Curved Dash Olds

1903 Oldsmobile Model R Runabout

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 19, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

This is the car that revolutionized automobiles. Ransom E. Olds built his first Curved Dash prototypes in 1900, and customer deliveries started late the following year. For 1902 and 1903, the cars were officially dubbed the Model R, but many similar Oldsmobiles built through 1907 are widely collectively known as “Curved Dash Oldsmobiles” (CDO).

1903 was the company’s best up to that point, with 3,924 cars produced. The CDO was built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts instead of everything being a one-off crafted by hand. This put Oldsmobile in the #1 sales position in America, with Cadillac a distant second, nearly 1,500 units behind.

Power is from a single-cylinder engine displacing 1.6 liters and producing seven horsepower. The cars have a strong following and are used often by enthusiastic owners. The pre-sale estimate is $65,000-$80,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $30,240