Oakland Motor Car Company
Defunct American automobile manufacturer and General Motors division that produced mid-priced cars from 1907 to 1931.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
The Oakland Motor Car Company was an American automobile manufacturer based in Pontiac, Michigan, and a former General Motors division. It operated from 1907 until 1931, producing automobiles positioned broadly between entry-level Chevrolet products and the more expensive Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac lines within General Motors' developing brand hierarchy. Oakland was created by Edward Murphy, proprietor of the Pontiac Buggy Company, and Alanson P. Brush, an engineer associated with early Cadillac and Brush automobiles. The company took its name from Oakland County, Michigan. Brush's initial design used a vertically mounted two-cylinder engine that rotated counterclockwise and a planetary transmission. Although the concept had previously been rejected by Cadillac, Murphy approved it as the basis for a new automobile business. The first production year was modest: the 1908 Oakland range offered five body styles, identified as Models A through E, and 278 vehicles were built. General Motors entered the company after only one year of production. In early 1909, William C. Durant's General Motors acquired half of Oakland from Murphy. After Murphy died later that year, General Motors obtained the remaining rights and assumed control of the business. Production was moved to the Pontiac facility formerly associated with Cartercar, another Durant acquisition. Under GM, Oakland was initially developed as a relatively affordable marque below Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. Four-cylinder models became the principal products, and from 1910 the company offered four-cylinder flathead engines across a range of wheelbases. Its advertising used the slogan “The Car with a Conscience.” The company expanded its technical range during the 1910s. The Oakland Six appeared in 1913, and a V8-powered Model 50 followed in the middle of the decade. The V8 used a flathead design supplied by Northway Motor and Manufacturing Company and was related to engines used in other General Motors products. Oakland production reached approximately 35,000 vehicles in 1917, demonstrating that the marque had become a meaningful part of GM's prewar and wartime-era automobile portfolio. The division experienced production and quality-control difficulties around the beginning of the 1920s. Fred Hannum became general manager in 1921, after which manufacturing regularity and product quality improved. Oakland products also shared General Motors' A platform with Chevrolet. The brand became especially associated with the Oakland Six, including versions finished in a vivid blue Duco lacquer supplied through DuPont. This treatment supported the “True Blue Oakland Six” advertising theme and gave the cars a distinctive visual identity. General Motors' broader Companion Make Program eventually changed Oakland's role. During the 1920s, GM sought to fill price and product gaps between its principal marques. Pontiac was introduced in 1926 as a shorter-wheelbase light six associated with Oakland, designed to offer more equipment and status than Chevrolet while remaining relatively affordable. Pontiac performed strongly from its launch, selling 49,875 units in its first year. By 1929, Pontiac sales substantially exceeded Oakland sales, creating a serious overlap between the two makes and weakening the case for maintaining Oakland as a separate brand. Oakland returned to V8 production with the Model 101 in 1930 and offered body styles including roadsters, phaetons, coupes, sedans, and sport coupes. The Model 301 V8 was the final Oakland product in 1931, with few changes from the preceding model year. As the Great Depression began, General Motors announced the discontinuation of Oakland. The marque's final V8 was closely related to the 1932 Pontiac V8, but Oakland itself did not continue. Pontiac consequently became the surviving successor to the Oakland position within GM's brand structure and later outlasted the other companion makes created during the same period.
History
Oakland emerged from the early twentieth-century expansion of automobile manufacturing in southeastern Michigan. Edward Murphy, who operated the Pontiac Buggy Company, worked with engineer Alanson P. Brush to turn Brush's rejected Cadillac-related engine concept into a new automobile. The resulting company was named for Oakland County, where it was based. Its first car used a vertically oriented two-cylinder engine with counterclockwise rotation and a planetary transmission. The 1908 range included five body configurations, from a runabout to a landaulet, but production remained small at 278 cars. The company quickly became part of William C. Durant's General Motors organization. GM bought half of Oakland in early 1909, and Murphy's death later that year led to the acquisition of the remaining rights. Operations were consolidated at the Pontiac plant previously used for Cartercar, another Durant-controlled enterprise that GM discontinued. Oakland was subsequently developed as a relatively accessible but not entry-level GM automobile line. Chevrolet was not yet part of GM, so Oakland competed with mass-market cars such as the Ford Model T while also sitting below the established Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac marques. After the takeover, Oakland moved toward conventional four-cylinder engineering. From 1910 it concentrated on four-cylinder flathead engines, offering several wheelbases and promoting the slogan “The Car with a Conscience.” The Oakland Six arrived in 1913, broadening the brand's appeal. A larger Model 50 V8 was offered during the mid-1910s, using a Northway-supplied flathead engine related to powerplants used by Oldsmobile and Cadillac. By 1917, Oakland production had climbed to roughly 35,000 cars. The early 1920s brought manufacturing and quality-control problems. Fred Hannum became general manager in 1921, and the division subsequently established a more consistent production rhythm while improving vehicle quality. Oakland models shared GM's A platform with Chevrolet. Marketing also emphasized appearance: cars finished with Duco's quick-drying blue lacquer supported the “True Blue Oakland Six” theme, helping distinguish the marque in a crowded market. GM's multi-brand strategy became increasingly important during the 1920s. The company organized its passenger-car marques into a price ladder, with Chevrolet at the lower end, Oakland above it, then Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac. Gaps within that ladder led to the Companion Make Program. Cadillac received LaSalle, Buick received Marquette, Oldsmobile received Viking, and Oakland became associated with Pontiac. Introduced in 1926, Pontiac was a compact light six with a shorter wheelbase and a price intended to attract buyers seeking more than a basic four-cylinder car. Pontiac sold 49,875 units in its first year. Pontiac quickly overshadowed Oakland. By 1929, Pontiac sales exceeded Oakland sales by approximately 163,000 vehicles, indicating that the newer marque had captured much of the role Oakland had been intended to serve. Oakland continued with the Model 101 V8 in 1930, offering several open and closed body styles, and the Model 301 V8 in 1931. These final cars made only limited changes to the preceding model. The onset of the Great Depression accelerated GM's decision to remove redundant or weaker marques, and Oakland was discontinued in 1931. The final Oakland V8 was closely related to the 1932 Pontiac V8, but Pontiac became the surviving brand. Oakland therefore occupies an important place in GM history as an early acquired marque and as the parent identity from which Pontiac developed.
- 1931
Oakland production ended
[1]General Motors discontinued the Oakland marque and retained Pontiac as its successor in the relevant market position.
- 1930
Model 101 V8 reintroduced
[1]Oakland returned to a V8-focused offering with the Model 101 and multiple passenger-car body styles.
- 1926
Pontiac launched
[1]GM introduced Pontiac as a light-six companion make associated with Oakland.
- 1921
Fred Hannum became general manager
[1]Management changes accompanied efforts to stabilize manufacturing and improve quality.
- 1917
Production reached approximately 35,000 vehicles
[1]Oakland's annual production expanded substantially during the late 1910s.
- 1916
Model 50 V8 introduced
[1]Oakland offered a flathead V8 sourced from Northway Motor and Manufacturing Company.
- 1913
Oakland Six introduced
[1]The Oakland Six added a six-cylinder model line and became a major part of the brand's identity.
- 1910
Oakland standardized on four-cylinder models
[1]The marque moved to a range centered on four-cylinder flathead engines across several wheelbases.
- 1909
General Motors acquired Oakland
[1]GM purchased half of the company and later acquired the remaining rights after Edward Murphy died.
- 1908
First Oakland production
[1]The company offered five body styles, designated Models A through E, and produced 278 vehicles.
Products and positioning
A mid-priced General Motors automobile marque positioned above Chevrolet and below Oldsmobile in GM's product ladder.
Early passenger automobiles · 1908
Oakland Models A–E
The first Oakland range, produced in 1908, comprised five body styles designated Models A through E. The offerings varied from an open runabout to a landaulet. They were based on Alanson P. Brush's early two-cylinder concept, which used a vertical counterclockwise-rotating engine and planetary transmission. Only 278 vehicles were produced during the first year, making this a small-scale launch range rather than a high-volume product family.
Passenger automobiles · 1910
Oakland Four-Cylinder Models
Following General Motors' acquisition, Oakland concentrated on conventional four-cylinder flathead automobiles. From 1910, the company offered four-cylinder models on several wheelbases and used the advertising line “The Car with a Conscience.” These cars positioned Oakland as a relatively accessible GM marque during the period before Chevrolet joined the corporation and while the Ford Model T dominated the lower-priced market.
Six-cylinder passenger automobiles · 1913
Oakland Six
Introduced in 1913, the Oakland Six became one of the company's signature lines. It gave the brand a more powerful alternative to its four-cylinder cars and was central to Oakland's later marketing. Blue Duco lacquer finishes were promoted through the “True Blue Oakland Six” theme, combining a technical product claim with a distinctive visual treatment. Six-cylinder Oakland models remained important through the 1920s.
V8 passenger automobile · 1916
Oakland Model 50 V8
The Model 50 used a 365-cubic-inch flathead V8 supplied by Northway Motor and Manufacturing Company. It was offered during the mid-1910s and was available as a seven-passenger touring sedan on a long wheelbase. The engine architecture was related to V8 designs used by Oldsmobile and Cadillac, reflecting the increasing technical and component sharing within General Motors.
V8 passenger automobile · 1930
Oakland Model 101 V8
The Model 101 was Oakland's 1930 V8 offering. It used a flathead V8 on a 117-inch wheelbase and was sold in several configurations, including roadster, phaeton, coupe, closed sedan, and sport coupe forms. It represented the brand's final major attempt to maintain a distinct position within GM as Pontiac increasingly captured the lower mid-priced market.
V8 passenger automobile · 1931
Oakland Model 301 V8
The Model 301 V8 was the last Oakland product, offered in 1931 with few changes from the preceding Model 101. It used a flathead V8 and was the sole Oakland vehicle available for its final model year. Its engineering was carried forward in modified form into the 1932 Pontiac Series 302 V8 after General Motors ended the Oakland name.
Companion automobile marque · 1926
Pontiac Light Six
Pontiac was introduced in 1926 as a shorter-wheelbase light six associated with Oakland and designed to occupy a price point above Chevrolet. Its strong first-year sales and rapid growth eventually made Pontiac more commercially effective than Oakland. Pontiac was not merely another Oakland model, but it became the brand's strategic successor and survived after Oakland was discontinued.
Marketing campaigns
- 1920True Blue Oakland Six
United States
Oakland promoted bright blue Duco lacquer, a quick-drying automotive finish associated with DuPont, as a visual signature for its Six models. The campaign connected the distinctive color with the Oakland Six product identity.
Outcome. The blue finish became one of the marque's best-known marketing associations.
- 1910The Car with a Conscience
United States
Oakland used “The Car with a Conscience” as an advertising slogan for its four-cylinder automobile range. The message presented the brand as responsible and dependable within the growing mid-priced automobile market.
Outcome. The slogan became an identifiable part of Oakland's early General Motors-era positioning.
Brand decisions
1931
General Motors discontinued the Oakland marqueStrategyBackground
The Great Depression coincided with Pontiac's strong sales and the increasing redundancy between the two GM-associated marques.
Action taken
GM ended Oakland production after the 1931 Model 301 V8.
Aftermath
Pontiac continued as the surviving brand in Oakland's intended market position, while elements of the final Oakland V8 carried into the 1932 Pontiac V8.
1926
General Motors launched Pontiac as Oakland's companion makeStrategyBackground
GM's brand ladder contained pricing and product gaps, and Oakland occupied a position above Chevrolet but below Oldsmobile.
Action taken
GM introduced Pontiac as a shorter-wheelbase light six priced to appeal to buyers seeking more than a basic Chevrolet.
Aftermath
Pontiac rapidly outperformed Oakland, creating overlap and eventually becoming the surviving successor after Oakland's discontinuation.
1909
General Motors took control of OaklandM&ABackground
Oakland had completed only a short period of independent production when General Motors entered the business through William C. Durant.
Action taken
GM purchased half of the company and later obtained the remaining rights after Edward Murphy's death.
Aftermath
Oakland became a General Motors division and production was consolidated at the Pontiac facility formerly associated with Cartercar.
Sources1 sources
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