1978-1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442: The Odd One Out
1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442
The American auto industry was still proud and stubborn in the late ‘70s, despite tough regulations and ever improving imports nipping at market share. Downsizing became the industry buzzword as cars moved to smaller platforms that promised efficiency and safety (if nothing more). One of those cars was Oldsmobile’s legendary 442 nameplate.
As muscle cars go, most years of the 442 ranked somewhere near the bottom middle of my list of favorites. However, the most interesting looking 442 to me just happens to be the worst performing one. Compared to the instantly likable 1977 models, the 1978-1979 442 aeroback coupe was a bold step in an attempt to offer reduced weight and increased efficiency while maintaining the veneer of performance. Relative to other American performance cars, the Oldsmobile 442 was typical of the breed: flashy looks compensating for the lack of performance do to crippling emissions regulations.
1977 Oldsmobile 442
For 1978 the fifth-generation A-Body platform shaved off 4 inches and six hundred pounds off the outgoing ’77 model. That’s like the weight three Mid-Western adults! For Oldsmobile’s share of the platform, it’s Cutlass line of cars offered Wagons, sedans and coupes. Unlike other divisions using the traditional notch back style, Oldsmobile along with Buick offered exclusive aeroback variants of both the coupe and sedan.
1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass line
Interestingly, Chevrolet and Pontiac had no aeroback cars and sold the more popular notchback versions of A-Bodies like the Malibu/Monte Carlo and Lemans/Gran Prix respectively. While the aeroback cars looked like large hatchbacks, they used a conventional trunk. Four door hatchbacks were popular in Europe and in many ways the basic shape of this generation of Oldsmobile Cutlass (and Buick Century) tested the waters for the form factor in America.
Most people look back on the aeroback cars as ugly. It’s true that their ungainly proportions mixed design metaphors in a way that clouded their mission. The raked “C” pillar was aggressive, yet the softly sprung standard models all decked out in brightwork looked and felt like personal coupes with stripped down near-luxury aspirations. I wonder if this played into the perception of many people that a hatchback cut something off in a way that relates to cost cutting. Americans to this day still have an aversion to small hatchbacks, but have been slowly warming up to them in the last ten or so years in the form of crossovers.
1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Aeroback coupe and sedan
Looks improved with the 442’s better defined mission. The aggressive silhouette of the aeroback was a better fit for sporty trims like the 442 (which was a trim option vs. a separate model). With tasteful and restrained decals, cast-aluminum sport wheels and a blacked out grille, the 442 certainly looked the part. There were even two manual transmission options, a four or five-speed with a floor mounted shifter. Most cars were fitted with a three-speed automatic. With no center console, seat options ranged from bucket to console in vinyl and cloth trims.
442 interior with 5-speed manual transmission
Despite it’s 5.0-liter V8, the typical 442 could only reach 60 mph from a stop in the neighborhood of 14 seconds. It did not help that all that displacement resulted in just 140 hp. Lesser models could be optioned with a smaller more fuel efficient 4.3-liter V8. Over at Buick, the Century offered similar engines until 1979 when it stepped up the base 3.8-liter V6 with a turbo. Even though the Century had a lesser known performance heritage to stand on, it could trounce the 442 with its impressive 170+ hp V6. With straight line performance less than stellar, Oldsmobile chose to focused on improved road holding with a series packages like the famed FE2 Rallye option.
By the time the Buick Century gained that performance edge, Oldsmobile had moved its 442 back to a traditional notchback. Sales were down by 40% from 1977 to 1978 and stayed down until the model was changed for 1980. Despite the aeroback cars being a sales disaster, GM would try it’s hand again with the form factor including the oddly shaped ’79 – ’85 Cadillac Seville. When the new for 1980 Chevrolet Citation/ Pontiac Phoenix arrived, GM finally made a midsize hatchback that actually was one.
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