Oldsmobile 442 | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Oldsmobile (General Motors) |
Production | 1964–1980 |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Muscle car |
Layout | FR layout |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Oldsmobile F-85 |
Successor | Oldsmobile Aurora |
First generation | |
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Overview | |
Production | 1964–1967 |
Assembly |
Lansing, Michigan Framingham, Massachusetts Fremont, California |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door coupe 2-door convertible 2-door sedan 4-door sedan |
Platform | A-body |
Related |
Chevrolet Chevelle Pontiac Tempest Oldsmobile F-85 Buick Special |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 330 cu in (5.4 L) V8 400 cu in (6.6 L) V8 |
Transmission | 4-speed manual 3-speed manual 2-speed Jet-Away automatic 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic |
Second generation | |
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Overview | |
Production | 1968–1972 |
Assembly |
Lansing, Michigan Framingham, Massachusetts Arlington, Texas Kansas City, Kansas Fremont, California Linden, New Jersey Oshawa, Ontario |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door Sport coupe (pillars) 2-door Holiday coupe (hardtop) 2-door convertible Vista Cruiser station wagon (1970) |
Platform | A-body |
Related |
Chevrolet Chevelle Chevrolet Malibu Chevrolet El Camino Pontiac Tempest Pontiac LeMans Pontiac GTO Oldsmobile F-85 Oldsmobile Cutlass Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds Buick Special Buick Skylark Buick GSX |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 455 cu in (7.5 L) V8 400 cu in (6.6 L) 290hp V8 |
Transmission | 4-speed manual 3-speed manual 3-speed automatic |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 112.0 in (2,845 mm) |
Length | 203.2 in (5,161 mm) |
Width | 76.2 in (1,935 mm) |
Height | 52.8 in (1,341 mm) |
Curb weight | 3,713 pounds (1,684 kg) |
Third generation | |
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Overview | |
Production | 1973–1977 |
Assembly |
Lansing, Michigan Framingham, Massachusetts Arlington, Texas Kansas City, Kansas Fremont, California Linden, New Jersey |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door coupe 2-door convertible |
Layout | FR layout |
Platform | A-body |
Related |
Chevrolet Chevelle Chevrolet Monte Carlo Pontiac LeMans Pontiac Grand Prix Pontiac Grand Am Oldsmobile Cutlass Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Buick Century Buick Regal |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 231 cu in (3.8 L) V6 403 cu in (6.6 L) V8 455 cu in (7.5 L) V8 250 cu in (4.1 L) I6 260 cu in (4.3 L) V8 350 cu in (5.7 L) V8 |
Transmission | 4-speed manual 3-speed manual 3-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
Fourth generation | |
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Overview | |
Production | 1978–1980 |
Assembly |
Lansing, Michigan Framingham, Massachusetts Arlington, Texas Kansas City, Kansas Fremont, California Linden, New Jersey |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 5-door hatchback |
Layout | FR layout |
Platform | A-body |
Related |
Chevrolet Malibu Chevrolet Monte Carlo Pontiac LeMans Pontiac Grand Prix Pontiac Grand Am Oldsmobile Cutlass Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Buick Century Buick Regal |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 3.8L V6 305 cu in (5.0 L) V8 260 cu in (4.3 L) V8 |
Transmission | 4-speed manual 3-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (also known as the 442) is a muscle car produced by Oldsmobile between the 1964 and 1980 model years. Introduced as an option package for US-sold F-85 and Cutlass models, it became a model in its own right from 1968 to 1971, spawned the formidable Hurst/Olds in 1968, then reverted to an option through the mid-1970s. The name was revived in the 1980s on the rear-wheel drive Cutlass Supreme and early 1990s as an option package for the new front-wheel drive Cutlass Calais.
The "4-4-2" name (pronounced "Four-four-two") derives from the original car's four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhausts. It was originally written "4-4-2" (with badging showing hyphens between the numerals), and remained hyphenated throughout Oldsmobile's use of the designation. Beginning in 1965, the 4-4-2s standard transmission was a 3 speed manual along with optional 2 speed automatic or 4 speed manual, but were still badged as "4-4-2"s. By 1968 badging was shortened to simply "442", but Oldsmobile brochures and internal documents continued to use the "4-4-2" model designation.
The 4-4-2 was born out of competition between Pontiac and Oldsmobile divisions of GM. The high performance GTO version of the Pontiac LeMans intermediate had proved an unexpected success midway through the 1964 model year. Oldsmobile's hasty response was to beef up their own popular Cutlass, a task given to a team led by performance enthusiast and Olds engineer John Beltz (later responsible for the distinctive and powerful Toronado), aided by Dale Smith and division Chief Engineer Bob Dorshimer.