Oldsmobile made some fantastic cars during the early Seventies, but the 4-4-2 was the crowning acheivement for them in the muscle car era. My favorite of the bunch are the later models, which packed the enormous 455 cubic inch big-block V8, a four-speed manual, and dual exhausts, not to mention wild racing stripes, a massive set of grilles, and catchy color-keyed alloy wheels, which Oldsmobile would continue to offer as a sporting option on other cars until 1988, when their RWD coupes were finally killed off for good.

This one lacks the four-speed manual but still packs the 455’s wallop under the hood and finishes the job with gorgeous red paint and black leather bucket seats. This was a somewhat high-end muscle car in its day, and the maturity combined with the excellent performance made for an expensive ride–but one that a high-powered lawyer or company manager would definitely enjoy showing off at work (before the EPA shut the party down, of course). Enjoy the photos.

-Albert S. Davis