The 1968 Oldsmobile Muscle Car / The 442 W-30 Convertible

Make no mistake about it, the 1968 442 was a muscle car produced by Oldsmobile. The Oldsmobile 442 was introduced as an option package for the F-85 and and the more luxurious Cutlass models sold in the United States beginning with the 1964 model year. What does the 442 designation mean? The 442 is a configuration of a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust pipes.

The First Muscle Car

While the subject of which automaker created the first American muscle car certainly can be debated, there are those who contend that Oldsmobile won this distinction when they put a Rocket V-8 engine into their 1949 Olds 88 and Super 88 models.

With that being said, Oldsmobile returned to the muscle car field in 1964 when Pontiac unveiled the GTO.

The Pontiac GTO was the inspiration for Olds to come out with their 4-4-2 package. As mentioned above, the 442 signified a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust pipes.

The Oldsmobile 442 W-30

The automobile featured in this article is a 1968 Oldsmobile 442 W-30. This was a year in the middle of the American muscle car era before emission and safety standards changed the landscape. It was also a milestone year where the Oldsmobile 442 became it’s own distinct model and no longer just an option. In 1968 Oldsmobile also joined forces with Hurst Performance Research Corporation to produce the Hurst/Olds shifter. The 68 Olds 442’s were built on GM’s new for 1968 A-Body platforms.

In 1968 Oldsmobile 442’s also had unique rear bumpers with exhaust cutouts and special exhaust tips. The car included standard equipment of heavy duty springs, stabilizer bars, special shock absorbers and wheels.

W-30 Option

The W-30 designation meant Outside Air Induction System. The W-30 was an available option in addition to the 442 option and added slightly more power. Some 442’s with automatic transmissions employed column shifters instead of floor mounted shifters.

For the years 1967 through 1971 W-30’s had red inner fender wells. The1968 and 1969 models have a four inch diameter hole cut in the horizontal surface of the inner fender directly behind the head lights on each side for the ducting to the under the bumper scoops.

All W-30s had the Rallye Pac instrument panel as standard equipment.

From 1966 to 1972, all W Series Oldmobiles were produced at Olds Lansing, Michigan plant.

1968 Oldsmobile 442 Specifications

The 1968 Oldsmobile 442 had a 400 cubic inch V-8 engine.The W-30 version delivered 360 horsepower. Out of the five available engine options for 1968, the Olds 442 W-30 was the second highest in horsepower with the 455 cubic inch limited edition Hurst Olds versions claiming 390 horsepower.

In all, there were four transmissions available on Oldsmobile 442’s in 1968.

These included a Four Speed manual Wide Ratio, a Three Speed Turbo-Hhydra-Matic, a Four Speed manual Close Ratio, and a Heavy Duty Three Speed.