Rare and classic cars can come to light in a variety of places. They can be found in barns, sheds, garages, and warehouses. This Oldsmobile was found in a kitchen, which is a bit unusual, but I have heard of this happening before. It has spent the last 45 years hiding among the pots and pans, and the owner is now looking to move it on. Located in Myrtle Creek, Oregon, it is listed for sale here on eBay.
The majority of the photos that accompany this advertisement are very blurry, but they are clear enough to indicate that the Oldsmobile is in fairly good condition. The paint looks to have a pretty nice shine to it, and the outside looks like it is complete, with no obvious items missing. The soft-top is generally good, although there is a tear in the rear corner on the passenger side. The wheels look to be as good as the owner claims, but these would require a decent inspection to ensure that they are solid. The owner does also say that the car has only covered a claimed 21,000 miles and that it is still wearing its original tires. The Oldsmobile is also fitted with its original 1921 license plates, and comes with a cool set of “Horseless Carriage” plates as well.
The owner states that the interior is in good condition, and apart from needing a good clean, I can’t help but agree with him on that. The timber is in good condition, and the finish on it looks to be free of any peeling issues. The leather upholstery seems to be good, with no obvious rips or tears. I really think that a clean and the application of a quality leather conditioner will bring it up nicely.
We don’t get any photos of the engine, but the owner does state that it has undergone a complete rebuild. There is a bit of confusion over the engine specifications for the car, as the owner says that the car is 100% original, but also states that the engine has a capacity of 246ci and an output of 58hp. This would be accurate if this car was a Model 46, but the 1921 Model 47 was fitted with a V8 engine with a capacity of 234ci, and an output of 63hp. Further adding to the confusion, the owner refers to the Oldsmobile as being a 7-passenger vehicle, but after a very exhaustive search, I can find no records of a Model 47 being built with that seating capacity. However, I can find a Model 46 with this configuration. Due to the visual similarities between the two models, one of the easiest ways to differentiate between the two is via the wheelbase measurement. The Model 46 was built on a 122″ wheelbase, while the Model 47 was on a 115″. Having said all of that, I am one person doing the research, so if I am wrong and one of our Barn Finds readers can steer me straight on that, I will be more than happy to listen.
This Oldsmobile is a nice looking car that seems to be in very good condition. While its home for the last 45 years has been unusual, the conditions would provide a decent environment to preserve a car. The owner has set an asking price of $45,000 for the Oldsmobile. I’ve done some further research on that, and there is nothing that has sold in the last few years that we can compare that to. Regardless, discussing the last 45 years of this cars life would certainly get some attention at any car show. You’d certainly be one of the only people there that could say they are driving a Kitchen Find!
Wonder where I’ve seen that grille before…looks vaguely familiar…
They had a 1921 Model 46 Olds.
Awesome find on a rare early Oldsmobile touring car. However, at $45000, I think that older 1916 Oldsmobile you featured in November seemed to be a much better buy. Although it needed work I think it sold for only around $10500, plus the 1916 model was a larger looking car then this 1921 model and was the first year of the V8 Olds. Remember the 1911 Oldsmobile Limited in rough condition sold for over 1 million dollars at auction in 2007? Maybe it’s time to stock up on early Oldsmobiles, if you can even find them anymore.
It is my opinion that the owner’s expectations here are optimistic. ’20s cars of this nature haven’t been seeing prices at that level recently, if ever.
The car used in the show was a ’22 according to a 1972 article featured in
an all Oldsmobile issue of Car Classics
Magazine. The author, H. Taylor Patterson, added that bit of information
after many readers began inquiring about
it after an eagle-eyed reader thought he
recognized it as an early ’20’s Oldsmobile
touring car. Mr. Patterson also stated
that the car was a six cylinder model
instead of an eight. As for this car, you
say it’s in a kitchen? Whoever buys it
will have the Devil’s own time getting
it out of there!
Is that a box of .410 on the back seat?
Remington, for sure!
Modern Remington for sure. Just wondered if they were related to the hole in the canvas right rear; mice ya know.
And I thought my kitchen was cluttered! Cool car, but this appears to be an older restoration. It has been well stored since the 1970s, though. The tires are obviously not original as no tires from the era would have lasted 21,000 miles. Perhaps the extra zero in the price was a typo.
An interesting and a very cool find. I guess the car is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Unfortunately, the traditional buyers of 1920s cars – who are not ‘investors’ or operating museums – have literally died off.
I believe that the seller is overly optimistic on pricing, and we’ll have to wait and see if it sells for anywhere near what’s being asked.
Assuming the owner is a male, I want to know if he is married. If so, he should be granted an in – depth interview for airing on every automotive program and offered the podium at every major car show for his wisdom is far beyond the average married man.
I think you could safely bet the farm that the owner of this Olds is a single man!
With a chick magnet like this Olds?
As an owner of three early 20’s Oldsmobile, the seller price is way off base. From what I can see from the photo’s. The asking price should be in the $7 to $12K range. The car is in the #3 or #4 range of #1 being a parts car #5 being a Pebble Beach type show car, and that would still only bring $36K for a Model 37T and $39K for a model 46T. The price I’m giving is before the 12 to 15% selling fee. Now if the car was a Cadillac or Packard He’d be right on the price. What is needed is the Body Tag info. It’s on the firewall passenger under the hood.
Oldcarguy, you can’t buy a car like this for 7k to 12k anywhere. This is not a Ford or a Chevy, it’s an early Oldsmobile. Yes it would be worth more if it was an older model like the 1916 I posted a photo above but it’s still not a cheap car. As for going by what the price guides say, first you have to actually find other examples to compare it to. Price guides are out of the picture when dealing with rare oddball cars. The right buyer is out there. Also, if you do own three early 20s Oldsmobiles, would you part with them for only 7k to 12k?
nessy, I know that a 1917 45T, was sold at Barrett Jackson in 2016 for $18700.00. Look it up. The car is 800+ point car. Whats here is no where close. If I had a chance to look the car over I could give you a fair price. I know there are some car’s out there. The owner think’s it made of Gold. But we all know it’s 16 ga. Steel nailed to White Oak, with Hickory wheels. One of my car’s I paid $6500.00, $14,000.00 for the Roadster. The last car has had only two owner’s. Me and my Father. With the paper work to prove it. That car is going to go to one of my Son’s. the other two I would sell for $6,900.00 and 14,500.00, right now, if I had to. There are not many people like me, that appreciate a car of this vintage. Let alone know how much it takes in time and money to restore it back to it’s former glory.
I don’t question the price as much as the claim of 20K miles on what are now 98 year old tires. Were tires durable enough back then to go 20K miles on a large automobile? Just curious.
Jonathan W on his you tube channel rebuilt some wooden wheels with metal working equip, because that is what he had. For material he used new wheel barrow handles.
This is a really interesting story. The car is nice, but in my opinion, it is only worth a fraction of the asking price. However, I do understand that since the owner has had it in his kitchen for decades, it is worth more to him than anybody else. If it does not sell now, his estate will be happy to move it to its next caretaker.