When the Oldsmobile 442 was introduced in 1964, the numbers 4, 4, and 2 in the designation had a specific meaning, but that would soon change.
Introduced by Oldsmobile in mid-1964 in response to the red-hot GTO from corporate rival Pontiac, the new 442 package for the mid-sized F-85 and Cutlass featured a specially tuned 330 cubic-inch V8 with 310 horsepower, a four-speed transmission, and dual exhausts, along with some other racy features including heavy-duty springs, shocks, and anti-roll bars. According to Oldsmobile, the numbers 4, 4, and 2 specifically referred to the four-barrel carburetor, four-on-the-floor gearbox, and dual exhaust system.
However, the dealer order forms in ’64 used rather different terminology. There, the $285 option was known as the B09 Police Apprehender Pursuit package, and it was available on all Olds A-body body styles except station wagons. As the factory print materials above show, it seems the 442 package was sent down dual marketing paths that first year, to law enforcement agencies and to performance enthusiasts—to both sides of the law, if you will.
As the 442 package was expanded and upgraded for 1965, the meaning of the numbers 442 began to be stretched this way and that. Since the 442 was now available with a Jetaway automatic transmission as well as the Muncie M20 four-speed, the marketing crew decided that now the numbers indicated a four-barrel carb, 400 cubic-inch engine, and dual exhaust.
But that rationalization didn’t hold up very long either, as a three-two-barrel carb option came along in 1966 and a single two-barrel in 1968. It was at around this point that the copy writers gave up, threw up their hands, and declared that the numbers 442 simply meant Oldsmobile performance. (Sidebar: Olds used a number of copy styles in its print materials and badging over the years, including 4-4-2 with en dashes or middle dots. For consistency, here we’ve stuck to 442.)
Through six generations of the model designation, there would be single-exhaust 442s, inline six and V6 442s, and in many years the 442 was really nothing more than a trim package. The last Oldsmobile to wear the name was the 1990-91 Quad 442, which was based on the front-drive compact Cutlass Calais (below). Sporting a hopped-up version of Oldsmobile’s DOHC Quad 4 with 180 hp, the final 442 was available only with a five-speed manual transmission.
For the Quad 4-4-2, they claimed it stood for 4 cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, and 2 overhead cams.
A perfect example that advertising in general is a bunch of hot air and means nothing.
I think the best 442’s were the 68-72 body style. After that, performance levels dropped and it became more of a styling package. Second best were the 82-86 models, not as much performance but a clean package.
I taught myself how to drive a 4-spd. in a brand new, just off the carrier ’67 Olds 4-4-2 red convertible that was that day delivered to the dealer that I worked for as an apprentice tech. Our shop was about three miles from the showroom, and my Svc. Mgr. needed someone to drive the car there to be put on display. I volunteered, even though I had no experience driving a stick. I had some idea of it, but mostly I wanted B-A-D to get in that seat. I had some trouble getting the car moving from a stop, but I found if I feathered the clutch enough she would eventually get going. I did it this way for a few green lights (Brooklyn N.Y., Hall Olds, sometime in 1967), but somehow on the way I found 1st gear, and it was easy after that. (I was starting off in 3rd gear most of that drive thinking it was 1st gear!!!) BTW, I never smoked the clutch!
While the 1964 Olds sales paperwork didn’t mention the station wagon, I’ve seen a total of THREE 1964 442 station wagons, all 3 were F-85 versions. Notably, all were the same light blue color, including the one I owned for a short time in the late 1970s. All 3 of the cars had a dealer plaque on the tailgate indicating they were sold new at Community Cadillac-Oldsmobile in Bethesda, Maryland. Had they not had the dealer info, I would think they were ordered by a local Police agency, as those cars were all ordered thru a State bulk order process designed to keep costs down.
I would love to see one of them again, but I’ve not seen one since the mid 1980s [and I still live in the area], so I suspect they all were scrapped decades ago.
This also reminds me of a series of Ford Fairmont sedans, all brown with brown interior and vinyl top, ordered by the US Government Services Administration. Several of these were for sale at the local Ford dealer in the early 1980s, and were all identical. Whoever placed the order may have failed to realize the Fairmont wasn’t equipped with an automatic transmission as standard equipment. All of these cars were very well equipped, even power windows, but they all had 3-speed on the floor.
My memory suggests these were an upscale Ghia variant, but I may be mistaken. They did have a very luxurious interior with full vinyl seating and thick carpets.
Makes sense to me. Only the best for our government “public servants”. I guess they were “economizing” by not ordering Lincoln Town cars?