Gleaming Saturn Gold paint, white stripes, and a snorkel hood put all eyes on this 1971 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 W-30. That’s just the beginning of attention-grabbing details on the Somers, Connecticut classic. A hot 455 V8 and four-speed manual transmission promise plenty of power to back up the classic muscle car’s sporty good looks. Check out more pictures and details here on eBay where at least 10 bidders have the W-30’s market value over $50,000 in the auction’s waning hours.
Described as a 45,000 mile, “unrestored original… survivor car,” this 4-4-2 looks great, with only some carpet and plastic parts suggesting the interior dates to the Nixon years. I confess I’ve never driven a 45x V8 with a stick-shift, and I’d love to run this Olds. GM’s two-tone interior makes the perfect icing on this muscle car cake.
Red fender liners suggest an early ’71 W-30 according to ClassicOldsmobile, as they ran out mid-year, after which Olds fitted conventional black units. I’m no Oldsmobile expert, but everything including the bare aluminum intake looks right for a ’71 4-4-2 W-30. A step beyond the 4-4-2, the W-30 added the fiberglass Ram Air hood, red fender liners, and more aggressive engine internals to the 455 cid (7.5L) V8, besting the 4-4-2’s 340 HP by 10. Thanks to Wikipedia for some details. Power peaked in 1970, but this lower-compression ’71 should gladly overpower the tires and Etch-a-Sketch a parking lot, if such is your bidding.
Neatly integrated bumpers make the ’71 cleaner than later versions of this Cutlass-based 4-4-2. The listing shows a host of documentation to support this car’s provenance. It would take more than the claimed indoor storage to keep this Cutlass in good shape for 50+ years in Connecticut, and the paperwork shows a sale in February of ’71 in Fairfield, Illinois, so tip your hat to whoever preserved this sweet W-30 so well for so long. What, if anything, could improve this claimed original W-30?
True Rocket 🚀 Dr Olds best stuff. Love it. No spoiler is icing on the cake 🏁👍
What a car this is Fitch.
Low production year also!! 6,285 made….
Owned a lime green 71 442. Miss it!! Rust free Cali car!!
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1971 Oldsmobile 4421971 Oldsmobile 442
US $70,100.00US $70,100.00
Fri, Dec 19, 05:39 AM
On my hit list. If it were in Canada I would have been all over it. No rear salami slicer spoiler, is icing on the cake.
My absolute favorite Cutlass body style. ’70 and then the ’71 is a close second. The 4 speed definitely makes this a true 442. Really nice condition too.
The seller was asking 100k for it on Marketplace. Looks like a very honest, original 71. Considering the condition, originality and being a 4 speed, they may get close. It’d make an awesome garage mate to my mostly original 70 4 speed. If I were the seller, my next move would be listing it on BAT. Between eBay and BAT, even if it did not meet reserve, they’d have a really good gauge of the market. I do think it’d get closer to meeting the reserve on BAT.
this looks great and has some original papers as well. i would want to see casting letter on the heads and the vin# on the block and trans. i would take this to an in-person auction as it would get better viewing and i am sure it would pull what the owners looking for. i have noticed on B A T that people on there get very upset if you don’t supply videos of start, driving etc. personally you’re not there so what do really get from it? God forbid you don’t put the tire dates up as well then, they really cry. just on observation from a years’ worth of reading comments on there. car is worth more than final bid but just how much? maybe market spoke.
eBay listing photos of the Rocket Report discuss the things you want to see. Numbers matching M22 4-speed, H heads, etc. Didn’t show the page with the block stamp, however.