Viking (automobile)
 | |
| Product type | Automobile |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Oldsmobile(General Motors)[1] Lansing Car Assembly;Lansing, Michigan[1] |
| Country | U.S. |
| Introduced | 1929 |
| Discontinued | 1931 |
| Markets | U.S. |
Vikingwas abrandofautomobilesmanufactured byGeneral Motorsas a supplement toOldsmobiledivision for model years 1929 to 1931 and used theGM B platform.It was shared with theOakland Model 301for 1930 and 1931.[1]
Overview
[edit]Viking was part ofAlfred Sloan'scompanion make programintroduced to help span gaps in General Motors’ pricing structure, and was manufactured by GM'sOldsmobiledivision. Viking was one of four makes introduced by General Motors, the other lines (and their GM divisions) beingPontiac(Oakland),Marquette(Buick) andLaSalle(Cadillac). Of the four makes, Viking was the only one priced higher than its "parent" make, and took the role of senior luxury sedan for Oldsmobile until replaced by theOldsmobile L-Series.It took over the senior luxury position from theOldsmobile Light Eight.[1]
Riding on a 125 in (3,175 mm) wheelbase with steel semi-elliptic springs and a 44.5 ft (14 m) turning circle,[2]Vikings were powered by a 90° bank angle 260 cu in (4.3 L)[3]flatheadmonobloc V8 enginethat produced 81 hp (60 kW),[1]the first automobile using this type of engine construction, and was shared with theOakland V8The monobloc architecture was later adapted for use inCadillacandLaSalle.[1]Vikings were available as aconvertiblecoupéwithrear deck seat,a 4-doorsedan,and aclose-coupled4-door sedan in both standard and deluxe trim packages.[1]The front seat and the steering wheel were adjustable.[4]
Viking production for 1929 was 4,058 units and 1930 2,813, and retail prices were listed at US$1,595 ($28,302 in 2023 dollars[5]) for any of the three body styles.[1]GM discontinued the Viking and the Marquette at the end of the 1930 model year, preferring to bet on Oldsmobile and Buick, which had better consumer awareness. However, an additional 353 units were assembled using existing parts and marketed as 1931 models.[1]Oldsmobile would not use a V8 engine until theOldsmobile Rocket V8in 1949.
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghiKimes, Beverly Rae (1996).The Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805-1942.Iola, IA: Krause Publications. p. 1502.ISBN0873414780.
- ^"1930 Viking Eight-24".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-02-26.Retrieved2017-02-25.
- ^"Oldsmobile-Viking V8 1929".Autosport.Motorsport Network.Retrieved31 December2022.
- ^"1930 Viking Eight-09".Archived fromthe originalon 2017-02-26.Retrieved2017-02-25.
- ^1634–1699:McCusker, J. J.(1997).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1700–1799:McCusker, J. J.(1992).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1800–present:Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis."Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–".RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
External links
[edit]
AutomotivebrandsofGeneral Motors | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholly owned |
|  | ||||||
| Shareholdings and joint ventures |
| |||||||
A division ofGeneral Motors,1908–2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Production models (by year of introduction) |
|  | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Concept models | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related brands | ||||||||||||||||||||||
 | This article aboutclassicandvintage automobilesproduced between 1915 and 1930 is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |