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