In the car world, three characters can have profound impacts on value and desirability. Think Chevy ZR-1, L-88, 454, or Buick GSX and WE-4, how about Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911, Chrysler 300, Pontiac GTO. For Oldsmobile, few digits hold as much reverence as 4-4-2. Not four hundred and forty two, rather four-four-two.
For consignment, a 1970 Oldsmobile 442 hardtop in period green with white stripes and top. Our consignor has owned it for about 15 years and in that time has only put 1,830 miles on the car. In 1970, Oldsmobile eliminated the limit on engine size to keep up with the horsepower race, and 455's were standard in 4-4-2's. This car has its numbers matching transmission.
Exterior A bright white stripe runs below the waistline of the car, runs over the wheel openings and touches the very front and back of the car, intersecting the Antique Jade paint that dominates the panels. The white is picked up on the hood scoops and is matched by the vinyl roof. This is a bold 70's design that seemed perfectly normal in the day, and now stands as a testament to our preferences and how the use of color has changed. The split grille is flanked by dual headlights and leaves room in the middle for the Oldsmobile emblem while 442 emblems, at one time containing dashes, reside on the front fenders. Fender chrome and other bright work on the car is immaculate and 14-inch Magnum 500 wheels wear 225/70R14 tires all around. The paint is excellent too and imperfections are limited to some cracking in the opening of the hood scoops, a spider crack on the surface, and some possible bondo damage near where the bumper wraps around the front right.
Interior Veering from the more common black interior, this car features Pearlescent White internally, starting with the door panels which are a model of 1970 GM elegance with stitched and buttoned vinyl features and a woodgrain trim piece. White bucket seats repeat the pattern and are flat for a sporty car, a trend that would eventually be replaced with sport seats, but Oldsmobile always retained a bit of glass, even when going fast. Condition wise the seats are excellent and the rear bench is basically pristine. A simple 4 spoke steering wheel leads to an equally unfussy dash where a woodgrain panel houses three gauges and the clean presentation extends to the middle where an original looking AM radio is housed just next to the climate control panel. The center console is quite cool, bringing in more woodgrain and hosting a round knobbed shifter with lockout park mechanism on a simple indicator platform. Black loop carpet on the floor looks great and contrasts with the lovely white headliner, shoulder belts attached, looking nice. A loose mat covers the trunk floor and everything is clean back here as well.
Drivetrain Show quality conditions continue under the hood where the very clean 455ci engine resides with a '68-70 era casting number and topped with a Rochester Quadrajet 4-barrel carburetor. A numbers matching TH400 3-speed automatic transmission is on board and sends the muscle to the rear 10-bolt with 3.23 gears. To manage that power, the car is equipped with power brakes, disc in front, drums in back.
Undercarriage Some road dust but no surface rust, no invasive rust, no grease build up, thus relatively clean underneath. We note a bit of residual oil on the flywheel cover but no other fluid anywhere. The dual exhaust flows cleanly into a pair of stock style mufflers and then exits out back through chrome tips. Coil springs are up front and a 4 link with coils are out back in typical A-body configuration for the time.
Drive-Ability The 455 of this 4-4-2 lets its presence known by the rumble that's not humble, and eagerly sets off onto our test loop with all the horses galloping out of the stable. Fluid acceleration is met with good tracking, decent handling, and spot on braking. The white cabin allows light to bounce around and visibility is good. The only thing that didn't function perfectly was the A/C which was cycling on and off. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
A muscle car for the ages, the 4-4-2 was a feared road king back in the day, taking the A-platform to a new level of excitement. Bold graphics, great green paint, a perfect vinyl roof and of course, that drivetrain, render this car a serious contender for those discerning shoppers looking for a textbook representation of the era.
344871R101003
3-Oldsmobile 44-442 87-2 Door Plainback 2 Door Hardtop Coupe 1-1971 R-Arlington, TX Assy Plant 101003-Sequential Unit Number
TRIM TAG
ST 71 34487-1971 442 2 Door Hardtop Coupe BDY R00065-Arlington Body # TR 937-White Vinyl Buckets PNT 49A-Antique Jade, White Vinyl Top 08B-2nd Week August
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy listening. You can also watch on YouTube!
