Why The 1991 Oldsmobile Quad 442 W-41 Is Such A Rare Sight To See

Oldsmobile began offering the 4-4-2 as an option package on the existing F-85 (not the one with the strange Jetfire Turbo Rocket engine) and Cutlass models starting in 1964. It became its own line in '68, where the hyphens were subsequently dropped. Production continued until it was technically stopped in 1987. However, Olds quasi-revived the badge in '91 when it released the Quad 442 front-wheel drive Cutlass Calais.

The Calais had been in production since 1985, but Oldsmobile sent it out with a bang before it was discontinued in 1991. The Quad 442 — complete with a four-cylinder engine, four valves per cylinder, and two camshafts (thus the 442 designation) — was not your father's Oldsmobile.

You're not alone if you can't recall such a thing ever existing. Some sources claim only 200 were made (all in March 1991), while others say 241 were produced. Whatever the actual number, they subsequently sat on car lots, not selling. It wasn't because they weren't good cars, but because no one knew about them.

Olds also tried to glom onto people's nostalgia by offering the Quad 442 with "W" designations (harkening back to the 4-4-2 W-30 package), the base W-40 edition, and a performance option called the W-41. The base W-40 engine was a naturally-aspirated DOHC 2.3 four-cylinder cranking out a respectable 180 hp at 6,200 rpm and 160 ft-lbs of torque. It was mated to a five-speed manual transmission and went from 0 – 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds.

The W-41 package came with a 190 horsepower engine, larger camshafts, and a modified five-speed transmission, all of which shaved half a second off the 0 – 60 time (from 7.5 to 7.0 seconds), a time comparable with cars of the time powered by V8s. It had a curb weight of 2,500 lbs, about the same as the Mazda MX-6 or Honda Prelude, which helped the powerful engine really move.

The base '91 W-40 MSRP'd for $13,216, and while it was only a few thousand more than contemporaneous imports, the 180 hp engine was 40 to 50 hp more than those imports. In contrast, a BMW 318i with an MSRP of $20,300 only came with a 134 hp engine.

Truth be told, the W-41 was a homologation effort by Olds so that it could use the Quad 442 on the stockcar racing circuit. It's probable that the lack of advertising simply meant it never intended to make more. Combined with the fact that Calais was an entry-level mid-sized Olds in '91 – and not an altogether sporty-looking one at that – with a base engine of 110 horses, it's no wonder the public mostly overlooked the Quad 442 W-41.

While technically a "rare" car, it still doesn't demand much recognition. One such vehicle was sold in June 2023 at a no-reserve Hemming's auction for the low price of $3,400.