In 1908 Oldsmobile was sold to William C. Durrant, becoming one of the original divisions of General Motors. A selection of medium priced 4 and 6 cylinder cars were added to the line up and by 1916 Oldsmobile was selling 10,000 cars annually.
In 1916 Oldsmobile introduced its first production V-8 cylinder engine to the American market with the Model 44. Approximately 8,000 Model 44s were sold in 1916, more than 3 times the number of 4-cylinder Oldsmobile’s sold. The Model 44 was elegantly equipped with hickory spoke wheels, a walnut steering wheel, German Silver radiator, and French leather seats.
The company emerged from the Depression in a strong position; offering quality transportation at good prices, with a variety of 6 and 8 cylinder engines choices.
