The Series 20 was an automobile produced by

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produ ...

Division of General Motors in 1909. When the Oldsmobile Company joined

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

in 1908, the Series 20 was one of the first examples of platform sharing that became GM's most notable business model, as it was derived from the previously established Buick brand from the

Buick Model B The Buick Model B was Buick's first model as an independent company, later becoming part of General Motors in 1908. It was built in Jackson, Michigan. A model B was exhibited in 1905 at the New York Auto Show as a promotion of the model C which wo ...

. The Series 20 effectively replaced the Model F, also known as the Curved-Dash Oldsmobile, when it was discontinued when GM assumed operations, and was replaced by the 1914

Oldsmobile Model 42 The Model 42 was an entry-level four seat passenger car produced by GM's Oldsmobile Division in 1914, offered as a replacement to the Oldsmobile Curved Dash runabout (car), runabout when it was discontinued in 1908, and was the junior platform to ...

"Baby Olds". It was the entry-level vehicle below the

Oldsmobile Model A The Oldsmobile Model A was a passenger car manufactured by Oldsmobile for 1907 and it replaced the Model S while it was replaced by the Model M Model M designates a group of computer keyboards designed and manufactured by IBM starting in ...

and the luxury sedan

Oldsmobile Model Z The Oldsmobile Model Z was the company's first top-level passenger car produced under the Oldsmobile brand before they became a division of General Motors in 1908. The Model Z was created and engineered after Mr. Olds left the company but befor ...

. It was the first Oldsmobile to use numbers to identify the product, a tradition that would last until the company concluded operations in 2004.

History

The Series 20 was equipped with a side-valve, in-line 2,704 cc

four-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

developing 22 bhp. The engine was installed in the front, driving the rear wheels through a transmission shaft. The

gearbox Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), differe ...

had three forward gears, with the gearshift lever positioned to the right of the driver. The brake pedal came into contact with the engine's

crankshaft A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...

, while the parking brake came into contact with a

brake drum A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Backgroun ...

on the rear wheels. The Series 20 was available with only four doors. The headlights used

acetylene Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure ...

. A total of 6,575 Oldsmobile vehicles were manufactured in 1909, with 5,325 of those being the Series 20.

References

Model 20 1900s cars {{Brass-auto-stub Brass Era vehicles