1916 Chevrolet Series H

William Crapo Durant and Frederic L. Smith co-founded General Motors, as well as Chevrolet with Louis Chevrolet. He was also the founder of Frigidaire. His holdings in the Durant-Dort Carriage Company made him a millionaire, and in November of 1904, he assumed control of the troubled Buick Motor Company, using the manufacturing and financial resources of Durant-Dort to stabilize Buick, and soon it was the best-selling automobile in America.

With Buick as his base, the General Motors Holding Company was founded, and soon, Durant consolidated 13 car companies and ten parts-and-accessories manufacturers under the new holding. In 1909, GM acquired Cadillac and Oakland Motor Car - which was eventually replaced by Pontiac, along with many other companies. Although strategic, the acquisitions overextended the company and quickly faced a cash shortage, resulting in Durant being forced out of the company.

Down, but not out, Durant backed Louis Chevrolet's company in 1911, with J. Dallas Dort serving as the vice-president and director of the company. The success enjoyed by the Chevrolet company allowed Durant to regain control of General Motors. Upon the resignation of his friend and former employee, Charles W. Nash, he assumed the presidency of General Motors. Nash then purchased the Thomas B. Jeffery Company, going on to produce the Nash automobile in 1917.

Durant's enthusiasm for the Chevrolet automobile continued, and he continued to guide the marque by signing a contract with the Garden Buggy Company of St. Louis to build the 490. The all-new Series 490 was named after the price of the roadster and tourer, neither of which had a left front door. These utilitarian vehicles had a vertical windshield, simplistic fender designs devoice of splash guards, and a rear curtain in the top hood with a single celluloid window.

The overhead-valve four-cylinder engine had three main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Zenith one-inch double-jet carburetor, a 171 cubic-inch displacement, and delivered 24 horsepower. They were backed by a three-speed selective sliding gearbox with floor-mounted gearshift controls and a cone-type clutch. Braking was handlined by external contracting brakes on the rear wheels. Wood-spoke artillery wheels were standard. For buyers who selected the optional electrical lighting and starter system, the price of the vehicle rose to $550. Cars with these features also included a Connecticut automatic ignition system in place of a magneto.

Later in 1916, Chevrolet opened assembly plants in Fort Worth, Texas, and Bay City, Michigan. The Warner Gear Company of Toledo, Ohio, was added to the company's portfolio and converted into a Chevrolet factory. By the close of the year, another plant was added in Oakland, California.

The other model in the 1916 Chevrolet catalog was the Series H, priced in the low-$700s. Body styles included a flat deck 'Royal Mail' and the 'Baby Grand' tourer priced at $720, and a special roadster (replacing the prior 'Amesbury Special') listed at $750. The tourers were finished in French gray with green patent leather upholstery, while the special roadster was painted in Brewster green.

The Series H came standard with an ammeter, demountable rims on all wheels, a top, a top hood, a speedometer, and a windshield.

The Series H had been part of the Chevrolet lineup since 1914 and continued through 1916. In 1917 it was replaced by the Series F, resting on a longer wheelbase and offered as the 'Royal Mail' roadster and the 'Baby Grand' tourer.

The four-cylinder Baby Grand and companion Royal Maili models were introduced by Chevrolet late in 1913 as 1914 models and continued to offer them through 1916. These were the first cars to wear the 'bow tie' emblem, and their four-cylinder engines vastly improved over their predecessor.

Chevrolet produced 13,605 vehicles in 1915 with 13,600 being Series H. For 1916, calendar year production increased dramatically to 62,898 examples, with approximately 52,000 of those being Series H. Another increase followed in 1917 to 110,839 vehicles, nearly 58,000 of those being Series 490.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020