Oldsmobile Light Eight

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Oldsmobile Light Eight
Production period: 1916-1923
Class : Upper class
Body versions : Touring car , roadster , limousine , convertible

The Oldsmobile Light Eight was a luxury car built from 1916 to 1923 by Oldsmobile , a General Motors brand . In those years it was always the brand's top model. The early use of the V8 engine, which would later be so typical of US vehicles, was remarkable. Oldsmobile would later revert to in-line eight-cylinder engines.

Models year after year

Models 44, 45 and 45A (1916-1919)

Light Eight
models 44, 45 and 45A
Oldsmobile Model 45A "Pacemaker" touring car (1918)

Oldsmobile Model 45A "Pacemaker" touring car (1918)
Production period: 1916-1919
Body versions : Touring car , roadster , limousine , convertible
Engines: Petrol engines :
4.0 liters
(29–43 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase : 3048 mm
Empty weight : 1246-1445 kg

In 1916 Oldsmobile brought out its first eight-cylinder car. The model 44 was on the same chassis as the four-cylinder model 43 , but had an unusual for this time V8 engine with 4031 cc displacement, the first 40 hp (29 kW) at 2000 min -1 developed. Like the smaller model, the Light Eight was also equipped with a leather cone clutch and three-speed gearbox with center shift. The wheels were provided with wooden hickory spokes . The two rear wheels were mechanically braked.

There were four different bodies: the 2-door roadster and the 4-door touring car were open (= without side windows); as closed bodies there was a 2-door convertible (with side windows) and a 4-door sedan.

In 1917 the engine output of the new Model 45 increased to 58 bhp (43 kW). Otherwise, technically and stylistically, everything stayed the same. In 1918 the name was Model 45A and it was nicknamed Pacemaker (German: pacemaker). Again there were no technical changes. In addition to the 5-seat touring car, there was now also a 7-seat model. In 1919, the cars with the short wheelbase (3048 mm) were only available as 2-door roadsters and 4-door touring bikes with five seats. The seven-seater tourer was available under a different model name (see below).

Of the eight-cylinder model with a short wheelbase, 35,203 units were built in four years.

Models 45B and 46 (1919–1922)

Light Eight
models 45B and 46

Image does not exist
Production period: 1919-1922
Body versions : Touring car , limousine
Engines: Otto engine :
4.0 liters (43 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase : 3099 mm
Empty weight : 1431-1674 kg

The model 45B, which was also offered in 1919, was also called Pacemaker and differed from the model 45A only in its 2 ″ longer wheelbase. This year it was only available as a four-door tourer with five or seven seats. In 1920, after the short chassis was eliminated, the 45B model was available as a 4-5-seater tourer and a 4-door sedan. Instead of Pacemaker, the nickname was now Thorobred ( thoroughbred ).

In 1921 there were no changes. Nevertheless, the new name was Model 46 . In parallel, there was again an eight-cylinder with a shorter chassis. In 1922, the Model 46 continued to be built unchanged.

Of the eight-cylinder model with a long wheelbase, 16,555 copies were made in four years.

Model 47 (1921-1923)

Light Eight
Model 47

Image does not exist
Production period: 1921-1923
Body versions : Touring car , roadster , limousine
Engines: Petrol engines :
3.8 liters
(40-44 kW)
Length:
Width:
Height:
Wheelbase : 2921 mm
Empty weight : 1293-1534 kg

In 1921 the new model 47 replaced the discontinued model 45A with a short wheelbase. In contrast to the previous models, a new, smaller V8 engine was used, which drew a slightly increased output of 60 bhp (44 kW) from 3818 cm³ displacement.

In addition to a 4-door tourer with five seats and a 4-door sedan, there was also a 2-door coupé with three seats.

In the following year, the model 47 was built almost unchanged; A four-seater tourer and a roadster with two doors were available as additional bodies. In 1923 the long wheelbase model was discontinued, while the 47 was built with the engine output reduced to 54 bhp (40 kW). Then this last eight-cylinder model was also dropped in favor of the six-cylinder unit model 30 .

Of the eight-cylinder model with the smaller engine, 7956 copies were made in three years.

swell

  • Beverly R. Kimes, Henry A. Clark: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause Publications, Iola 1985, ISBN 0-87341-045-9 .