Minneapolis Street Sighting: Oldsmobile Cutlass 442

In the 1980s, emissions controls were on the way out--sort of; performance cars were making a comeback, and GM saw profit in this. The G-body cars have long been a performance staple, especially as a used car. But when new, the G Bodies were in a class of their own. Each GM brand had its own lineup that catered to a different breed of buyers; Chevrolet had its luxury-oriented Monte Carlo, and for the most part, Pontiac's Grand Prix was the same. With the exception of the 2+2, the GP was also marketed almost strictly as a luxury car. Buick and Oldsmobile were a bit different; Buick has a long-standing performance heritage, and incorporated many performance cars into the Regal line, including the badass GNX and slightly-more-pedestrian Grand National. Oldsmobile had names like Calais, and Salon for its Cutlass models, but don't think for a minute that Olds shunned performance.
Closely working with Hurst shifters, the brand pumped out a nomenclature called 442--one that would stick right up until the demise of the RWD-Cutlass lineup in 1988. First used in in 1964, the designation meant many different things, from 400 cubes, 4 speeds and 2 exhausts, all the way down to the lackluster Quad 4, 4 valves, and 2 cams.
Despite no official reasoning of what 442 stood for with every single model year produced, the 442s have always been collector cars--and a car that's popular with the bling crowd. When a 442 in less that showcar shape hits my radar, I take notice. And this brown example made me do just that.












I wouldn't call this a poor car at all; the brown paint is interesting--its a shade I've never seen before on Oldsmobile's most sporting Cutlass. The gold trim accents it pretty well. Even the bronze wheels look to be in very nice condition. Where this example falls short, however, is in its general neglect; it appears to either be someone's beater, or it appears to be owned possibly by an original owner who simply can't afford to look after it anymore. Shame, too, because with a few minor fixes, this 442 could be a really nice car.
I've only seen black and silver, and this brown one is definitely a nice addition to the color pool; it'd benefit greatly from some cleaning up, and I think it'd make a great-looking car. Only thing I'd change is the lethargic 307, and maybe put a 400 or 455 in it, and maybe a new set of rolling stock. I love these things, and there's nothing that will change that. To me, this is possibly the best thing to come out of the 1985, with the exception of the Monte Carlo SS. Long live GM's sporty "muscle-coupes".