1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Coupe

4-barrel 4-speed 2- door

Specifications

Configuration: W-46, matching numbers car

Engine: OHV V8

Displacement: 455 cid

Horsepower: 380 bhp at 5,000 RPM

Torque: 500 ft-lbs at 3,400 RPM

Transmission: 3-speed manual

A Little History

Although the Oldsmobiles of the 1950s and 1960s had powerful engines, they were big and heavy cars primarily sold to successful middle-class families that needed a solid driver.

That all changed in 1964 with the introduction of the 4-4-2 package for the F-85 Cutlass. The new 4-4-2 offered serious performance, and suddenly, Oldsmobile had entered the muscle car wars.

New sheet metal came in 1966 and again in 1968. Finally, the sleek 4-4-2 had the looks to match its very credible performance. The new body was carried over into 1969 with only minor changes.

Starting in 1968, Oldsmobile partnered with Hurst Performance, of Warminster, PA, to produce special performance editions of the 442. Hurst was a pioneer in designing performance products for the growing hot-rod community.

For the 1969 model year, the biggest change was the switch from the silver and black paint scheme of ’68 to a new Firefrost gold on white paint scheme. This would be the primary paint scheme for many Hurst/Olds models of later years.

Instead of the dual ram air scoops under the front bumper that was used in ’68 and other ram air ’69s, the H/O received a functional “mailbox” fiberglass hood scoop with H/O 455 on each side.

A spoiler was mounted on the trunk. The exterior was finished off with a pair of English racing mirrors, H/O emblems on the front fenders and deck lid, blacked out 442 grilles, and black hand-applied pinstripes.

Approximately 913 cars were built, including two convertibles for Hurst promotional use.