1929 Oakland All American Six (AAS) Sedan, Series 212, 2-door
Owner: Bernie and Janice Taulborg Collection
Original cost: $1,145.00
Number made: 50,693
Engine, etc.: 6 cyl.; 228 cid; 68 hp; 117 in. wheelbase; 3,070 lbs.
Oakland Motor Company, Pontiac, Mich., 1907 – 1931
The first Oakland was manufactured in 1907 by Oakland Motor Car Company, Pontiac, Michigan. It was founded by Edward M. Murphy. Before this, Murphy had run the Pontiac Buggy Company and made carriages. He began to realize the days of the horse carriage were coming to an end and if his company sales were to grow, he needed to build and sell motor carriages.
In 1909, after only two years of building Oaklands, Edward Murphy sold half of his shares in both the car and the carriage company to General Motors. He died unexpectedly the same year.
GM bought the remaining shares and turned the company into the Oakland Motors Division of General Motors.
The Oakland brand was placed above the Chevrolet in price but below higher priced brands such as Oldsmobile and Buick. Early Oakland sales were about 5,800 cars in 1912.
In 1925 Alfred R. Glancy was general manager of Oakland. He introduced the Pontiac. Several car manufacturers introduced companion cars such as Oldsmobile and Viking and Cadillac and LaSalle. To be competitive, Oakland introduced the Pontiac in 1926. While it was smaller than the Oakland, so was its price: about $200 less than the Oakland. By 1926, an estimated 133,000 Oaklands and Pontiacs were sold and, in 1928, 240,000. The Pontiac was a runaway success though sales couldn’t compare to Chevrolet which sold 1.2 million vehicles in 1928.
Oaklands for 1927 were called the Greater Oakland with the All-American Six becoming the designation for the Oakland senior models that summer.
The Oakland reached its highest annual selling level in 1928 with more than 60,000 cars built and sold. The cars were restyled for 1929.
Production of Pontiacs soared while Oakland production fell. Marketing slogans such as “Sturdy as an Oak” and “All American Oakland” couldn’t raise sales. Even with the effect of the depression on car sales, Pontiac had seven times more cars built in 1931 than Oakland did.
Oakland was done by the end of 1931 and the name Oakland Motor Car Company was changed to Pontiac Motor Company in 1932. Pontiac was unique in GM history in being the only offspring ever to kill its parent.
Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805 -1942. Beverly Rae Kimes, et al. 3rd ed. Krause Publications, 1996.
http://www.classiccardatabase.com/specs.php?series=968&year=1929&model=15398
http://automuseumonline.com/oakland-motors-1929-oakland-sedan.html (Scroll down)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_(automobile)
http://www.oaklandpontiacworldwide.com/documents/opwoaklandpontiachistory.htm
http://uniquecarsandparts.com/lost_marques_oakland.htm (History)
See also: http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Pontiac/1929%20Oakland/1929%20Oakland%20Brochure/image1.html (Original sales brochure)
