1968 Oldsmobile 442
source: Flickr
This is our only entry from Oldsmobile that managed to make the list. The 442 was pure American muscle and excelled once it started its second generation of existence. 1968 marked the introduction of this second generation of the 442. It had shared a lot of features with the Pontiac GTO in the past, but now the 442 was its own thing. In 1968 a very respectable 33,000 units were sold.
The 442 stuck to 2 doors but created cars in every possible 2 door formation. The convertible was beautiful, but both coupes were also incredibly good looking cars. The engine options varied. Ignoring the Hurst option, there were 4 potential engines varied between 290 horsepower and 360 horsepower. That’s more than enough to get up and down the highway. Additionally, 0-60 times were between 6.3 seconds and 7.0 seconds depending on which version you purchased.
Source: Shutterstock
Performance Upgrade
In 1968, Oldsmobile formed a partnership with Hurst Performance. The partnership was similar to the one the Mustang has had with Carroll Shelby at times. Hurst took the 442 and said, “let’s squeeze every ounce of performance out of this thing”. The Hurst version of the 442 upped the horsepower to 390 and increased the 0-60 time down to 5.5 seconds. One of the big changes was to the transmissions. Gear ratios were changed to allow for more power at an easier time. In addition, they also changed out the cylinder heads and the camshaft to allow for the change in the gear ratios. The Hurst version also included all of the potential options that were available in the base 442. Disc brakes and improved cooling were necessary to handle the improvements.
Hurst cars weren’t just treated to performance increases, but also had distinct styling changes. Every car was the same silver color. Beyond that, they also received some good looking pinstripes on the exterior and walnut on the dashboard on the interior.
