The Model 43 was an entry-level four seat passenger car produced by GM's

Oldsmobile Oldsmobile (formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors) was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produc ...

Division in 1915 and 1916, then again in 1921 and 1922. It replaced the Model 42 also known as the "Baby Olds", while the most significant improvement was a longer wheelbase shared with the Buick Series C. Until GM assumed control of

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

in 1917, the previous Model 42 and the Model 43 were GM's entry-level cars which led to the interrupted production of the Model 43 as Oldsmobile was promoted as a higher content product. It was also known as the "Oldsmobile Four" and competed with the Chevrolet Series H as an entry-level model until GM bought Chevrolet. It was the junior level product to the upscale Oldsmobile Light Eight. It was Oldsmobile's last four-cylinder car until 1977 with the

Oldsmobile Starfire The Oldsmobile Starfire is an automobile Car model, nameplate used by Oldsmobile, produced in three non-contiguous generations beginning in 1954. The Starfire nameplate made its debut as a convertible concept car in 1953 followed with the 1954– ...

History

The Model 43 was equipped with a side-valve, in-line

four-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categoriz ...

developing 30 bhp. The Model 43 had a wheelbase of and was offered as a touring car for 1915 and a 2-door roadster, with very little change for 1916. One advancement that was introduced on all Oldsmobiles for 1915 was the relocation of the steering wheel to the left side of the passenger compartment and the handbrake and gearshift now centrally located inside the passenger compartment. 3,500 Model 43s were manufactured in 1915 and 1916, and due to the introduction of the

Chevrolet Series 490 The Chevrolet Series 490 (or Four-Ninety) is an early American automobile, made from 1915 to 1922 by Chevrolet. Introduced in June 1915, the Chevrolet 490 was sold for $490 ($ in dollars ). It was an immediate success and established the brand a ...

, the Model 43 was replaced by the Oldsmobile Model 53 that had been introduced in 1913, pushing Oldsmobile upscale. Amanda Preuss drove coast to coast on the

Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway is one of the first transcontinental highways in the United States and one of the first highways designed expressly for automobiles. Conceived in 1912 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, and formally dedicated Octob ...

in 1916, setting a record in a Model 43. Retail prices listed were US$1,095 ($ in dollars ) for either a touring sedan or 2-door roadster for customers who wanted something different from the

Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by the Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first mass-affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. Th ...

. In 1921 the Model 43A returned, and was marketed as a larger, more upscale entry-level model to the Chevrolet, as management noticed that removing an affordable model affected overall sales at Oldsmobile dealerships, competing for customers who were buying the

starting in 1908. Pricing remained competitive with the touring sedan, roadster or coupe listed at US$1,325 ($ in dollars ). The new cars had a shorter wheelbase but a larger engine than the previous Model 42. With a displacement of , the four-cylinder produced . The leather cone clutch had given way to a single-disk dry clutch and, in addition to wooden spoke wheels, there were also steel disk wheels as an option. In addition to the open roadster and touring car versions, the Model 43A was also available as a 2-door coupé and 4-door sedan with a closed interior. Production was continued in 1922, but the engine output fell to . As Chevrolet found its place in the market as GM's entry-level product with the

Chevrolet Series FA The Chevrolet Series FA (or Chevrolet FA) of 1917–1918 is an American vehicle manufactured by GM's Chevrolet Division. It was a replacement of the Series F which had improvements in engine capacity as well as other features. In this transfo ...

in 1917, Oldsmobile management focused on larger and more upscale cars as a junior model to Buick. In two years, 28,706 Oldsmobile Model 43As were built, making it by far the most successful model at the time.

References

{{Oldsmobile

Model 43 is the German term for " stick hand grenade" and generally refers to a prominent series of World War I and World War II–era German stick grenade designs, distinguished by their long wooden handles, pull cord arming and cylindrical warheads. ...

1900s cars Brass Era vehicles Vintage vehicles