1921 Oldsmobile Model 46

The 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 was available as a four- or seven-passenger Touring car, or a 5-passenger sedan. Pricing ranged from $1,735 - $2640. Power was from a 246 cubic-inch V8 engine which offered nearly 60 horsepower. The wheelbase measured 122 inches and rode on wooden artillery wheels.

Oldsmobile was one of the earliest automakers to offer V8 engines. Their V8 was introduced in August of 1915 on the Model 44. V8 engines would continue to be available on Oldsmobile cars through 1923. A second V8 engine with a slightly smaller displacement became available in 1921 and was offered in the Model 47. The second V8 had an aluminum bock and would be known as the light-eight. In 1923, the decision was made to end V8 production and it would be six years before Oldsmobile's third V8 would be offered in the 1929 and 1930 Viking, which quickly became a victim of the Great Depression. The company's fourth and most famous Oldsmobile V8 was the Rocket which made its debut in 1949.

The 1921 Oldsmobile Model 46 was very similar to the prior year's models. This particular example, even though it does not having 'windows', may have been used during the winter months. It was customary to put vehicles up on blocks during the winter. Those being used were often enclosed with cloth and isinglass side curtains. Interestingly, there are eight little cups, located one to a cylinder, on the engine head. These were for Ether, an old form of quickstart. One primed each cup, turned the engine over and shut the cups. With a little luck, the engine would start even on the coldest mornings.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2016