A rarely seen and unusually specified 1965 Oldsmobile 442 has resurfaced as one of the most uncommon examples of the model, despite its rough, unrestored condition. While the 442 name is often associated with high-optioned performance builds, this particular Club Coupe stands out for the opposite reason: it is believed to be the lowest-optioned 442 produced for the 1965 model year.
The car spent decades in storage and shows the wear expected of a long-forgotten barn find. It is not heavily rusted, but it remains dirty, incomplete, and visually unrefined. That appearance, however, masks a configuration that places it among the rarest surviving 442s. Built as a bare-bones intermediate, the car was ordered with very few extras, reinforcing its original purpose as a drag racing platform.
Aside from a four-speed manual transmission, a 4.33 rear axle, and an extra-padded seat, the car was delivered without additional comforts or cosmetic upgrades. Power comes from the base 400-cubic-inch V8 rated at 345 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. Only 1,087 Club Coupes were built with this engine, and just 736 were equipped with the optional four-speed transmission.
What elevates the car to one-of-one status is its factory color combination. While Burgundy Mist paint was not unusual on its own, pairing it with a Sterling silver interior in a four-speed Club Coupe configuration makes this example unique.
The car remains unrestored and retains its original paint and portions of its interior, though the engine has been removed. The current owner still has the original engine and plans to reinstall it, with the goal of returning the car to running and driving condition. Of the approximately 40 known surviving examples with similar specifications, only about 12 are currently operational.
The Oldsmobile was displayed in its as-found state at this year’s Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, sharing space with several other notable barn finds, including two 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Z-16s.
