1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2

Tony turns his attention to the legendary muscle car which became known by the moniker of ‘The thinking man’s muscle car’: The Oldsmobile 4-4-2…

Fifty years ago, the 4-4-2 finally became Oldsmobile's best-performing car ever –some will even argue the finest-looking muscle car of the era, period. So, what is the meaning of 4-4-2? It originally stood for four-barrel carburetor, four-on-the-floor manual gear change and twin exhausts; however, as the car evolved so did its character. The 4-4-2 didn’t have a 400cu in V8 to start with, the four-barrel carb sat on a 330cu in V8, with a four-speed manual and then twin exhausts. Replacing the 330 with a 400cu in and switching to ‘dual exhausts’ gave the car a more recognisable presence for the rest of its life.

The 4-4-2 became a standalone model in 1968, known as the second generation; before then it had been an option package on the F-85 and Cutlass. For 1970 Oldsmobile really went to town and unleashed a brutal muscle car within a revamped body style that looked meaner than a junkyard dog.

This look carried on to 1973, with the introduction of the new Colonnade body and the 4-4-2 reverting to an option package.