What's The Most Expensive Oldsmobile Ever Sold At Auction?

Ransom E. Olds founded the Olds Motor Vehicle Co. in 1897 in Lansing, Michigan, and after building four "horseless carriages," became the first company specifically formed to manufacture automobiles. He started Olds Motor Works in 1899 and relocated to Detroit. The following year, he began using the Oldsmobile moniker. After a fire tore through the factory in 1901, Olds moved back to Lansing, and four years later, Oldsmobile joined Buick to become the first two operating divisions for General Motors.

When the last Oldsmobile (an Alero) rolled off the assembly line in 2004, it wasn't only the oldest vehicle brand in the United States (a title now held by Buick), but one of the oldest in the world. During its 107 years, it produced 35.2 million cars, making it a truly venerable piece of American automobile history. Among its many accomplishments was the expensive luxury Limited, produced between 1910 and 1912 in suitably limited quantities (325 in '10, 196 in '11, and only 117 in '12).

A 1912 Limited from the famed Milhous collection sold at RM Sotheby's auction in 2012 for $3.3 million, making it the most expensive Oldsmobile ever sold at auction. As it should, since it was the only known example still in existence. The 1912 limited took the title from a 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept car that sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale for $3.24 million in 2015.

The 1910 Limited was based on the Oldsmobile Model Z and powered by the same 505-cubic-inch, 60-hp 6-cylinder engine. It had a lengthy 130-inch wheelbase and rode on gigantic 42-inch wheels. The Limited, named so because it was allegedly faster than the 20th Century Limited train that ran from Albany to New York, was available as a limousine, touring car, or roadster, with prices ranging from $4,600 to $5,600. This was an unusual choice for Olds, which had previous success with one-cylinder cars but had never ventured into large-engined luxury vehicles before.

By 1912, the vehicle's wheelbase had stretched to 140 inches, and it was almost seven feet tell. The displacement had grown to 707 cubic inches, but the T-head inline-6 engine still produced the same 60 hp. The $3.3 million 1912 Limited was originally purchased by the chairman of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who eventually donated it to a museum. Famous Cleveland collector Joe Loecy bought it and put it through its first restoration. It changed hands a few more times over the years until it ended up with the equally famed collector Otis Chandler. When Chandler died, the Milhous Collection obtained the car. It won its class at Pebble Beach in 2002 and was invited to the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2003. There have been many important cars and moments in the history of Oldsmobile, and the Limited is one of them.