Oldsmobile's Model 43 was GM's entry-level car — until GM bought Chevrolet in 1917 and used it to fill that role instead, interrupting Model 43 production as Oldsmobile got pushed upmarket.
Lead trim: Model 43 192 cu in side-valve I4 (30 bhp)
Oldsmobile Model 431915–1916
- 0spots by members
- Unclaimednobody has spotted one yet
- 0sets it belongs to
Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Oldsmobile Model 43 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 Model 43 was GM's entry-level car — until GM bought Chevrolet in 1917 and used it to fill that role instead, interrupting Model 43 production as Oldsmobile got pushed upmarket.
The Model 43, the "Oldsmobile Four", was an entry-level four-seat passenger car that replaced the Model 42 (the "Baby Olds") with its most significant improvement a longer wheelbase (121 in) shared with the Buick Series C, and stood junior to the premium Light Eight; it was Oldsmobile's last four-cylinder car until the 1977 Starfire. It had a side-valve in-line 192 cu in (3,146 cc) four developing 30 bhp and was offered as a touring car for 1915 and a 2-door roadster, with very little change for 1916; the steering wheel moved to the left side and the handbrake and gearshift to the center for all Oldsmobiles in 1915. 3,500 were made in 1915 and 1916 before the introduction of the Chevrolet Series 490 led to its replacement by the Model 53; retail price was US$1,095. Amanda Preuss drove coast to coast on the Lincoln Highway in a Model 43 in 1916.
Collectors Spotted in the Oldsmobile Model 43 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Oldsmobile Model 43 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 43 192 cu in side-valve I4 (30 bhp) | 1915–1916 | 3.1 L Inline-4 | 30 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.
The Model 43A built more cars in two years than anything Oldsmobile had made before it, instantly becoming the brand’s best-selling model.
Oldsmobile's Model 43 was GM's entry-level car — until GM bought Chevrolet in 1917 and used it to fill that role instead, interrupting Model 43 production as Oldsmobile got pushed upmarket.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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.
This Six was the first Buick with the steering wheel moved to the left side and an electric starter instead of a crank.
A single Model B shown at the 1905 New York Auto Show, with William Durant taking orders personally, pushed Buick's sales from 37 cars to 750 in one year.
The Oldsmobile Limited once raced the 20th Century Limited train from Albany to New York City.
Buick's original four-cylinder car began life as a design bought from the Janney Motor Company, not an in-house engine.
Dodge's first car ever, the 1914 30-35, had a driver's side door that could not actually be opened.
Dodge named this car after its own wheelbase, 116 inches, and geared the rear axle down to cap it near 40 mph.
The US Army ordered 8,559 Dodge Model 30 staff cars for World War One, its standard staff car of the war.