Ransom E. Olds established the Olds Motor Vehicle Company in Lansing, Michigan, in August 1897, thus creating the first Michigan firm to be organised solely for manufacturing and selling motor vehicles. The company was capitalised in 1899 by a wealthy lumber merchant, and Olds set about developing a diverse selection of models, including electric vehicles in addition to his earlier prototype steamer and petrol model. Olds might well have faced the same fate as so many other overambitious manufacturers of their era, in spite of a fire that destroyed the factory in March 1901. All the prototypes on-hand save the gas car were lost, except the ‘Curved-Dash’ Runabout that would become the sole foundation and huge success of Oldsmobile.

The ‘CDO’, as it came to be known to enthusiasts, was powered by a single-cylinder engine producing 4½ horsepower at 600 rpm delivered through a spur-geared two-speed transmission, and could achieve a top speed of 20 mph. It was well-made, simple to operate, and a good value, and on those considerable strengths became America’s first volume-production car, and its most successful until the introduction of Ford’s Model T. Today the survivors are justifiably among the most popular veteran automobiles on both sides of the Atlantic, as they are actively supported by a vast crowd of owners and are easy and pleasurable to run.

The 1903 Model R offered here is believed to have been acquired in an incomplete state from the United States by Phil Chatfield of Hassocks, West Sussex, in 2013. Mr Chatfield began restoration of the car, including having fuel and coolant tanks remanufactured, and acquiring correct mudguards, the vent panel at the rear of the engine compartment, and other parts from noted ‘CDO’ supplier Monroe Miller. In 2017 the nearly complete automobile was acquired by the consigning owner, an avid veteran automobile enthusiast, who finished the restoration with a seat and proper horsehair-stuffed upholstery meticulously crafted by David Beswick. Mechanical repairs, including rebuilding of the carburettors and water pump, and sorting were completed by Peter Bulbick and Ollie Few of Project Heaven Restoration of Agethorpe.

Offered with entry into this year’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, this beautiful ‘CDO’, now shining in its correct black and crimson livery, is a worthy contender for entry in any number of events.