| At the very beginning of General Motors, the | | | | side-impact bars which were welded into the |
| divisions competed against each other, | | | | doors and head rests became mandatory |
| launching rival products in each other's | | | | equipment on all vehicles. |
| markets, stealing sales and confusing | | | | |
| customers. Under the iron rule of President | | | | A 455 CID V-8 churning out 365 horsepower was |
| Alfred P. Sloan, inter-divisional rivalry was | | | | introduced. It would be the largest ever |
| all but eliminated. Each marquee was assigned | | | | offered. The bore was now 4.057 while the |
| a place on the GM hierarchy and each was | | | | stroke was shortened up to 3.385 inches. A |
| given an image. Cadillac was positioned at | | | | special honor was bestowed in 1970, for the |
| the high end of the luxury market and Buick | | | | third time in the division's history an |
| took lower end. Pontiac became synonymous | | | | Oldsmobile would pace the Indianapolis 500. |
| with performance while Oldsmobile developed | | | | An Olds 88 had done the job in 1948, a much |
| the reputation of being GM's experimental | | | | larger Olds 98 had served in 1960. Now a |
| division. If one wanted to drive tomorrow's | | | | Cutlass 4-4-2 convertible would do brickyard |
| technology today, it would be found first on | | | | duty at the most prestigious automobile race |
| an Oldsmobile. But lines blurred in the 1960s | | | | in the world. |
| and competition between sister divisions was | | | | |
| fostered and rivalry, once forbidden, grew | | | | Production tumbled by nearly a third in 1970 |
| suddenly intense. One of the very hottest GM | | | | despite even beefier performance packages. |
| cars to hit the street in 1970 was | | | | Insurance companies sounded the death knell |
| Oldsmobile's 4-4-2 series. drafted from | | | | for the entire muscle car genre as accidents |
| Cutlass and F-85 variants, the beefy 4-4-2 | | | | climbed. "Four-barrel, "four-on-the-floor" |
| was welcomed into dealers' showrooms for its | | | | and even "bucket seats" became dirty words |
| third season as a five-passenger coupe, a | | | | that automatically shot insurance policies |
| five-passenger hardtop and a drop-top. | | | | into the stratosphere. In 1971 just over |
| | | | 7,000 of the hot Oldsmobile's would be |
| Sizzle is what 4-4-2 did best standing still. | | | | produced and for the last two years of its |
| The swoopy two-door had been downsized in | | | | life, 4-4-2 was reduced to an option on |
| 1968, wheelbase shortened to the 112" | | | | Cutlass 'S' models. |
| wheelbase it had when originally conceived as | | | | |
| a Rambler-beating compact, back in 1961. Now | | | | Jim and Audrey Frey of Coleville, |
| fully evolved as a muscle car, engineers gave | | | | Saskatchewan own this 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 |
| the Olds heavy-duty springs, stabilizer bar, | | | | convertible. Jim swapped a restored '57 Chevy |
| special shock absorbers and wheels, special | | | | for the ragtop nearly twenty years ago while |
| emblems, hood louvers, unique paint stripe, | | | | ice fishing with a buddy, who--good guy that |
| special tires and a high output engine. In | | | | he was threw in a rebuilt motor and a paint |
| 1968 the 390-hp version could go from 0-60 | | | | job. This Olds has the 455 CID V-8 with 400 |
| mph in just six seconds and did the quarter | | | | Turbo-Hydramatic transmission and 327 |
| mile in 12.97 seconds. Oldsmobile was sizzle | | | | Posi-Trac rear axle. |
| and steak | | | | |
| | | | The couple has been busy restoring their |
| Pleased with their results, for '69 engineers | | | | pride and joy ever since they acquired it in |
| turned up the heat on their performance Olds. | | | | 1980. Over the years the Oldsmobile has |
| The special "W-30" package was offered to the | | | | received a new top, front seat upholstery, |
| speed needy, a throaty "Force-Air" inducted | | | | carpeting and numerous interior bits and |
| 360 hp version of the 400 CID V-8. Tricked | | | | pieces. |
| out with special grille, stripes and unique | | | | |
| identification cues these unforgettable | | | | This GM offering is just not another pretty |
| motion machines were benighted with | | | | automotive face, either. The Frey's Olds |
| heavy-duty drive shafts, special handling | | | | hauled two kids and a big dog around all |
| packages, heavy-duty wheels and a wicked | | | | summer for years and even today the 4-4-2 |
| straight-through exhaust system. Just to be | | | | easily zips pasts transport trucks while |
| extra safe, Oldsmobile's also added | | | | hauling a 17-foot trailer on family holidays. |