What was the engine displacement of the 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30?

The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 used a 455-cubic-inch V8. The 455 became the standard 4-4-2 engine for 1970, replacing the 400-cubic-inch engine used in earlier years, while the W-30 package added performance-focused upgrades.

The W-30 version was rated at 370 horsepower, compared with 365 horsepower for the standard 455. Its package included a special camshaft, cylinder heads, distributor, carburetor, aluminum intake manifold, and functional air induction through a fiberglass hood.

A common mix-up is confusing the 1970 engine with earlier 4-4-2 models, especially the 400-cubic-inch V8 used in 1968 and 1969. The “442” name referred to the original formula of four-barrel carburetion, four-speed transmission, and dual exhaust—not the engine displacement. The 1970 W-30 also delivered the 4-4-2's peak-era performance, with period testing recording quarter-mile times in the low 14-second range.