unrestored piece of furniture is worth more than an identical item that’s been refinished. I prefer my artifacts with signs of human use.
Passover’s coming soon and I collect Haggadahs, the guide to the seder. I have some facsimiles reproductions of old manuscript Haggadahs and my favorite part are the wine stains.
This is great! I second gslippy’s comments. I ‘m sure ol’ PN will be jealous w/ your find, Ronnie!
What’s an Olds-Mobile?
What’s a Pont-iac?
A true “Curbside Classic”!
My late mother was five when this thing came out. Amazing. An almost 83 year old car, a car from the Hoover Administration, still in service. (Have you heard of the wonderful one hoss-shay? [If not, google that, or “the Deacon’s Masterpiece”] It ran for 100 years to the day.) Still has that old horse carriage style body. Shoot, Ronnie, I’ve only seen cars like this at shows. Or on their way to and from shows.
I would have liked to know how many tmes the engine has been rebuilt. Love those wooden spoked wheels. And, yeah, I agree about that patina. Really something.
I guess my favorite olds were the ’64 and ’65 F85. Those were closer in age to this beautiful relic than to contemporary cars.
I guess my favorite Olds were the ’64 and ’65 F85. Those were closer in age to this beautiful relic than to contemporary cars.
It’s an interesting question if cars have developed more between the 1920s and the 1960s or between the 1960s and the 21st century. I don’t know the answer.
In David Gelernter’s 1939: The Lost World of the Fair, he points out that the middle aged folks standing in line expecting to see wondrous things of the future in GM’s Futurama exhibit had already lived through genuinely revolutionary technological changes: cars, radio, real medicine, refrigeration, home appliances (that truly liberated women). By 1939 television had been invented, antibiotics were being developed and Enrico Fermi had controlled fission. The world had already changed enormously, yet folks expected flying cars.
The trouble with Chevy products of this era — and one of the main reason so many 20s hot rodders end up using Fords — is that Chevys mainly relied upon a wood body frame with the metal panels screwed to the wood. You can imagine what that implies for longevity.
David — why would you assume the engine has been rebuilt at all? I have a 60 year old engine that runs fine and has never seen maintenance beyond plugs, oil, and filter. Ok, and a water pump. I have a friend with several engines that are even older that run and have never been rebuilt…
M 1, I wasn’t really assuming anything, although I did think it was more likely to have been rebuilt than not. I’m probably somewhat prejudiced by the poor quality of engines in the cars of my youth (the ’57 Chevy’s engine was in pretty bad shape by 100k). Anyway, I’m fascinated that you have a 60 year old engine never rebuilt. What kind of car, how many miles on it? What part of the country do you live in?
Since it is for sale you should have gotten permission to open the hood and given us a few engine pictures…
Next time I’m in the neighborhood. I just got off the phone with them and they said that would be fine. I’d love to get video of it running. They say that it’s usually only driven for the Woodward Dream Cruise. They don’t even bother to start it once a month. A couple of weeks before the cruise they get it running. What a remarkable early engineering feat.
Nice find. I feel like it should have a sign on it that says; “Why no it never occured to me that it was time to stop driving this car.”
For an insight to what it is like to use a 1930 Model A as a daily driver (for 1 year) check out this blog. http://www.365daysofa.com/ Fascinating and enjoyable reading
Call me strange, but I am always on the lookout at WalMart for the cars of WalMart instead of the people of WalMart. I never leave home without my camera and am always at the ready for anything. That is a nice old Olds.
Ronnie, this is awesome. You are 100% right about the patina too… LEAVE IT ALONE! My dad has a 1931 Dodge Brothers “6” Sedan, with slightly less patina, but again 100% original. Believe it or not, he has won several “best in show” awards with that car… usually because people voting can still say “Hey, my family had one just like that” or something to that effect.
If you are a decrepit Old Coot it just might be your father’s Oldsmobile.
My father had two, a mid ’50s (from what I recall what it looked like I’m guessing something like a ’56), and a red ’66 88 four door with a 425 4bbl. Fast and comfortable cars. He got the ’56 from my mom’s dad, who as I said in the original post drove Oldsmobiles. My grandfather replaced the ’56 with a really nice white 98. I think it was a ’61.
So what made this an Oldsmobile, and not a Chevrolet? It doesn’t look very plus or ornate. Were you buying a bigger car or bigger engine? I would have expected some kind of nice exterior touches, but I don’t see any. Was it the chrome grille?
If this is an Oldsmobile, it seems more similar to a stripped F-85 than to a 98 Park Regency.
Waltons. I hear the Waltons theme song. Good night John Boy!
You made my whole day with this one. What a beauty!
Wow. Simply WOW! This is a really cool find and it sure is a bonus that it is still driven. We complain nowadays that all or too many cars look the same. Nothing new, is it? Still, what a credit to the owner who has obviously taken care of it all these years and not turn it into a “model” that is only driven in parades or a trailer queen. I’d enjoy the opportunity to see this up close and personal.
Hey look, it’s a crossover!
+1,000
I gotta cast my vote for the patina. It’s sort of like the sepia tones on old black and white photos.
In Michigan and still running 80 years later? That’s absolutely incredible. Are there no rubber parts in the engine? You would think any rubber parts would have cracked after all those winters and summers and replacements would have to be custom-engineered.
N-iiii-cccc-eee! Let’s all be happy Elena Ford didn’t bang up at this intersection in Ferndale.
this has been at that insurance agency for easily 5 years, maybe longer. they have an MG Midget as well which seems to move a bit more often. neat looking, but it’s sort of stupid to just leave it out in the elements year round to decay (or “build patina” if you’re into that sort of thing) continually. not that it should be locked away in a bubble or anything, but still….