The original Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 allegedly got its name from its four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission and dual exhausts, but the name eventually became synonymous with Oldsmobile performance cars, so not all models with a 442 badge featured such a setup.
By the time the Cutlass nameplate had reached the later portion of its life in the early 1990s, the Oldsmobile 442 had been undeniably watered down. The sixth-generation Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Quad 442, built for the 1990 and 1991 model years, featured a 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine, a five-speed manual transmission and front-wheel drive. General Motors justified the name by saying it had a four-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder and two camshafts, but this engine wasn’t really setting the Cutlass apart at the time.
While the 1991 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Quad 442 wasn’t a worthy successor to the legendary muscle car that made the nameplate famous, it still makes a fairly interesting used car, in our opinion. Take this one currently for sale on Facebook Marketplace, for example. This is a relatively obscure and decently reliable GM vehicle in great condition and, best of all, it’s for sale for less than $4,000. That seems like a good deal to us, no matter how underwhelming this 442’s performance may have been when it was new. This car has clearly been well taken care of throughout its life, as well, and stayed with the original buyer in California from 1991 to 2015.
The body of the car has 135,000 miles on the odometer, while the engine only has about 44,000. The owner says the vehicle underwent an engine change at a GM Goodwrench service center in 1995 when the car had 91,000 miles on the clock. The clutch was also upgraded at the same time, which seems to be the last time it was serviced, surprisingly.
Is this unique Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 worth the $3,950 this seller is asking? Let us know in the comments down below.
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I remember reading the shifter was really clunky (Which mine was, a clunky shifter working 2 push/pull cables) but the 5 speed itself was a highly regarded unit manufactured through a joint venture between Muncie & Getrag. Being a typical earlier DOHC engine without any turbos, etc. It was a little weak down low, but kept building power, almost all the way to redline. In fact, I think max horsepower hit just a few hundred RPM below the fairly high (6000+) redline.
I want this car. 5133847459
This car was/is a piece of work, I am sure it gave about 40mpg, could never figure out why GM stopped production. Fast, nimble, cornered perfectly, it's, light years better than any compact out there.
My first car ever was a 89 Calais quad 4 with 5 star rims. My parents bought it for me when I was 16. Used to cruise around town and show it off. What a great car. I wish I still had mine!
My first car was actually 1965 cutlass 442 triple Red in and out my Dad bought it for me for my 15th Birthday that car was a classic and fast I really enjoyed it
Lovely car I would love to own it
I recently lost my car to not passing smog I would love to have this car for my family needs
What's an Oldsmobile was it made by Kia?
Yes, I will give the asking price for it. All I need is
where the car is located, owner contact information and a copy of the title sent to me.
Thanks,
Beautiful car, my sister had an olds for her first car, it was cream puff. I would love to own a car like this. My car was stolen and involved in a high speed chase almost killing the 2 people in the other car. I have been without a vehicle ever since. Im 58 and getting my 2 month old granddaughter from foster care. Facing another North Dakota winter with an infant and no vehicle. But i could only do it if i could make payments. I have been trying to find a reliable safe and affordable car and this would fit the bill