Ransom E. Olds began producing automobiles in 1897. Oldsmobile was the first company to use the assembly line, but Ford Motor Company later added the conveyor belt. General Motors acquired Oldsmobile in 1908 and Mr. Olds later pursued another of his inventions, the power lawn mower. The Ideal Power Lawn Mower began production in 1914 and was eventually sold to the Indian Motorcycle Company in 1945.
The 1932 F-32 included many firsts for Oldsmobile. They featured an automatic choke and an automatic throttle advance which moved the throttle to a start position when the starter pedal was depressed. It was also the only year Oldsmobile featured a decarbonizer. To use this feature, the driver pressed a button when leaving the car for the night. This released a chemical into the engine which cleaned the carbon off the pistons. The F-32 also had freewheeling which was similar to overdrive; when the driver let off the acceleration, the engine began coasting. The suspension featured a ride regulator with double action shock absorbers for a choice of soft or firm ride.
There were only 333 examples of a six wire wheel convertible built. The current owner completed a five year restoration in 2010. It has since won numerous awards at Oldsmobile Club meets. It also won Best of Class and Best Restored car at the 2011 Detroit Autorama.
