Oldsmobile, like its corporate cousin Cadillac, got its start in the automobile business building light, economical one-cylinder cars. The famous Curved Dash Olds proved rugged and robust, quickly becoming America’s best-selling model. Company founder Ransom E. Olds believed long-term success lay in small, low-priced cars, but boardroom disagreements led him to leave and start REO. Meanwhile, Oldsmobile’s models grew in engine size, wheelbase, and price.

By 1909, the Curved Dash was history, and Oldsmobile had a new owner – William C. Durant’s recently formed General Motors. Durant acquired the company after its “big car” strategy caused sales to fall from 1906 to 1908. He ordered a low-priced model, the $1,250 Model 20, which accounted for over 80% of Oldsmobile’s 1909 output and revived the brand’s cash flow.

However, instead of continuing the Model 20 in 1910, Durant reversed course and introduced a new line of luxury cars, led by the Limited – an enormous vehicle unlike anything seen on American roads before or since. Oldsmobile’s sales literature proclaimed: “In the Limited we offer a car which leaves nothing to be desired in design, construction, finish, power or equipment. It stands in the front rank of high-grade cars; the greatest of a line universally recognized among leaders.”

The slightly smaller Autocrat and Defender supplemented the Limited line, but none matched its impact. With chest-high wheels, a radiator taller than many adults, and double running boards for easy entry, the Limited was literally larger than life. Its 505 cid, six-cylinder engine and price – ranging from $4,600 to $5,800 – matched its imposing scale.

For 1911, the Limited grew even larger, adding 8 inches to its wheelbase for a total of 138 inches. Curb weight exceeded 2½ tons, and a new 707-cubic-inch T-head six replaced the earlier L-head engine. Though rated at 60 hp, contemporary reports suggested it produced closer to 90. With its massive engine and wheels, the Limited cruised easily at 70 mph.

This was also the year Oldsmobile debuted one of the most iconic automotive advertisements: William Harnden Foster’s “Setting the Pace,” depicting a Limited outpacing the New York Central’s 20th Century Limited passenger train.

The Limited’s final production year was 1912, with no more than 250 examples built. It marked the end of Oldsmobile’s venture into the upper tier of luxury motoring. From then on, the Lansing-based automaker focused on building high-quality vehicles for the mid-price market. Today, just ten of these colossal Oldsmobiles are known to survive: one from 1910, eight from 1911, and a lone 1912 model.

Stan Lucas’ Oldsmobile Limited, numbered 75017, is one of the earliest known survivors of the 1911 model year, which has chassis numbers ranging from 75000 to 75250. This majestic Seven-Passenger Touring car also boasts a well-documented history tracing back to its original owner, Jacob W. Moerschel Jr. of Jefferson City, Missouri.

Mr. Moerschel, President of the Capitol Brewery Company, took delivery of this impressive machine on January 11, 1911. The event was notable enough to be covered by the St. Charles Weekly Cosmos-Monitor, which described the car as the “finest made today,” highlighting its six-cylinder engine, 60 hp output, and $5,000 price tag. Finished in a rich, highly polished red, the Oldsmobile Limited was celebrated as the most prestigious automobile in Jefferson City. Mr. Moerschel used the car regularly in parades and political events, retaining ownership until his death in 1938. It was then sold to the local Oldsmobile dealer, Nebel Motor Company.

In 1945, famed tenor and car collector James Melton acquired the car from Nebel Motor Co. and had it restored in a remarkable five-day turnaround for participation in the 1946 Firestone Cavalcade at the Indianapolis 500. The next day, Melton showcased the car in the opening parade of Detroit’s Automotive Golden Jubilee, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the American auto industry, which attracted an estimated 700,000 spectators. According to The Indianapolis Star, Melton drove the Limited himself, representing one of three vehicles from his personal collection.

Melton continued to feature the car at major automotive events, including the 1947 VMCCA Westfield Meet, where it placed 2nd in the Touring Car Race, among elite company such as Briggs Cunningham and Alec Ulmann. Later, the car was displayed at the James Melton Autorama museum in Hypoluxo, Florida, and featured on museum postcards during the 1950s.

Following Melton’s death in 1961, the Oldsmobile was acquired by Dr. Samuel L. Scher, a prominent New York collector. In 1965, Richard C. Paine Jr. purchased it as part of a major acquisition of Dr. Scher’s 41-car collection. Paine later included the Limited in his celebrated Seal Cove Auto Museum in Maine, where it remained until being acquired by Matt and Barbara Browning of Ogden, Utah.

In 2000, the car changed hands again when it was offered by the Browning Estate at Christie’s Pebble Beach Auction. Stan Lucas emerged as the winning bidder, paying a then-record price of $644,000 – over triple the low estimate. In 2006, Lucas entered the Limited at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it earned the prestigious Ansel Adams Award, presented to the most desirable touring car of its era.

Over its nearly 115-year history, this Oldsmobile has never been modified or significantly altered, and presents today very much as it did following James Melton’s record-setting restoration in 1946. It remains in remarkably original condition, featuring low mileage and numerous hallmarks of originality, including “Olds Motor Works, Lansing, MI” stenciled beneath the running boards and impressive period-correct lighting: Solarclipse 950 headlamps, Gray and Davis sidelamps, and a Solar 905D rear lamp. Its authenticity, commanding presence, and distinguished provenance place it among the most significant American antiques – on par with icons like the Thomas Flyer 6-70, Simplex 90, and Pierce-Arrow 66. The Oldsmobile Limited’s mechanical sophistication, sheer road presence, and enduring legacy arguably elevate it to the top of this elite class.

Today, the few surviving Oldsmobile Limiteds reside in world-renowned collections such as the GM Heritage Center, the National Automobile Museum, and the Nethercutt Collection. Opportunities to acquire a genuine example are vanishingly rare. For collectors seeking the pinnacle of early American motoring, this car presents a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.