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Discover Mid-America — October 2006

Collector’s ‘Curved Dash Olds’
is a show stopper

Two years ago, Mike Neff, an antique car enthusiast from Independence, MO, had an idea. Why not recreate the 1901 Curved Dash Olds?

Neff’s all-original 1929 Chevy coupe was already a popular attraction at area car shows and cruise nights. But few car shows have an entry that dates back as far as the Curved Dash Olds — even in replica form.

Using the Internet, Neff researched the Olds and soon realized the ultra-simple 1901 model might have possibilities. Using an 11.5-hp Briggs & Stratton engine for power, a lawnmower transmission and lawn-cart wheels, Neff put together a look-alike replica that probably outperforms the original.

I caught up with Neff and his Curved Dash Olds in mid-July at the 37th annual Antique, Classic and Special Interest Car Show in North Kansas City, MO. Sponsored by Ararat Shrine Temple and the Associated Antique Classic and Special Interest Car Clubs of Kansas City, the show was a benefit for the Ararat Shrine Wings of Mercy program. More than 300 cars from approximately 40 car clubs were represented at the show.

Neff and his tiny car were parked in a row of larger cars, including a couple of old Packard’s and a 1948 Lincoln Continental. Neff had the little engine running, and was fielding questions from admiring show-goers.

“It’s not street licensed,” Neff said. “I just putter around my neighborhood and drive it around the parking lot at shows.”

He pointed out the one-cylinder power plant, located behind the seat.

“The Briggs will push it along at a top speed of 17 or 18 miles per hour. But it feels like you’re flying.”

Neff also showed me the clutch control, a simple bent rod emerging from the left-hand floorboard. “I moved it close to the seat so kids can reach it,” he said.

It was clear that Neff’s car would be a popular neighborhood attraction. He attracted plenty of appreciative stares when he drove it around the show area.

Ransom E. Olds began building automobiles in 1900. According to research gleaned from the Detroit Free Press and other sources, the Detroit plant produced several models, including a small “curved dash” model with a 4.5-hp single-cylinder engine. The little “Curved Dash Olds” was a favorite of plant workers, but the company considered it to be little more than a toy, and concentrated their attention on larger (and more profitable) models.

When fire destroyed most of the plant in early 1901, the “Curved Dash Olds” was the sole survivor. Ransom E. Olds rebuilt immediately, and the little car became the company’s flagship model — the “Merry Oldsmobile” of musical fame. By the end of the year, 425 cars were produced, each selling for $650.

To promote the car, Roy Chapin, an Olds associate, drove the Curved Dash from Detroit to the 1901 New York Auto Show, the longest auto trip that had been attempted at the time. Coping with several mechanical breakdowns and rainy weather that left many roads impassible, Chopin used ingenuity and perseverance to keep the tiny car going. Defying the authorities, he used the mule tow path on the Erie Canal, which was federal property. Entering New York City, he veered off the road to avoid a pedestrian, and bent a wheel on a street curb. Straightening it out as well as he could, he continued to the show site. Grimy and disheveled, he was directed to enter the building by way of a service entrance.

In 1903, a Curved Dash Olds was driven Coast to Coast across the U.S. in 73 days. By the end of the year, the company had produced an estimated 4,000 of the model, more than any other U.S. manufacturer. Eventually, the car would be powered by a 7-hp engine. Observers noted that the car’s tiny engine produced “one chug per telegraph pole.”

The last Curved Dash Olds was manufactured in 1907. A year later, the foundering company was absorbed by General Motors. By this time, Ransom E. Olds had split with his backers and formed his own firm, REO Motor Car Company.

Like the original, Neff’s car has two forward speeds and reverse. Two small headlamps, powered by a generator, light up when the car is underway.

“There’s no brake light or taillight,” Neff said, “so the car can’t be licensed.” Still, the limited driving Neff does at shows and in his neighborhood brings him a lot of pleasure. Everyone enjoys the Curved Dash Olds.

Ken Weyand can be reached at kweyand1@kc.rr.com

> Traveling with Ken Archive — past columns