Viking Cars – a Luxury Niche Pricing Move from GM

The Viking brand of automobiles were a price niche in the history of General Motors. Viking came along to fill a sticker-price gap between Oldsmobile and other GM brands between 1929 to 1931.

In fact, GM’s Oldsmobile division produced the Viking. Viking was one of the few GM transition brands that cost more than the parent brand, which in this case was Oldsmobile.

The Viking first appeared in 1929 as a more luxurious alternative to the Oldsmobile. It had a 384 cubic inch V8 engine that produced 100 horsepower. The Viking was available in a variety of body styles, including a coupe, sedan, and convertible.

The Viking was not a commercial success. Sales were slow, and the Great Depression only made things worse. GM discontinued the Viking after the 1931 model year.

The Viking was a short-lived brand, but it left its mark on the automotive industry. It was one of the first cars to be marketed as a luxury vehicle, and it helped to pave the way for the development of more upscale models from other automakers.

Here are some of the notable features of the Viking automobile:

V8 engine
100 horsepower
Variety of body styles
Luxury features
Short production run
Legacy as one of the first luxury cars

The Viking automobile is a reminder of a time when General Motors was experimenting with different brands and models. It was also a time when luxury cars were becoming more popular. The Viking was a pioneer in this field, and it helped to lay the foundation for the modern luxury car.