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This Restored 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 455/370 Costs New Porsche 911 Money

Oldsmobile is often associated with gray-haired gentlemen, but for a brief moment, the Olds Motor Vehicle Company appealed to well-off youngsters as well. The 442 is one of the most celebrated models from the GM-owned brand, especially if optioned with the W-30 pack.
Restored 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 455/370 31 photos
Photo: Collector’s Dream Cars Las Vegas
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Prior to 1968, the 442 nameplate was used to designate a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and a throaty dual exhaust for the Cutlass. Capable of 350 horsepower from 400 cubic inches (6.6 liters), the 90-degree V8 engine could be spruced up to 360 ponies with a hotter camshaft and cold-air induction as part of the package mentioned earlier.

The cream of the crop, however, comes in the guise of the 455/370 that cranks out 370 horsepower and 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of tire-shredding torque at 3,600 rpm. This variant is the most collectible of the bunch, which explains the $108,442 price of the car offered by Collector’s Dream Cars.

Custom ordered by Mannering Oldsmobile in McAllen, Texas in Sebring Yellow over white for the interior, this blast from the past originally retailed at $4,285. Adjusted for inflation, that bundle of moolah converts to $30,000 in 2021. The first owner sold the car after five years, then repurchased it for the sole purpose of restoring the vehicle as correctly as technically possible.

Awarded the Best of Show and Best Engine accolades at the National Muscle Car Association World Finals in Memphis, the 442 W-30 before your eyes currently shows just over 80,000 miles (128,748 kilometers) on the clock. A matching-numbers time capsule that features soft-ray tinted windows from the factory, this fellow brings the point home with the Hurst dual-gate shifter, Super Stock II wheels, and a period-correct AM/FM eight-track head unit.

Complemented by a signed letter from the original dealer and first owner, this bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful car is one of 1,542 units produced. The question is, would you pick it over a brand-new Porsche 911 Carrera?
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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