GM cut off Oldsmobile's head back in 2000, but like a decapitated chicken, the body kept flopping around for 4 more years.
When John DeLorean was asked about the demise of Oldsmobile a few years ago, he said that GM should have just stopped production when the announcment was made in 2000. The worst thing you can do is announce the discontinuation of a product, then drag it out for years. You can't expect line workers to maintain morale or keep up quality control. Oldsmobile quality continued to diminish every year since the 2000 announcement, and buyers were skeptical about buying a brand of car that will be discontinued (don't blame them) for fear the parts and technology would go away. They also weren't sure where their new Oldsmobile would be serviced in the future.
Family-owned Oldsmobile dealerships will be hit the hardest by this. They must either change to another make, or close their doors.
Unfortunately, GM does not allow an Oldsmobile to be serviced (under warranty) at another dealership like Chevrolet or Pontiac. Buyers of Oldsmobiles will have to continue to take their vehicles to their local Olds dealers until those dealers close up, or hopefully change over to another GM product. When that happens, owners will have to take their vehicle to an authorized GM dealer, and hopefully, the mechanics will understand the Aurora V8, or any other number of odd parts or electrical gremlins that are unique to Oldsmobiles.
Oh well, long live the W-30.
