Here's a defunct automaker that we haven't paid much attention to recently: Oldsmobile. General Motors pulled the plug on it two decades ago, and over the years, we have heard some rumors that it might come back from the dead. However, it's obvious that GM has no intention of resurrecting it.
Oldsmobile's lineup included some impressive models, like the Cutlass, Starfire, Toronado, 442, and many others. This story revolves around the latter, a 1970 model that is in the second generation, made from 1968 to 1972.
The Oldsmobile 442 was assembled at multiple factories nationwide, including in Michigan, Texas, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and north of the U.S. border in Ontario, Canada. The lineup included several body styles, and the powertrain family consisted of a pair of V8 engines with 3- and 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic transmissions.
Oldsmobile's muscle car shared its platform with numerous other vehicles made in that era. The second generation was similar beneath the skin to the Pontiac GTO, Grand Prix, Chevrolet El Camino, Monte Carlo, Chevelle, Malibu, Buick GSX, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and others.
Photo: Instagram | 412donklife
It measured 203.2 inches (5,161 mm) from bumper to bumper, so it is almost as long as a new-gen BMW 7 Series, although its wheelbase is smaller than the one of the latest 3er. In other words, the 442 is larger overall than the S650 Ford Mustang and, in the right configuration, better looking, this writer thinks.
The one pictured in the gallery above is certainly a head-turner. You see, we don't usually approve of flashy makeovers, but certain classics (and not only) look great with extra bling. This one features a Metallic Olive Green paint finish that was applied to the exterior. Numerous gold accents are visible on the sides, hood, grille, back end, and other components.
Mind you, it's the oversized alloy set that is the icing on the cake on this build. The Oldsmobile 442 in question rocks a set of Amani forged wheels, and from what we can tell, they measure close to 30 inches in diameter. Thus, the car itself sits significantly higher off the ground, and any vehicle that rocks oversized alloys cannot brag about being comfortable anymore. Plus, the turning radius would also be affected by this mod.
Now, we have nothing but love for this tuned Oldsmobile 442, which looks awesome. We could easily imagine it sitting under the spotlight at a dedicated car event, perhaps the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where it would breathe the same air as other similar machines. However, this one is not real, as it was imagined by 412donklife and shared on social media recently. So, if there's anything we can complain about, it's the fact that we're looking at a fake project. Don't you wish it were real?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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