Interesting facts about Olson/Olsson Autombiles.

My last name is Olson - my ancestors in Sweden went by Olsson which is an alternate spelling of my name. I looked up cars made by people with the same name: I found two entries in the now out of print "Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942" by Beverly Rae Kimes & Henry Austin Clark Jr.

"OLSON - Pittsboro, Indiana - 1908) An automobile was built in the shops of the C.J. Olson Buggy & Carriage Manufacturing Company of Pittsboro in 1908. Apparently the car was produced for the use of the Olson family; manufacture was not contemplated."

"
OLSSON - Chicago, llllnois - (1900-1905) - Although his shop at 364 Wells Street in Chicago was a small one and his output was never very large, Ivan W. Olsson remained in the car-building business for a half decade. A repairer and maker of gasoline and steam engines for over ten years previous to building his first car at the turn of the century. Olsson built to customer order exclusively until the end of 1902. Although he offered to supply electric power for those desiring it, his stock designs were an $850 steam runabout, $1100 steam stanhope, $900 and $1400 gasoline runabouts, and two large gasoline tonneaus, a 10 hp at $1700 and a 24 hp at $2800. For the 1903 season. Olsson announced that he planned to place his cars on the general market, but he never advertised extensively and probably continued manufacturing only as the orders came in."

I wonder if anyone has a photo of one of the Olsson cars?


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