Do you know how the Oldsmobile 442 got its name? If you’re not familiar, I suspect you may assume that it has a huge 442 cubic inch/7.2-liter V8, but it’s not that.– these cars actually had an even bigger 455 cubic inch engine. No, the numbers are there for weirder reasons. The name refers to a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual transmission, and two exhaust pipes. The 442 name is legendary now, but, objectively, this is a weird-ass way to name a car. Carb barrels, gears, and exhaust outlets? Seems like a sort of haphazard selection of traits, though they are significant ones. They weren’t the only ones to try this approach, so let’s see how we can take this general idea and apply it to other cars. Sounds fun to me!
The other car that I can think of that used a similar triple-numeric-based-on-technical-details naming convention is the high-performance variant of the Datsun Fairlady Z/240Z called the Z432. In this case, “432” refers to a different arbitrary selection of traits: four valves, three carburetors, and two camshafts.
[Editor’s Note: Before Torch gets all Torch on us, let’s try these same two methods on a few other vehicles. Following the Oldsmobile method, a base 1966 Mustang would be a Ford 231 — two valves per cylinder, a three-speed manual, and a single exhaust pipe. My 1985 Jeep J10 would be a Jeep 241, and Torch’s Beetle would be a VW 242, which I think kind of works, though usually VWs like to have “Type” before the number. If we tried the Datsun method, all those vehicles would be 211s, as they all have two valves per cylinder, a single carb, and a single cam. -DT]
There’s something pleasingly dorky about naming cars with this method, so let’s have some fun with it. Here are some cars that could be renamed to 442, with lists of what random-ass traits were chosen, and maybe alternate random-feature-numeric names, too. Make sense? Too bad. Let’s try anyway:
That’s mildly fun, right? Want to take a crack at it yourself? I’d love to see what cars you could twist into being named 442, or other absurd numerics-for-details names you can come up with. Besides, it’s Friday afternoon! Do this instead of work!
My Volt is a 4 4 2:
4 doors
4 cylinders
2 energy sources for propulsion.
And it’s a GM product!
If there had been an “OldsmoVolt” to fit in the void left between Chevy’s plain old regular Volt, and the Cadillac ELR, I’m pretty sure it would have been marketed as such. At that point the only one left out would have been the Buick Volt, or the “B…olt”. Hey, wait a second.
4 hooves
4 wheels
2 waste byproduct output ports
0 engines
0 fuel tanks
1 horsepower
Amish buggy, y’all
Introducing the Chevy Spark 442 (LS CVT):
– Four seats
– Four speakers (this is specific to the LS model)
– 2-speed automatic (coupled to the CVT).
I prefer referring to it as the 911:
– 9 seconds to 60
– 11 cubic feet of room in the trunk 🙂
I wonder if Cadillac ever though about naming their experiment the 864?
They had the emblem for it:
http://www.mcsmk8.com/8-6-4/8-6-4.HTM
A real-life example comes from old Volvos: 164 – Series 1, 6 cylinders, 4 doors. I remember being peeved when they dropped this nomenclature in the 1980’s. It just seemed to logical to me.
Of course, Volvo itself is derived from the latin for “I roll,” so that’s prety silly too.
An old Olds fan here. (hence the Ransom!) Not all 4-4-2s had the 455. The 4-4-2 started as an option package in ’64 and the only engine available was the L79 330ci (5.4 L). One could order it on any Cutlass or F-85 (except for station wagons). ’65 through ’67’s came with the L78 400 (6.6 L). A 3-speed column shift manual was standard with the 4-speed optional in ’65 and ’66. In ’67, the heavy-duty floor-mounted three-speed manual transmission was standard, with the Muncie M-20 and M-21 four-speeds optional, all with Hurst shifters.
In 1968 the 4-4-2 became a separate model. The standard engine was a 400 but was based on the new L77? 455 V8’s with a 4.25 stroke and smaller bore. The Hurst/Olds had the 455 ci. ’69 through ’71 all had the 455ci. In 1972, the 4-4-2 name reverted to an appearance and handling option package. You could order the W30 455 but the standard engine was the Oldsmobile 350 (5.7 L). I’ve always loved the high-compression 455’s. Smooth, gobs of torque, and always started instantly. I owned several but the finest was in a ’70 Olds “98” LS sedan with the optional 390hp/510ft lbs engine that I put over 80,000 miles (bought in 1980 with ~50,000 miles from an elderly couple) on with the only repair needed was a timing chain and gear set towards the end of its life. I swear I never even heard the starter turn over; it would just fire up instantly whether in sub-zero or 90+ outside temperatures. The only time I ever heard that starter is when the timing chain jumped a tooth or three and gave out on a road trip 500 miles from home. I was able to replace it on the side of the road in a couple of hours.
I kinda lost interest in Olds after the ’72 models but still went on to own a ’73 Delta w/the 455, an ’85 “98” with the Olds 403, and even an ’86 Olds Calais with the Iron Duke 4cyl with the 5-speed manual. They were all dependable cars but had definitely lost their mojo…
Was so sad to see Olds disappear into the sunset. It was America’s first high-volume gasoline-powered automobile manufacturer. Also, the Oldsmobile Model R “Curved Dash” was the first mass-produced car made from the first automotive assembly line. (Not Ford as most think.) So many firsts; the first speedometer on a production car, 1st mail truck, 1st to use chrome plating, 1st standard windshield, automatic choke, steel roof, the first production fully automatic transmission (Hydramatic-1940), the first high-compression OHV V8 engine (The Rocket!), the first production turbocharged car, (1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire), the first mass-produced front-wheel-drive American car (1966 Toronado), first production electric grid window defogger on an American car, (’69 Toronado), first American car to offer a driver-side airbag (’74 Toronado). Oldsmobile was the first American car company to turn 100 (in 1997). The list goes on until 2001 when the 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada (junk IMHO) SUV became the first truck ever to pace the Indianapolis 500. Losing Olds and Pontiac really hurt me.
It’s funny how 2 and 3 number car names are normal. But you add a 4th or 5th number, and it seems so weird. Looking at you, Russia.
GAZ-3302
Hmm, I guess that’s okay.
GAZ-33023
Ugh, gross.
GAZ-310221
Get the fuck out of here.
And then there’s China’s catchy monikers, like Yema SQJ6451, which is the answer to the question of what would happen if we put an Austin Maestro and a Subaru Forester together in a giant blender?
These kind of ridiculous posts are why I’m here.
Keep on Torchin!
I always liked that the name Electra 225 or Deuce and a Quarter. It was named after the 225 in over-all length.
They could bring that one back, with all Buick EVs getting the Electra name.
Or all letters, like my Scion FRS. Front Engine, Rear drive, Sport. That’s pretty darned silly.
So I guess my DD is a BMW X3 X-drive682
6 injectors
8 speed automatic
and dual exhaust (or twin scroll turbo)
I’ll call my (long gone) ’90 Calais a 442. 4 cylinders, 4 doors, 2 feet on the ground when pushing it.
My manufacturer-named 1999 Jeep Wrangler:
Jeep 442
* 4-wheel drive
* 4 cylinder engine, plus
* 2 more cylinders
(The relentless Kenosha 4-liter motivates my TJ.)
Chevrolet Suburban: Chevy 16
1 driver
6 empty seats
Mine’s a Toyota 433: four cylinders, three portals to the interior if you count the hatch, three gloveboxen.
I realize you’re just having fun with this, but as with so many cars of that era, 4-4-2 was just a marketing gimmick. The pedestrian versions of most cars of the time came with 2-barrel carbs, automatic transmissions and single exhausts; so when you wanted a muscle car, you ticked the 4-barrel carb, 4-speed manual trans and dual exhausts boxes. So Olds was just saying “Here’s a car that comes standard with all those options you want on a muscle car”.
I have a 1968 4-4-2 clone. When I bought it, it was a Cutlass S with a 350 V8, 2-barrel carb, 2-speed automatic and single exhaust. It was literally half of a 4-4-2. It was a 2-2-1.
I swapped in a 425 V8 and use a Holley 4-barrel, so that took care of the first for. I added dual exhaust, so I had the 2. For the longest time, I went with a Turbo350 3-speed automatic, so I guess it was a 4-3-2 at that point. Finally, I found a donor car and did a 4-speed swap, so when it was time for paint again I sprung for the 4-4-2 badges.
Ironic I’m sure because original 4-4-2’s were always available with automatic transmission, so there are a lot of 4-3-2’s out there legit pretending to be 4-4-2’s while my Cutlass S has legit 4-4-2 gear.
MR2 – Mid-engine, rear wheel drive, 2 seater.
Tesla – 000?
Tesla – 01010100 01100101 01110011 01101100 01100001
Cute. I went to a binary to text website to translate that – Tesla
I would’ve thought you could speak fluent binary.
It’s like a second language to him. He’s as fluent in over six milli–
All right, shut up.
For that, I place a hex on you.
Wouldn’t Tesla be more likely to use this? 01010011 01100101 01111000 01111001
My uncle always claimed 442 was a generic term among his hot rodding friends for anything that was a 4 barrel, 4 speed and a locking diff and Olds just appropriated it. Then they changed the 2 to mean dual exhaust because it was a better sell to most customers than the diff.
Oooo I like this game. It slowed down at work for a few minutes so I’ll turn an 87 Toyota Tercel wagon with 4WD to the Toyota 442
4 doors
4 driven wheels
2 front windshield wipers
Or a Toyota 123
1 reverse light
2 front seats
3 total windshield wipers
Circa 1990, Olds advertised a Calais 442 – 4-valve per cylinder, 4 cylinder engine, 2-door body. Being GM maybe you could get a 4-door with everything in the package but the decals by working the option list right, maybe not.
hell yeah those are sick, as are the achieva scx’s that came after
Here’s one Oldsmobile ITSELF did in order to justify calling the quick Calais a 442.
Four cylinders, 4 valves per cylinder, 2 camshafts. They were REALLY proud of the Quad 4 at this point in history.
As they should have been! If there was a Honda from the early 90’s with a 180hp 16v DOHC 4-cyl, nice ones would be $50k on BaT now.
Actually nevermind, I guess that just about describes the 4th gen Prelude VTEC
They should be proud until they all ate their head gaskets and warped the heads lol, ask me how I know? 😛
Obligatory Fiero fact, the 2M4 was similarly named, 2 seat, mid engine, 4 cylinder. Or 2M6 for the V6.
My current ride is a 2002 Silverado 628 (nee 1500)
6 cylinders
2 doors
8′ bed.
Thanks for taking this one on, Torch. I remember going through a car show with my father in law and he explained why the 442 was named the way it is. And when he told me, my first thought was, “That’s dumb.”
I much prefer the older European naming convention for cars. A lot of them were the following format:
(Series Number) (Cylinder Count) (Door Count/Platform) and sometimes (Alphanumeric designation for fuel injection or some cool feature or special trim)