The Oldsmobile 442, or 4-4-2 as it was advertised and sold in period, was one of the first muscle cars to appear after Pontiac released the Tempest-based GTO. The 1967 model featured a 6.5-liter V-8 that pushed out 350 horsepower but lacked the styling to match its performance figures.
The 442 debuted in September of 1963 for the 1964 model year as the performance trim level of the Cutlass. As a consequence, it was equipped with the biggest engine that GM would allow on a mid-size car at the time, a 5.4-liter V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor that was rated at 310 horsepower. In fact, the 442 nameplate originally pointed out to the car’s setup: its quad-barrel carburetor, four-speed gearbox, and twin-pipe exhaust system.
Oldsmobile’s first muscle car was available as a two-door hardtop, a two-door convertible, and even a four-door sedan. Up until 1967, you could have the 442 trim level on either the F-85 or the Cutlass base. However, for the first generation’s final production year, the 442 was based on the ultimate version of the Cutlass Supreme, further proving the 442’s special status. It became a standalone model when the second generation debuted in 1968.
