No hood scoops, faux air ducts, stripes, or wings sully the smooth lines of this 1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Holiday Coupe. Only metal “442” script warns that a super-hot 400 powers this Clark Kent hardtop. Listed as a “garage find” with running condition not mentioned, this stock-looking specimen comes to auction here at Mecum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. True to its original name, the Olds comes with a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust.

Despite ranking below sportier Hurst, W30 and W32 models, the normal 4-4-2’s 400 cid (6.6L) V8 makes a stout 350 HP. The customer-ordered hardtop came with air conditioning, an option that could not be combined with W30 or W32 models according to ClassicOldsmobile. The hardtop Holiday Coupe also came without vent windows, making air conditioning even more useful. A specific carburetor, heads, and cam, combined with this car’s wide-ratio four-speed manual gearbox and SF-code 3.23:1 Anti-Spin rear axle, would require some finesse to avoid roasting the 14 inch bias ply tires.

Glistening chrome on the curved rear bumper completes the smooth and understated rear. Redline tires came with the 4-4-2 package, but documents from the car’s sale indicate this car’s buyer ordered whitewalls! While body-colored wheels and “dog dish” hub caps would have probably been removed within a week of its original purchase, modern enthusiasts know they often signal a monster engine today.

Beyond the host of 4-4-2 package upgrades, this Olds came with minimal options, just air conditioning, Anti-Spin, wide-ratio four-speed, white wall tires, “Stereo Tape Player,” “Deluxe Pushbutton Radio,” “Head Restraints,” and the floor-mounted “Sport Console.” Though not the most stealthy sleeper of the ’60s, this is about as plain as a 4-4-2 could be in 1969, a car you could drive calmly without every hot-blooded gear-head on your commute trying to put a burr under your saddle. I believe the metal 442 badges mount via punctures in the sheet metal, or else I’d suggest this car might have had them removed at one time. The day I bought my 2002 Buick Regal GS I used fishing line to remove the “SUPERCHARGED” script from the trunk lid. One down-side of driving a sleeper is that people often have to be put in their place multiple times because the first time simply elicits disbelief. Value aside, would you choose this sedate-looking 4-4-2 Holiday Coupe or a striped-out W30?