Pontiac originally built the GTO and it was great. It was so good, in fact, that it sold more than 32,000 copies in its first year of production. Oldsmobile saw what was happening and wanted a piece of the mid-size muscle car action, so they applied a lot of Olds stuff to their A-body platform two-door Cutlass and produced the Oldsmobile 442.
The Oldsmobile 442 started out as a Cutlass, but added a Police Catcher Package that gave the car a more aggressive cam, heavy-duty suspension, and wider wheels with red stripe rubber. The old one kept going, incorporating a four-barrel carb, four-speed gearbox, and dual exhaust (hence the 4-4-2). The new Oldsmobile 442 was a huge sales success like the GTO. The old guys had their muscle cars.
The 1968 model year was the first for the Oldsmobile 442 as a standalone model. The full redesign gave the 442 a more beautiful body, with sculpted curves, wider front and rear tracks and a shorter wheelbase. A fastback look is given to the coupe, with a smooth roofline transition to the rear deck.
The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 received some subtle aesthetic changes, with silver horizontal grille bars, rectangular parking lights integrated into the front bumper, and a vertical orientation to the taillights. For the last year of this powerhouse, GM withdrew an internal rule limiting cubic inch displacement in mid-size passenger cars, allowing each division to use the largest engine that would fit in the space. For the 442, this means a 455-cube Olds Rocket V8 can be selected. For those who say, “They put a 455 in Hurst/Olds in 1969,” you are right. The old-timers got around the displacement limitation by claiming that it didn’t apply to option packages, as John DeLorean did with the GTO in 1964. The 455 Rocket-powered Oldsmobile 442 was rated at 365 horsepower (many claimed the actual output was north of 400 horses), and a tire-shredding torque of 500 pound-feet. In testing by Popular Hot Rodding, The 455-powered Olds 442 with the four-speed gearbox was capable of a 13.89 quarter mile at 101 miles per hour.
In 1972, things had changed for the Oldsmobile 442. Power ratings were calculated in net ratings, not gross ratings. Additionally, due to stricter insurance guidelines, federal emissions, and efficiency requirements, compression ratios decrease resulting in reduced horsepower. The 1972 Olds 442 has been downgraded to a Cutlass look and a handling package consisting of the FE2 Handling Pack, false hood louvers, exclusive grille, side stripes and badging. The 442 came with the standard 350 cubic inch Rocket V8, but opting for the L75 455 cube Rocket V8 would also get exhaust ports in the rear bumper. The 350 was rated at 160, 175, 180, or 200 horsepower depending on carburetor and exhaust choice, while the 455 produced 250 horsepower with the automatic transmission or 270 with the manual. Adding the W30 option increases power to 300 horses and 410 pound-feet of torque. 1972 would be the final year for this body style.
Our featured 1972 Oldsmobile 442 convertible is finished in Matador Red with white stripes, a black vinyl convertible top, and white vinyl bucket seat interior. Powered by a Rocket 350 V8 backed by a three-speed automatic transmission, it is equipped with power steering, power brakes, Ram Air hood, center console, Hurst Dual Gate shifter, power convertible top, color-matched sport mirrors, and white-lettered BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires.
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