What is the difference between a Cutlass and a 442?
Quick Answer
The Cutlass is the model; the 4-4-2 was its performance version. The 442 started in 1964 as a Cutlass option (four-barrel carb, four-speed, dual exhaust), became its own model from 1968 to 1971, then returned to a package. So every 442 is a Cutlass, but most Cutlasses are not 442s.
The names get used loosely, but the relationship is simple.
Cutlass
The mid-size Oldsmobile, sold in many trims and body styles from 1964 onward, most of them comfortable cruisers.
4-4-2
The muscle version. The name originally meant four-barrel, four-speed, dual exhaust. The 1968-1972 cars are the peak, home to the W-30 455 and the Hurst/Olds.
Buyer's note
Genuine 442s, especially W-30 and Hurst/Olds cars, are widely cloned from plain Cutlasses, so documentation matters.
Browse current listings
Dealer
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1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass
$32,994
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1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass
$23,995
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1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass
$36,900
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1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass
$38,995
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1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass
$26,495
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1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass
$16,995