Oldsmobile's first-ever V8, the Light Eight, actually undercut the company's own six-cylinder sedan on price — $1,595 versus $1,850 for the inline-six Model 37.
Median 35 hp across 5 similar cars
Lead trim: Model 44 246 cu in side-valve V8 (40 bhp, 1916) · up to 58 hp
Oldsmobile Light Eight Model 44/45/45A1916–1919
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Oldsmobile Light Eight Model 44/45/45A yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactOldsmobile's first-ever V8, the Light Eight, actually undercut the company's own six-cylinder sedan on price — $1,595 versus $1,850 for the inline-six Model 37.
The Oldsmobile Light Eight was produced between 1916 and 1923 as a roadster, two-door coupe and four-door sedan, powered by a side-valve V8, Oldsmobile's first, shared with the 1916 Oakland Model 50 (engine from Northway Engine Works, coachwork by Fisher Body); it was more expensive than the Ford Model T but offered the durability of a V8. The first generation (Models 44, 45 and 45A) was on a 120 in wheelbase shared with the Model 43: the 1916 Model 44 had a Northway-designed side-valve 246 cu in (4,031 cc) V8 developing 40 bhp at 2000 rpm using two main bearings; the 1917 Model 45 improved the engine to 58 bhp and the 1918 Model 45A added seven-seat capacity to the touring sedan. In 1919 only the open roadster and touring sedan were offered; 35,203 were sold in four years and a 4-door sedan listed at US$1,595 against US$1,850 for the Six Model 37.
Collectors Spotted in the Oldsmobile Light Eight Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Oldsmobile Light Eight yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
2 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 44 246 cu in side-valve V8 (40 bhp, 1916) | 1916–1916 | 4.0 L V8 | 40 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Model 45 246 cu in side-valve V8 (58 bhp, 1917) | 1917–1917 | 4.0 L V8 | 58 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The Model 47 was Oldsmobile’s early V8 experiment, switched mid-run to an aluminum block — and when it was dropped for a straight-eight in 1923, the division wouldn’t build another V8 until 1949.
The truck the Clampetts drove in nearly every episode of The Beverly Hillbillies was a cut-down 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 Roadster from this very line.
Oldsmobile's first-ever V8, the Light Eight, actually undercut the company's own six-cylinder sedan on price — $1,595 versus $1,850 for the inline-six Model 37.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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