Today in 1897, Ransom Eli Olds founded Olds Motors Works, which later became Oldsmobile. After a fire destroyed most of the cars, the surviving model became a sensation at the 1901 New York Auto Show, leading to large-scale production. On the same day in 1964, the Capri Drive-In Theater opened in Coldwater, Michigan, on Route 12. It has since been recognized as one of the top drive-ins in the U.S. by USA Today and the New York Times.
TRANSCRIPT
It was way back in 1897 that Ransom Eli Olds would found Olds Motors Works on this day. It would later transform into Oldsmobile. After the company’s moved to Detroit, a fire destroyed all of its cars except one. He took this to the New York Auto Show of 1901 and this small, one-cylinder, curved-dash Oldsmobile became a sensation, and he began large-scale production of the car after returning to the non-burned factory back in Lansing.
And I’ll meet you at the concession building in Coldwater, MI where the Capri Drive In Theater opened today in 1964. On Route 12, which used to be the main road between Detroit and Chicago, the retro Capri style has kept up with the times and was even listed by both USA Today and the New York Times as one of the 10 Best Drive-Ins in the US.