When it comes to American muscle, few cars challenge convention like the “Fouranado” — a one-of-a-kind 1968 Oldsmobile 442 built by Hurst Performance that sends 500 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. Recently, Jay Leno got behind the wheel of the historic machine for an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, giving the world a rare look — and sound — at one of General Motors’ most bizarre experiments.
Oldsmobile’s front-wheel-drive revolution began with the 1966 Toronado, a bold luxury coupe powered by a 425-cubic-inch Rocket V8 driving the front wheels through a chain-driven Turbo-Hydramatic transaxle. The idea seemed impossible at the time, yet it worked — the Toronado became a performance sleeper wrapped in sophistication. Two years later, Hurst engineers wondered: what if the same setup could be crammed into Oldsmobile’s midsize muscle car, the 442?
In late 1967, Hurst’s team blended a Toronado engineering mule with a brand-new 1968 442, transplanting the entire 455-cubic-inch V8, transaxle, and front suspension into the smaller A-body chassis. It took just 45 days. The result was the Fouranado — a front-wheel-drive 442 with the heart of a Toronado GT and the attitude of a drag racer.
Decades later, Oldsmobile collector Fred Frederick rediscovered the car and restored it, preserving its factory craftsmanship and Hurst modifications. Jay Leno’s test drive confirmed its myth: “It pulls strong, it’s solid, and it drives better than the rear-wheel-drive version,” he said.
The lone Fouranado stands as the only front-wheel-drive muscle car of the classic era — a mechanical rebellion against corporate policy and a tribute to the audacity of 1960s engineering. In Leno’s words, “It might have been the answer to a question nobody asked — but it’s one of the most fascinating cars I’ve ever driven.”
