What does 4-4-2 mean on an Oldsmobile?

Mike Sullivan By Mike Sullivan · 1 min read · Updated May 2026
Quick Answer
When the 4-4-2 launched in 1964, the name stood for four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust. The meaning shifted over the years, but the badge always marked the performance version of the Cutlass.

The numbers were a feature list at launch.

The original meaning

4 = four-barrel carb, 4 = four-speed, 2 = dual exhaust. The 4-4-2 began as a Cutlass option in 1964, became its own model from 1968 to 1971, then returned to a package.

Buyer's note

Genuine 442s, especially W-30 and Hurst/Olds cars, are heavily cloned from plain Cutlasses, so documentation matters.

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