The high-performance package for the 1970 Oldsmobile 442 was called W-30.
The W-30 was an option package built around Oldsmobile’s 455-cubic-inch Rocket V8. For 1970, the standard 442 455 was rated at 365 hp, while the W-30 version was advertised at 370 hp. The package’s importance went well beyond that five-horsepower difference.
W-30 equipment included forced-air induction, a special air cleaner, aluminum intake components, a performance camshaft, special cylinder-head and distributor details, and distinctive fiberglass hood hardware. The package also brought visual identifiers such as body stripes and W-30 emblems.
A common mix-up is W-25, which was an Oldsmobile fiberglass ram-air hood option incorporated into the W-30 equipment, rather than the name of the entire performance package. W-30 cars were among the most sought-after 1970 Oldsmobiles, and the model also served as the Indianapolis 500 pace car that year.