When it comes to Oldsmobile’s first V8, most people will think of the “Rocket” V8 introduced in 1949, but Olds first offered a V8 in the 1916 Model 44. Billed as the “Light Eight,” the 246-cu.in. engine carried a 40-horsepower rating and all Model 44s were built on a 120-inch wheelbase with a variety of body types, including a rumble-seat equipped roadster.
The centerpiece of the John McTaggart Collection is this pair of 1916 Oldsmobile Model 44s, one a Roadster and the other a Speedster. Though both feature extensive use of new body panels—many built to exacting standards replicating the original steel—they both feature original chassis and running gear, among many other original components. They are offered together, as a single lot, with extensive documentation and spares also included
OLDSMOBILE’S FIRST V8
Oldsmobile’s “Light Eight” was a 246-cu.in. flathead V8 with a bore and stroke of 2.88 inches and 4.75 inches, respectively. Fed by a Johnson carburetor and featuring a compression ratio of 5:1, Oldsmobile’s first V8 was rated at 40 horsepower when new. It was mated to a three-speed manual transmission with a leather-faced clutch.
John McTaggart, a lifelong enthusiast with many restorations under his belt, completed both of these Oldsmobile Model 44 Light Eights using many original engine and chassis components, while having some of the body components professionally recreated in steel by a specialist. John acquired a trove of parts, including complete engines and chassis along with a significant quantity of spares in 2005. John spent the next three years remanufacturing the two cars listed: a Model 44 Roadster and a Model 44 Speedster.
Following the completion of the two cars, John has spent the time since enjoying both cars, earning multiple awards with the Roadster and spending “15 years of problem-free country road travel”, in the Speedster. He sums up the experience as “a joy to drive.”
As part of the John McTaggart Collection, this pair of historic automobiles: a 1916 Oldsmobile Model 44 Roadster and a 1916 Oldsmobile Model 44 Speedster, along with a host of spares, is offered as a combined lot for the discerning collector who will keep the cars together for the story they tell and the experience they offer.
1916 MODEL 44 ROADSTER
Beyond the introduction of its groundbreaking engine, Oldsmobile enjoyed further publicity for the car when Amanda Preuss drove a Model 44 Roadster from San Francisco to New York, a distance of 3,520 miles via the Lincoln Highway in just over 11 days in August of 1916. Preuss’s feat not only established the reliability and durability of the new Oldsmobile and its drivetrain, it also cut some 37 days off the previous coast-to-coast record for a woman driver.
This 1916 Oldsmobile Model 44 Roadster was built by John McTaggart as a tribute to the original that Amanda Preuss used on her drive. Using original Oldsmobile mechanical and chassis components, John completely remanufactured this Roadster. John went to painstaking detail to build the roadster as accurately as possible, including consulting original Oldsmobile documentation, exacting measurements from existing components and utilizing the extensive research of the prior owner who had assembled a large trove of 1916 Oldsmobile components and paperwork before his untimely passing. Since its build, this Model 44 has been awarded Junior, Senior and Preservation awards from the AACA, attesting to its provenance, accuracy and completeness.
POWERTRAIN
The seller reports that the Roadster’s V8 engine was prepared for long-term storage last fall. He adds that all lubricants are fresh, that the car rolls freely and that it remains safely garaged on his property along with the other cars in the collection. He asserts that the car can be readily prepped for running and lacks nothing in terms of components or maintenance. This Roadster is equipped with a functional electric starter. The engine presents as clean and original. The three-speed manual transmission is also said to remain road ready
EXTERIOR
Oldsmobile initially offered the Model 44 in three body styles: four-door sedan, four-door touring car, and a two-seat roadster with a rumble seat. This Model 44 Roadster was built on original Oldsmobile mechanicals. The seller worked with California-based sheet metal specialists Rootlieb, Inc. to recreate the body based on old original drawings and using “virgin steel.” Based on accurate measurements from an original car, the wooden frame was also recreated. The same applies to the roadster top, which the seller describes as “an exact reproduction original that also includes accurately reproduced side curtains and side curtain rods.” He adds, “Olds literature confirms that the rear window was a four-piece design in glass.”
The seller shares that the light gray-finished body is “free of any metal blemishes or patches.” The car does wear a round, readily removable magnet on the sides of the doors that commemorates the Lincoln Highway in a nod to Amanda Preuss’s drive
INTERIOR
The original Model 44 was lavishly equipped with “French” leather seats and a walnut-rimmed steering wheel, two features this Roadster broadly displays. Instrumentation is relatively simple. The Stewart odometer/speedometer is complemented by an oil pressure gauge, an ammeter and a clock. The seller reports that all gauges are functional. The black leather seat appears to be in excellent condition with no excessive wear, no rips and no tears. The floor is bare with no carpet or rubber mat. The steering column, gauge surrounds, shifter and parking brake lever all appear to be nickel plate and present with a proper shine.
CHASSIS
An original 120-inch wheelbase 1916 Oldsmobile chassis provided the basis for this roadster build. According to the seller, “The chassis and running gear were sand blasted and followed up by extensive pit filling and surfacing before applying paint.” The semi-floating rear axle is suspended via leaf springs. The mechanical brakes work on the rear axle only as was typical of most cars from the era. The tires are all mounted on wooden spoke wheels, another feature of the original Model 44. The chassis appears to be clean with only very limited road use since the completion of the build.
1916 OLDSMOBILE MODEL 44 SPEEDSTER
Though Oldsmobile never offered a Model 44 Speedster as a production car, it is believed that one was built for the New York Auto Show upon the car’s debut, a fairly acceptable practice at the time for a manufacturer to share the most sporting possibility of its latest engineering feat. Given the big deal that was the Model 44’s new V8, a Speedster surely offered a great platform to best exhibit the powerful engine.
Like the Roadster noted above, this 1916 Oldsmobile was built around “authentic 1916 Olds mechanicals,” according to the seller who completed the build. He is quick to share that “No substitution components or jerry-rigged hardware were employed to realize running condition.” Since completion, John has used the car for enjoyable country motoring from his rural Vermont home when the weather has cooperated. Even for the photographs for this listing, the Speedster fired right up and was readily restarted and repositioned as needed for the required photography.
POWERTRAIN
The Oldsmobile 246-cu.in. L-head V8 and its accompanying three-speed manual transmission were rebuilt during the restoration of this Speedster. The seller reports having put more than 500 “joyful” miles on the car since its completion during which it “has exhibited faultless operation.” He describes an “easy” starting procedure of opening the petcock valve between the tank and the carburetor, letting the bowl fill for a few seconds, setting the accelerator lever on the steering wheel, retarding the spark with another steering wheel lever, pulling the choke, pulling the ignition button and then starting with the foot switch, which engages the electric starter. He is quick to note that the rebuilt 107-year-old engine “for sure” has leaks and weeps, sharing that “coolant finds too many joined surfaces,” so he carries an extra quart of coolant when driving. He describes oil leaks as “at a minimum,” finally adding, with notable experience, “These cars are not leak proof.”
EXTERIOR
Like the Roadster, the Speedster’s body was fabricated by Rootlieb using “virgin metal” for the fenders, hood, and running boards. The cowl and rear pieces are custom designs as would likely have been the case for Oldsmobile’s own Speedster prepared for the New York Auto Show. The seller chose the Sun Yellow finish out of a personal preference, but it certainly does not seem out of place when compared to competing speedsters of the era. Save for some “chipping incurred during country lane tours” on the underside of the fenders, the seller describes the Speedster’s body and finish as “free of any blemishes.” The monocle windshield that protects only the driver appears to be in excellent condition with no damage to the plexi-glass nor its metal frame.
INTERIOR
The Speedster is upholstered in high-grade vinyl rather than its original leather due to the seller’s intent to drive the car when completing the restoration. The material remains in excellent condition with no noticeable wear, rips or other damage. There is however one button missing on the driver’s seat between pleats in the seating surface. The wood-rimmed, nickel-plated four-spoke steering wheel appears to be in excellent condition, as does the remainder of interior components, such as the steering column, shifter and other levers and pedals. Seatbelts have been installed for driver and passenger. Instrumentation consists of a Stewart speedometer/odometer, ammeter and an oil pressure gauge, all of which are noted as working. There is also a clock mounted on the wooden dash. The floor is bare with no carpet or rubber mat and appears to remain in excellent condition
CHASSIS
The chassis features solid axles suspended by longitudinal leaf springs front and rear. Brakes are mechanical and act only on the rear axle and require some effort, according to the seller. As when the car was new, the wheels feature wooden spokes with removable rims mounted with wide whitewall tires that appear to have a significant amount of tread.