A look at Oldsmobile’s build process in 1955 as seen through a tour guide.
A new 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire Ninety-Eight convertible, likely pictured in the General Motors Golden CARnival parade at Flint honoring production of the 50 millionth GM product.
Chevrolet may have had the honor of building the 50 millionth General Motors vehicle, but all of the company’s divisions celebrated the occasion.
On Nov. 23, 1954, the city of Flint, Mich., froze for a parade that marked the occasion of GM’s 50 millionth car. Flint schools were let out for the day, bands played, red carpet was unrolled, Broadway and Hollywood troupes performed in the Flint Auditorium — all to honor GM building 50 million cars since its founding in 1908.
That 50 millionth car — a special gold-painted 1955 Bel Air Sport Coupe with gold-plated trim — was paraded through Flint. Joining it in the mile-long General Motors Golden CARnival parade were other GM millionth vehicles: its first millionth, a 1919 Oldsmobile; its 5 millionth, a 1926 Pontiac; its 10 millionth, a 1929 Buick; and its 25 millionth, a 1940 Chevrolet sedan. Not wasting a great promotional opportunity, other new 1955 GM models idled through the parade, including a cluster of freshly minted, bright-white GM convertibles from what it called its “famous five:” an Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight; a Buick Super; a Pontiac Star Chief; and a Cadillac Series 62 convertible.
The tour began at Oldsmobile’s “famous ‘Rocket’ Engine Plant, one of the most modern and advanced plants in the world.”57 years of Olds progress
The 50 millionth festivities weren’t limited to the streets of Flint and its auditorium, or even Chevrolet’s Flint assembly plant that built the 50 millionth car. GM divisions hosted open houses at every plant. Also during this time, GM (and its competitors) were keeping presses fully inked by creating a veritable library of promotional materials. Among them were many brochures, at least two of which appeared to be intended for those touring the Buick and Oldsmobile plants during the open houses held in conjunction with the 50 millionth festivities. The brochures “Buick’s On the Move” and “Your Tour of Oldsmobile” both offered insight into the factories where Buicks and Oldsmobiles were built with text and images showing the manufacturing processes. Brochures from GM’s other divisions may have been distributed during the 50 millionth activities, but none could be found that show the vehicles’ build process.
The Buick and Oldsmobile tour brochures appear to be almost as hard to uncover as the fate of the golden 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, but we’ve landed the ’55 Olds brochure and share its contents here.
Using 640 machine tools, Olds workers produced the “Rocket” Engine from unfinished engine block to running and ready to install.Engines were assembled on 119 pedestals along a 476-foot-long conveyor, beginning with the engine upside down.Once the engines were fully assembled, they were tested for 15 minutes on a dynamometer at 1,500 rpm. Inspectors checked oil and water pressure and timing, making adjustments as necessary. Once an engine passed, it was carried away on a 3/4-mile-long conveyor to the final assembly plant.After the “Rocket” Engine plant tour, Oldsmobile took visitors to the Pressed Metal Plant, where “new ‘Rocket’ Oldsmobiles take shape.” A lineup of 246 presses were used to blank, draw, restrike and trim sheets of 19-gage steel to form the body panels. Pictured are formed “sweep-cut fenders” for new “98” and “88” models.Two presses formed the “sweeping” “98” and “88” hoods in a single operation using 52 tons of force. More than 100 hoods could be stamped in one hour.After being stamped, body panels went through a sheet metal finishing department where they were welded, buffed, sanded and polished “to perfect smoothness” in preparation for paint.Body panels were joined by giant spot welding machines, a process that created the rigid car body structure.Unfinished fenders were also shipped to seven GM plants building Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac automobiles outside Michigan.Frames shipped from one of two suppliers were shipped by rail to Oldsmobile to begin the assembly process. Deep channel-section side rails, a heavy I-beam X member and five cross members formed Olds’ “famous Power-Ride chassis foundation.”Axles were forged at Oldsmobile’s Forge Plant with special reinforcing ribs to strengthen the axle to handle “Rocket” Engine power.Rust-resistant paint was sprayed to the front and rear axle assemblies, drive shaft and transmission. A waterfall in the background vacuumed paint spray and fumes.Wheels and tires were dropped from above to assembly workers, who installed the lug nuts five at a time with an automatic pneumatic wrench.The Oldsmobile frame was checked for a perfect body fit with a magnesium fixture and shimmed wherever necessary before the body was installed.The Oldsmobile front end was assembled on a circular conveyor. After the front end was lowered onto the already-mated body and chassis, the water pump hoses and headlamp wiring wApproximately 5,000 reflector lamps in long “infra-red tunnels” quick-dried paint primer and clear coats within minutes.Once assembled, Oldsmobiles were tested at stationary rollers. Employees looked for engine timing, responsiveness and smoothness. Brakes, lights, wipers and windows were also quality-checked.Oldsmobile’s brochure included a look at its new Bumper Plating Plant, which had been established in 1954 at its Saginaw Street Plant in Lansing. Olds touted its improved automation and plating processes. undefined Oldsmobile’s new cell-type chrome-plating method used a battery of individual steel tanks set up in tandem. The preformed bumpers were lowered horizontally on bumper racks into the tanks. Each tank was a complete plating unit.
If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.
Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.
