Inside the halls of Spartan Stadium, underneath a tarp and a bit of dust, lies a piece of American history: Ransom E. Olds’ personal car.
Although his contribution might be unknown to some, car lovers, engineering students and the MSU community owe a lot to Olds and will have a chance to see his legacy when his 1903 Curved Dash Oldsmobile is on display at the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum.
“Few people knew that the car existed,” Bill Adcock, the museum director, said. “He doesn’t get a lot of credit around here, (but) he was mass producing cars before Henry Ford.”
A short walk around Greater Lansing shows Olds’ impact.
“He practically single-handedly built Lansing,” Mia Tioli, a Lansing resident and a member of the REO Club of America, said.
Olds Hall, named for the auto maker, was built after the Engineering Building burnt down in 1916.
According to the MSU University Archives and Historical Collections there was discussion prior to the fire that the engineering program be annexed to the University of Michigan.
“The swift donation of $100,000 by R.E. Olds allowed the reconstruction of the Engineering Building (to be named Olds Hall) plus three additional shop buildings,” according to an archived pamphlet entitled “R.E. Olds and Michigan Agricultural College: The Legacy of 1916.” “The $100,000 gift to the college may have, in fact, saved the entire engineering division, as well as the college.”
The auto maker donated his personal car to the MSU Museum in about 1948, MSU Museum Director Gary Morgan said. The car was on display there until a gallery refitting in 1990 caused the car to be moved to storage.
Now, the car awaits the move to its new home while in a nontemperature-regulated store room, showing the wear and tear of being 109 years old. The car has a broken glass headlight and scratches on its surface.
“A full restoration and repaint would not be done, as it would destroy all that is unique about this vehicle, including the fact that it was made up by Mr. Olds from an engine and individual parts that he had in storage for more than 40 years,” Morgan said. “It is truly one of a kind.”
The move will take place on Aug. 14, when MSU allows the Transportation Museum to move the car to its location at 240 Museum Drive in Lansing.
“We thought it was important to the Lansing area that it be out on display,” Debbie Stephens, R.E. Olds’ great-granddaughter said. “I’m delighted that it’s coming back out and … will be in front of the public to see and appreciate.”
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