The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 benefitted from GM's decision to allow it's divisions to factory fit as big an engine as they liked to any car. Prior to 1970, GM would only allow a big block V8 to be installed in a full sized car. The 1970 442 had a huge 455ci displacement V8 which endowed it with massive gross power and torque. The 1970 442 was the last of it's line to use a high compression engine (which required high octane, leaded fuel) as from 1971, Federal Regulations demanded lower compression engines capable of running on unleaded lower octane fuel. Hence the 1971 442's despite having the same size engines were less powerful and therefore slower.
By 1970 the Musclecar craze in the USA was already starting to wane due to high insurance costs which prevented many young buyers (to whom these brightly painted, loud cars most appealed to) from running them. By 1973, the Musclecar was more or less dead, finally killed off by the rise in fuel prices following the 1973 2nd Arab-Israeli war as well as the inability of Detroit to build a performance engine that complied with the new emissions regulations and catalytic converters that were to be introduced by 1975.
The 442 is certainly one of my favourite musclecars, and was one of the highest performing of it's kind too. Lane make this superb model of the 1970 442 with the W-30 option pack (which consisted of an uprated "Rocket" 455ci V8 running on high octane fuel, a fiberglass hood with an inbuilt air induction system, uprated suspension, sport mirrors, body striping, bucket seats and extra gauges for the driver). It is the latest (as of May 2003) release in their superb range of 1970-72 Oldsmobile Cutlasses and 442s. They offered this version in Rally Red with either white or black stripes, and in the end I chose the black striped version.
It is a high quality model, streets ahead of the older American Musclecar releases by ERTL. The engine and underhood area are highly detailed, as is the trunk. The interior is reproduced faithfully, and even has seatbacks which tilt forward to allow access to the rear seats (if you were 1:18th scale that is!). The wheels look superb and the finish on the model is excellent. One problem with my model however is the rear spoiler has a crack right in the middle that was present when I opened the box. It is not very noticeable but does annoy me! I didn't send the model back due to the hassle of repacking and returning a 1:18th car from Ireland to Canada (where I got this one) so I may contact Lane directly to see if they could supply me with a new spoiler that I could attach myself. Disappointingly like all my Lane Olds to date (2004) this model has almost no brake detail which is poor considering the relatively high cost of this model.
