1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 - 455 V8
The pictured vehicle is headed to auction - Mecum Dallas 2023

The Oldsmobile 442 debuted in April of 1964. The 442 was a Cutlass trim package, with the moniker derived front the four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual gearbox, and dual exhaust.
The 442 package drew from the B09 Police Apprehender Pursuit Pack that came with an aggressive cam, a heavy-duty suspension, and six-inch wide wheels shod in redline tires.
1970 was to be the peak for Oldsmobile 442 performance because the government was going to start pushing for increased fuel economy standards and emissions standards, insurance companies were beginning to balk at covering muscle cars with massive horsepower ratings.
Rather than squander their final year of muscle-car bliss, GM pulled out all the stops. The previous corporate rule limiting displacement in mid-size passenger cars to 400 cubic inches was lifted, and all the GM divisions that were building stoplight heroes responded.
Oldsmobile stuffed a the 455 under the 442’s hood. Previously, the only Cutlass that had been equipped with a 455 cube V8 was the Hurst/Olds package in 1969.
If you snagged the W-30 package with the “Select Fit” components you got the W-25 fiberglass hood with air induction through functional hood scoops, red plastic front inner fenders, a low-restriction air cleaner, a Winters aluminum intake, and a higher-lift, longer-duration cam. You could also specify a close-ratio, heavy-duty four-speed manual gearbox shifted by a Hurst Competition shifter. The Rocket 455 with the W-30 package was rated at 370 horsepower and a massive 500 pound-feet of torque.