While the iconic GTO remained the most popular high-performance intermediate, its A-body cousin, now with its own Tri-Power V8, became the quickest factory-built muscle car of the 1966 model year.
During its history as a General Motors division, Oldsmobile stood in the middle of the corporation’s hierarchy, above Chevrolet and Pontiac but below Buick and Cadillac.
Though the main focus was building upscale automobiles, the division had brief periods when it bit a chunk of the American performance pie with great success.
The first example of this was the surprizing introduction of the “Rocket” 88 in 1948, an intermediate model powered by a potent V8 borrowed from its larger siblings.
The Rocket 88 became a cultural icon, a legend of the early years of NASCAR, and a direct ancestor to our beloved muscle cars – whether classic or contemporary.
Olds discontinued the 88 after four successful model years, but surprisingly, it chose to step down from the performance stage for a decade.
A brief history of the 4-4-2
Photo: Level One Restoration Inc.
In 1964, GM stablemates Pontiac added the GTO performance package for the Tempest/LeMans A-body intermediate lineup. The addition was a marketing success that kicked off the golden age of muscle cars.
While several rivaling carmakers took at least a year to catch up, Olds, who had the Rocket 88 experience on its resume, was among the quickest to answer with their own high-performance intermediate.
Midway through the 1964 model year, the upscale division added its GTO-rivaling GTO package for the LeMans’ A-body cousin, the Cutlass.
Based on the “B09 Police Apprehender Pursuit” option, the new package was dubbed 4-4-2, which initially denoted a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual, and a dual exhaust.
With the addition of beefed-up suspension components and a special version of the 330-ci (5.4-liter) “Jetfire Rocket” V8 that produced 310 hp, the 1964 4-4-2 was unquestionably a high-performance version of the Cutlass, but it fell short of rising to the same level of notoriety as the Pontiac GTO.
The small team of Olds engineers led by the legendary John Beltz continued to improve the 4-4-2 option, and in 1965, they put together a brand-new 400-ci (6.5-liter) V8 that upped the ante with 345 hp.
Still, the 1965 4-4-2 fell behind the range-topping Tri-Power GTO in terms of performance and popularity, so Beltz and his crew decided to go one step further for the 1966 iteration.
More options, more power
Photo: Level One Restoration Inc.
For the 1966 model year, the Cutlass/F-85, received minor styling upgrades meant to freshen up the overall design.
While those changes weren’t all that impressive, what could be found under the hood when checking the 4-4-2 package on the order sheet was a lot more exciting.
As standard, the package included the L78 400 big-block V8 equipped with a single Rochester four-barrel carb. With slight improvements, the powerplant was now rated at 350 hp and 440 lb-ft (598 Nm) of torque.
Halfway through the model year, Olds added an optional 400 (codenamed L69) that, like Pontiac’s 389 heavyweight, came with revised cylinder heads and a trio of two-barrel Rochester carbs atop a bespoke intake manifold.
On paper, this new setup was good for only ten extra horses, while peak torque remained unchanged. Still, those figures were enough to equal the Tri-Power GTO in terms of output and trump it in terms of torque.
Taking it one step further with the W30 option
Photo: Level One Restoration Inc.
As impressive as the new L69 was, it wasn’t the most potent engine configuration that 4-4-2 buyers could get in 1966.
A few months after the L69 was made available, Olds added another engine option called the “Fresh Air Option,” which became known by its W30 order code (spelled without a hyphen that year).
Made available a few months after the “standard” L69, the W30 package added a host of serious upgrades to the Tri-Power setup, including factory blueprinting, a new cam, and a two-piece dual-snorkel air cleaner with two large-diameter hoses that drew fresh air from slots located inside the front bumper.
Created to homologate the 4-4-2 for NHRA drag racing competitions, the W30-equipped 400 came with the same factory output rating as the standard L69. However, in reality, the beefed-up engine could produce closer to the 400 hp mark.
The quarter-mile king of 1966
Photo: Mecum
Apart from the L69 (with or without the W30 package), the 1966 4-4-2 came with the usual performance upgrades like heavy duity suspension components, a larger radiator (L69 and W30) or a 10-bolt rear end.
Depending on the engine setup, the available transmissions were a three-speed manual (standard for the L78 400), wide- or close-ratio Munchie four-speeds with Hurst linkage, or the Jetaway two-speed automatic.
For the L69 and W30 engines, the rear end was upgraded with Oldsmobile’s Type-P Anti-Spin limited-slip differential.
Equipped with the W30 option, a 1966 4-4-2 ran the quarter mile in 13.80 seconds at 105.2 mph (169.3 kph) during an independent test conducted by Car Craft magazine.
Nearly a second faster than the Tri-Power GTO (which was discontinued midway through the model year), the W30 4-4-2 became the quarter-nile king of 1966.
Furthermore, the high-powered Olds won the C/Stock class at the Indy Nationals that year, solidifying its Pontiac GTO slayer status.
Extremely rare today
Photo: Mecum
Despite its high-powered engine options, the 1966 Olds 4-4-2 was outsold by the GTO by a large margin.
Apart from the overwhelming popularity of Pontiac’s performance intermediate, the main reason for low sales figures was the late introduction of the L69 and W30 options.
When the model year concluded, Oldsmobile managed to sell 2,129 L69-powered 4-4-2s, of which only a mere 54 received the W30 option.
Today, an original 1966 W30 4-4-2 in mint condition is nearly as hard to find as brokering peace in the Middle East. Over the last decade, only about three examples have gone under the hammer at a public auction.
Forgotten by many enthusiasts, this underrated heavy-hitter remains an important milestone in Oldsmobile’s history. It laid the groundwork for the W30 option, which became the main ingredient of all subsequent 4-4-2 iterations, and it will continue to live in the hearts of true muscle car enthusiasts as one of the legends of the 1960s.
For more on this awesome piece of muscle car history, we recommend watching the YouTube video below by Lou Costabile.
