1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Hardtop Coupe

- True 442
- Missouri Car
- Yellow over Saddle Interior
- 455 V8
- Automatic Transmission
- Factory AC
- 442 Appearance and Handling Package
- Original Build Sheet and Price Sheet
- Clean, Southern Car

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 155 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“Most Oldsmobile 442 aficionados place the emphasis on the higher-performance years, which are usually correlated to the muscle car era, which ran from 1964 through 1972.” – Sports Car Market, January 2016

Olds 442 aficionados also know that the 1972 model was the first year a 442 could not be identified as such by its VIN. As Sports Car Market explained in 2016: “Starting with a 350 V8 Cutlass, you could order the W29-code 442 package starting at $29. For that, buyers would get badges and stripes, an upgraded suspension and faux hood louvers, and a different grille. There were plenty of other options as well, which could quickly take the base MSRP up to a hefty grand total.” Oldsmobile 442s were optioned to suit buyer tastes.

Offered here is a very well-documented, true 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 hardtop in yellow over black (a professional respray from the original bronze). The car's factory build sheet shows a long list of options including the desirable “W29” code for the 442 package. Originally a Missouri car delivered new on April 7, 1972, its odometer currently shows 65,781 miles, or fewer than 1,400 miles per-year on average. The exterior yellow paint is a factory-quality application, uniformly smooth and glossy across the entire body including the rear-deck aero spoiler. Twin black hood stripes and bodyside pin-striping are perfectly applied. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Panel fit is at the factory level, if not better and there are no dings or dents anywhere on the sheet metal. Chrome bumpers are in excellent condition, as are all lighting lenses, cabin glass, and chrome trim (on the windshield surround and lower body). The 1972-specific front grille and rear taillight design are correct. All 442 badging is present and properly located, as are the faux louvers on the hood. The correct five-spoke wheels with body-color paint (and Oldsmobile-logo center-caps) are in place, mounted with Cooper® Cobra Radial G/T raised-white-letter tires.

Inside, the car's original saddle color theme is tastefully complemented with wood-grain trim on the dashboard and door panels. The very handsome, horizontally pleated and buttoned, vinyl-trimmed, tweed-fabric upholstery is free of any sign of wear. Horizontal-pattern door trim incorporates the same fabric and vinyl. Front bucket seats include a center armrest on the console; the rear seat is a full bench. The simple design of the black dash is free of unnecessary distractions. Three large instrument openings are the primary focus behind the Oldsmobile-logo, 3-spoke, brushed-metal sport steering wheel with riveted wood rim. Controls for the heating and air conditioning are slide-levers. An Oldsmobile-branded push-button AM radio is installed in the factory location. There is very little patina or wear indications across the dash. The automatic-transmission shifter is mounted on the console.

Under the hood, the 442 vibe continues. The “Oldsmobile 442”-branded chrome air cleaner cover tops the 455-cubic-inch V8. All components, wiring, and hoses are properly located in a very clean engine bay. (Engine-compartment body panels are properly painted yellow.) Viewed from below, the chassis is clean and free of damage. Racing-style collector exhaust headers, full-length, properly routed dual exhaust and correct, trumpet-style exhaust tips, and very clean lower-engine surfaces are all visual focal points.

All original data and identification plates remain on the car. The sale includes a file of extensive documentation including the original build sheet.

While the more than 155 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '72 Olds Cutlass 442 in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

The Oldsmobile 442 is a muscle-car legend from a GM brand now gone from the market. That rarity and heritage make this well-documented example a true collector classic, as well as a still-potent performer on the road. Its next owner can expect plenty of stares and compliments whenever the 442's out and about or parked at a cars and coffee get-together.