This was a picture taken during the 1983 Salt Lake City floods and the Oldsmobile sign caught my attention. I don't think I've ever seen an Olds sign like this in person before.

Does anyone know when GM started putting up these rectangular signs for the brands? It's all I see around here today. Ford started updating theirs with the huge blue oval on top of the round column in the late 90s...I'm surprised GM hasn't brought out any new signage lately (as far as I've seen).

I believe early '80s was when they switched to the 'box' signage.

I have a Star Cars (1922-1928) dealership sign: double-sided porcelin, hanging in my shop. Star was part of Billy Durant's 'second empire' and they were built in Elizabeth NJ.

Mustang- here's a local landmark from my area that thankfully still stands to this day:

Haskins Oldsmobile on 469 Washington Street in Wellesley, Massachusetts may have shut its doors years ago, but the dealership that now owns it keeps its used inventory there and has made the conscious decision to leave the Oldsmobile sign up. And, as you can see in my photograph, the used inventory gets moved off-site and it becomes an Oldsmobile dealership once again for a Sunday every spring when the Eastern Massachusetts GMO chapter hosts their annual Oldsmobile-only Spring Dust-Off. Very cool.

I liked looking at those Oldsmobile signs. I remember them so well. I know the Oldsmobile signs got updated when GM changed.

Within the last year I've begun taking pictures of dealership signs. This Olds sign is from Charles Oldsmobile-Cadillac in Britsol, PA. When Olds closed the Caddy business stayed open, but I don't know for how long. I know that the Caddy business hasn't been in operation since 2007 the earliest, atleast that's when I went by there to see what cars they had for sale and noticed it was closed. When I took this picture last September (the Caddy sign was no where to be seen), the dealership was in the process of being transformed into an Amish market. I have not been in that part of town in a while, so I have no idea if the sign is still there or if its been removed.

FYI: Those GM box dealer signs date back to the late 60's, not the 80's, and are at 90% of dealers since.

The one in the pic above is an original Olds sign, with the red backgrounds for dealer name. When the last Olds logo came out in 90's, then all GM signs had black backgrounds for dealer name.

All GM divisions had a brand name for their used cars. Most well known is Chevy's "OK", which is still used. Olds dealers' used cars were called "Value Rated", Buick was "Quality Checked". Darn, I can't remember Pontiac or Caddy's, ;(

Edited March 12, 201016 yr by Chicagoland

I remember a sign like that from childhood from Montgomery Pontiac-Oldsmobile, Steubenville, Ohio, circa 1975-1980. This dealer was in my neighborhood, across from my elementary school. Used to walk past it every day on the way to school..remember the downsized '77 C- and B- bodies first appearing, the '77 Can Am, the various Trans Ams and 442s...

Edited March 12, 201016 yr by Cubical-aka-Moltar

Cadillac seems to be updating theirs to the logo on a grey/silver pillar

Mustang- here's a local landmark from my area that thankfully still stands to this day:

Haskins Oldsmobile on 469 Washington Street in Wellesley, Massachusetts may have shut its doors years ago, but the dealership that now owns it keeps its used inventory there and has made the conscious decision to leave the Oldsmobile sign up. And, as you can see in my photograph, the used inventory gets moved off-site and it becomes an Oldsmobile dealership once again for a Sunday every spring when the Eastern Massachusetts GMO chapter hosts their annual Oldsmobile-only Spring Dust-Off. Very cool.

Very cool indeed.

FYI: Those GM box dealer signs date back to the late 60's, not the 80's, and are at 90% of dealers since.

The one in the pic above is an original Olds sign, with the red backgrounds for dealer name. When the last Olds logo came out in 90's, then all GM signs had black backgrounds for dealer name.

All GM divisions had a brand name for their used cars. Most well known is Chevy's "OK", which is still used. Olds dealers' used cars were called "Value Rated", Buick was "Quality Checked". Darn, I can't remember Pontiac or Caddy's, ;(

One of our Chevy dealers here still has a 'bulb' OK sign on their lot. Was really cool a few years ago when all the bulbs worked. Wish I could've nabbed a picture.

From the little bit of online research I did about the "GM Mark of Excellence" dealership signs, dealers leased them through a company GM contracts with and dealers don't own them. Once a dealership closes, the company would come by to remove the signs (I witnessed this at two local GM dealerships that closed). I'm guessing GM allowed some Oldsmobile dealers to buy their signs? The one I took a picture of (new style Olds logo) was left in place after the Olds-Cadillac dealer closed, remained while the dealership was vacant for 2+ years, and was finally removed late summer last year and replaced with a custom-made sign insert for the new Amish marketplace that opened on the lot.

BTW, these signs debutted in 1969 and were incorporated at all GM dealerships as the years progressed. Maintenance, replacements, and removals are handled by the company GM uses for the signs.

hi.. do you have other pictures of oldsmobile that you can maybe post and show us? i'm just curious..thanks a lot by the way..

Edited October 5, 201015 yr by Oldsmoboi
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