Olds Most Famous Muscle Car

William Jason
SubmitYOURArticle.com
March 13, 2011

William Jason
http://musclecarmonster.com

Some say that the first muscle car ever was an Oldsmobile back in 1949, then the Olds 88 and the Super 88 were stuffed with a Rocket V8. Influenced by the success of the Pontiac GTO in 1964 where the concept was focused. The Oldsmobile was the first model to follow the Pontiac GTO's lead. The Oldsmobile 442 was named as such to indicate the muscle car's 4 speed transmission, the engine's 4 barrel carb and its 2 exhausts.

The 1964 Oldsmobile 442 included a modified 330 cid v8 engine. As the name states, it included 4-speed transmission, 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. Great handling was achieved as included also in the package was a rear stabilizer bar and heavy duty springs and shocks. Other midsize Oldsmobile cars also include the 442 package, which confused the consumers, along with the late introduction of the model. This resulted to low sales of the first Oldsmobile 442 model.

That would soon change in 1965. The engine was replaced with a 400 cid engine that can generate 345bhp. New improvements added to the package were the battery, clutch, fat tires and a front stabilizer bar. The marketing of the model was improved which resulted to more than 25,000 sales that year. In 1965 came the introduction of the Oldsmobile first tri-carb option, which enables the transition to up to 360bhp, smooth. Stand out options available were the eight axle ratios and five transmissions. A W-30 performance enhancement option was also made available in the 1966 Oldsmobile 442 model. In 1967, General Motors banned the triple carb engine in all of its divisions, the "Turnpike Cruising Package" and the "W-30 Package". The former includes a detuned 400 cid engine with 2 barrel carb while the latter included an air induction air cleaner with huge hoses connecting to the special induction slots at the parking lights. The higher priced Cutlass models were the only ones that included the 442 package.

Since the release of the Oldsmobile 442, many changes or improvements were made but the name still remained. This model was not the fastest muscle car available on the market; but it was popular for its balanced performance and exceptional handling. To give you an idea of the value of these models today, I have seen many 442s go for well over $50,000 or more at classic car auctions. This car is easily a very highly sought after classic that has captured the hearts of many and will long into the future.

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William Jason has admired classic cars ever since he was a young child and you can read his blog at: http://musclecarmonster.com/