The 442 turns 50...

In 1964 Pontiac turned the automotive world on it's ear. When they dropped the "Big Car" 389 onto the compact Tempest and created the GTO, the musclecar era was launched. Olds quickly countered with the 442 Package which stood for 4 barrel carb, 4-speed transmission, dual exhaust. The 330 V8 Cutlasss 442 was a nicely balanced package-but just like a 327 Malibu-couldn't really compete with a 389 GTO. The minions at Chevrolet waited for an official ruling from GM-that's why the SS396 Chevelle wasn't introduced until 1966. The renegades at Oldsmobile figured- screw 'em-Pontiac broke the rules-DeLorean griping about Olds offereing the 330 as a step-down engine in the 88, and saying the GTO was an "Option" skirting te small car / small engine big car / big engine rule. In 1965 they put their big 400 inch V8 in the Cutlass 442 making it competitive with the GTO. Oddly-Maybe Olds didn't advertise like Pontiac did-I don't know-Pontiac sold 75,000 GTOs and Olds only sold 25,000 442s. In 1966 Olds even offered a 3-2bbl version just like Pontiac did. However- again-they are quite rare. In 1967 Disc brakes were offered, the Hurst Dual / Gate shifter, and many others. In 1968 all the GM "A" bodies were redesigned. The 442 had a 400 V8, but the Hurst / Olds-concieved by George Hurst had a special silver and black paint job and flouting GM's rule that intermediates couldn't have engines larger than 400 cubes-had the fire-breathing 455 from the Toronado. Only 515 were built, but the performance image was there. Same for 1969 except the H / O was white and Gold. 1970 was the pinnacle year for the 442. The "W30" 455 V8 had an aluminum intake, special heads, a 328 degree cam and was so hot it was only available with a 4-speed and 3.90 or 4.33:1 gears, and no power brakes-because it didn't have enough vacuum at idle to operate power brakes or an automatic transmission!! It was GROSSLY under-rated at 370 hp, and could easily compete with the 450 hp LS6 Chevelle. 1971 brought lowered compression ratios across the board. 1972 had the H /O as the Indy pace car again, but only 629 were built. Sadly-like Pontiac with the GTO, the 442 reverted to option staus on the Cutlass. Thus it was possible to have a mean-looking machine that wheezed out 160 hp with a 350  with a 2bbl!!!  Olds just gave up on performance and concentrated on luxury. The "W30" package-with a few changes-could have lasted until 1979 just like the 400 Pontiacs in the Trans-Am. But they gave up. The 455 was optional in the Cutlass until 1976-but by then it wheezed out 190 hp, and there was no manual transmission option, and the stiffest axle ratio was a 2.56:1!!  Gee, why was Pontiac selling T/A's with 400s and 455s with 4-speeds and 3.23:1 or 3.42:1 gears that ran???  In the '70's and '80's Olds put the legendary 442 Moniker on a bunch of slugs. The worst was 1985-87. You got a 2 door Cutlass with a tape stripe appearance package, "Monte Carlo SS" suspension, and a 307 inch Olds V8 that wheezed out 140 hp and could only be backed by a 4-speed automatic. While Buick was making Grand Nationals on the same platform that ran low 14s or high 13s off the showroom floor!!!  Why didn't Olds lobby for a version of that??  Because they didn't care. The Cutlass was the best-selling American car for many yers in the '70's and '80's. They just didn't give a shit. The Rental-car fleet money was rolling in, and the baby boomers were aging and not caring about muscle-so Olds didn't. But Like Danny DeVito said in "Other Peoples Money" "Get an Increasing Share of a Shrinking Market" "Down the Tubes."  That's why theres no mor Oldsmobile and there's still a Chevrolet and Buick. They changed with the times. Olds didn't. And that's sad-because while it lasted- a 442 was a cool alternative to an SS Chevelle or a GTO.  Mastermind