1971 Oldsmobile

1 OF 10 W-30 'VERTS W/FACTORY A/C, NUMBERS MATCHING EVERYTHING, ROTISSERIE RESTO

This 1971 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 convertible is a pretty big deal, and once you see its list of credentials, perhaps that price tag won't seem so big after all. The recipient of a frame-off rotisserie restoration, it's a matching-numbers car with factory A/C, making it one of only 10 such cars to be built. They don't come much rarer than this, and even in 1971, the 442 was still one heck of a performer.

With just three owners from new, it's easy to understand how this car remained so well-preserved throughout the years. Cars like this are special when they're new, so guys tended to treat them better even when the dark days of the 1970s rolled on. In 2012, it was torn down to the molecular level and rebuilt from there, and aside from one quarter panel skin, it's wearing all its original bodywork. The trim tag says it was originally code 69 Sienna, which is GM-speak for brown, so when they had the chance, it was refinished in a more appropriate Viking Blue with white stripes combination that has made the 442 such an icon. Paint and bodywork are exemplary with only a few very minor signs of use since it was completed, and if you want to make a statement, nothing does it better than the gaping ram air hood and red inner fenders found on a 442. Nothing was overlooked, although the shine is far deeper than it would have been in 1971 thanks to the use of modern paint technology. At the same time, all the chrome and stainless was refinished, and it still wears correct W-30 emblems on the fender and twin trumpet exhaust tips out back.

The brilliant white interior is really the only reasonable choice with a blue convertible, and everything you can see or touch is brand new. Buckets and a console are standard equipment on the 442, and it's anchored by black carpets and a matching dash that keep it from being too bright on a sunny day. Woodgrained accents remind you that this isn't a lowly Chevy or Pontiac, and it's loaded with options like power windows and factory A/C, which remains fully functional and makes this one of ten such cars ever built. The gauges are in excellent shape, and it includes a cool Tick-Tock-Tach that's so subtle you may miss it at first glance. A factory AM/FM radio still lives in the dash, still a novelty in 1971. There's a white power convertible top that disappears with the touch of a button, and the trunk is correctly restored with a full-sized spare and proper mat.

That's the original, numbers-matching 455 cubic inch V8, fully rebuilt and decked out in numbers-correct hardware. Aside from the long-tube headers and exhaust system, it's quite stock and we have detailed photos of all the important parts for you numbers junkies out there. Finished in metallic blue, it's show-quality and runs superbly with a big hit of low-end torque that made these engines famous. There's plenty of color under the hood thanks to the W-30 exclusive red inner fenders, and you'll never hesitate to open the hood at a show. The TH400 3-speed automatic transmission carries an aftermarket pan for more fluid capacity, but the original pan is included, and the 10-bolt rear end is full of 3.23 gears, which were standard on automatic 442 convertibles. The floors are beautifully preserved and not patched together, and a color-matched set of Rally II wheels and G70-14 Firestone Wide Oval tires give it the perfect stance.

Heavily documented with restoration photos, receipts, and ownership history, this is an investment-grade 442 convertible that's not only rare, but a lot of fun to drive. Call today!