Even older than Ford, Oldsmobile was one of the very first car manufacturers not only in America but in the world. It was founded in 1897 and shut down in 2004 after more than a century of innovation, performance, and luxury. In the GM family, Oldsmobile was slotted between Pontiac and Buick right in the middle of the conglomerate’s five main divisions. That means Oldsmobile models delivered a nice balance of premium features and impressive performance while still being affordable, there was even an Oldsmobile minivan, the Silhouette. Oldsmobile has built some truly legendary cars like the 88 which had a 50-year production run, the 442 muscle car, and the Aurora which was a refreshing modern sport sedan introduced in the mid-1990s. Many see the early 90s Oldsmobile Bravada as the first example of a high-volume luxury SUV. As good as many Oldsmobiles were, it wasn’t enough to save Oldsmobile from being defunct in the mid-2000s.