Oldsmobile 442 Convertible

1964

The high-performance Pontiac GTO celebrated great success and Oldsmobile wanted a piece of the pie. To keep pace with the competition, the 442 special equipment was introduced.

The configuration of the GTO was controversial, as it violated the Group's specifications. These stipulated that no engines with a displacement of more than 5.4 liters could be installed in mid-range models. Oldsmobile did not want to cause a stir and deliberately held back on the technology of the 442. Officially, the 442 package was the B09 Police Apprehender option, a technology package for police vehicles that included a 5.4-liter V8 engine, a four-barrel carburetor, the familiar dual exhaust and a sharper camshaft. This gave the Olds an output of 310 SAE hp, with the maximum torque remaining unchanged at 483 Nm. However, with the additional package, this was only available at 3600 rpm instead of 2800 rpm. The package also included a manual four-speed gearbox and the special police suspension with stiffer front and rear springs, stiffer shock absorbers, a stronger front stabilizer bar and a rear stabilizer bar, which was unusual for the time.

The 4-4-2 package cost 285 dollars and was available for all F-85 models except the station wagons. The package was sold 2,999 times.

1965

The arch-rival Pontiac GTO was officially given the green light across the Group and Oldsmobile was not to be denied the opportunity to follow suit with a high-displacement 442. The B09 police package was renamed 442 and now included Oldsmobile's 6.6-liter V8 as standard. 442 was now officially defined as 400 cubic inches (6.6 liters), four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust. The engine produced 345 SAE hp and 599 Nm. A manual three-speed gearbox was standard and four gears or Oldsmobile's two-speed automatic were available for an extra charge.

A whopping 25,003 units of the «new» 442 were sold.

1966

Like all F-85 models, the 442 of the 1966 model year received a minor facelift. Two additional engines were available for an extra charge: the 360 hp L69 with three progressive Carter twin carburetors and the rare W30, which was fed fresh air to the carburetor via hoses. Both produced 360 hp and 599 Nm. The base engine was now called the L78 and, with the four-barrel carburetor, produced 350 SAE hp and 599 Nm.

Sales fell to 21,997 vehicles, meaning that the 442 accounted for about 10 percent of Cutlass sales, while the GTO accounted for almost a third of all Pontiac midsize models sold.

1967

The styling and basic engine of the 442 remained unchanged. Disc brakes at the front were new.

The Chevrolet Corvette is the only car in the group to have a multi-carburetor system, heralding the end of the L69 with its three carburetors. The W30 was still available, but now with Quadrajet four-barrel carburetors instead of the three twin carburetors of the previous year.

Sales of the 442 recovered somewhat and reached 24,833 units.

1968

At last, the 442 was a model in its own right.

The bore of the engine was reduced and the stroke lengthened, resulting in higher torque and lower exhaust emissions. The displacement remained at 6.6 liters. The long stroke reduced the revving pleasure and power development and therefore the 68 models were considered slower than the 67 models. All 442 base engines of the 1968 model year were, like their 1967 predecessors, painted in a bronze color with a fiery red air filter housing. On the W30, the Ram-Air cold air hoses led from special inlets below the bumper to a black air filter housing with a chrome cover on top.

In 1968, Oldsmobile joined forces with the Hurst Performance Research Corporation for the first time. The result was a particularly sophisticated vehicle called the Hurst/Olds. The limited series of 515 Hurst/Olds (459 Holiday Hardtop Coupés and 56 Sport Coupés with B-pillar) were regular 442s that underwent numerous visual and technical modifications. All cars were painted in Peruvian Silver, had lavish black and narrow white trim strips, H/O emblems inside and out and dashboard inserts made of real walnut wood. The Hurst/Olds was available with two different engine variants, both with a displacement of 7.5 liters, painted red and combined with a reinforced W30 Turbo-Hydramatik 400 automatic transmission. Both engines were endowed with 390 SAE horsepower. All cars were delivered with individual front seats and Hurst Dual Gate gearshift including a small center console. Also standard were numerous 442 extras such as disc brakes, increased cooling and the FE2 sports suspension. The red wheel arch linings and the Ram Air system came from the W30. The more popular extras included a rev counter/clock combination and a steering wheel with an imitation wooden rim.

33,000 units of the ’68 model were sold, of which only 5,142 were convertibles.