This subseries documents Oldsmobile, which was built by Olds Motor Vehicle Company of Lansing, Michigan (1897-1899); Olds Motor Works of Lansing, Michigan (1899-1943) and Detroit, Michigan (1899-1907); and Oldsmobile Division of General Motors Corporation, which was located in Lansing, Michigan (1943-2004).

Originally called Olds Motor Vehicle Company, Oldmobile was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. The company became the world's first mass producer of automobiles in 1901, when it started building the Oldmobile Curved Dash on an assembly line. Largely due to this innovation, Oldsmobile quickly grew. In 1908, Oldsmobile was purchased by General Motors Corporation. It eventually became a medium-priced make in General Motors' product hierarchy, first being positioned between Chevrolet and Buick, and later occupying the slot between Pontiac and Buick.

Oldsmobile was for decades the oldest automaker in the United States. In addition to being the world's first mass production automaker, it is also credited with a number of other innovations, including the world's first fully automatic transmission and the world's first production turbocharged engine. Oldsmobile was also one of the first automakers to use overhead valve engines. It also built the companion make Viking, which was available from 1929 to 1931.

Oldsmobile experienced a serious decline in sales during the late 1990s and early 2000s. This problem was further exacerbated by General Motors' financial difficulties in the 2000s that eventually forced it into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In effort to consolidate its operations, General Motors discontinued the Oldsmobile nameplate in 2004. See also General Motors and Viking.