Oldsmobile 442 | |
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Overview | |
Manufacturer | Oldsmobile (General Motors) |
Model years | 1964–1980 1985–1987 1990–1991 |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Muscle car |
Layout | FR layout |
The Oldsmobile 4-4-2 (also known as the 442) is a muscle car produced by Oldsmobile between the 1964 and 1987 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 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.[1][2][3] It was originally written "4-4-2" (with badging showing hyphens between the numerals),[1] and remained hyphenated throughout Oldsmobile's use of the designation. Beginning in 1965, the 4-4-2s standard transmission was a three-speed manual along with an optional two-speed automatic and four-speed manual, but were still badged as "4-4-2"s. Because of this change, from 1965 on, according to Oldsmobile brochures and advertisements, the 4-4-2 designation referred to the 400 cubic inch engine, four-barrel carburetor, and dual exhausts. By 1968, badging was shortened to simply "442", but Oldsmobile brochures and internal documents continued to use the "4-4-2" model designation.[4]