[Lee Stewart]

1970 saw all the car manufacturers throw caution into the wind and "let er rip" as far as powerful muscle cars. But the Muscle Car was doomed. By 1970 though many young buyers could afford a Muscle Car, they couldn't afford the super high insurance premiums also. So some of the OEMs got creative. This car is an example.

442, R/T, Super Sport, Cobra Jet - were all red flags for high insurance premiums. In some cases, the monthly insurance payment exceeded the car payment.

The 1970 Olds Cutlass SX got very little (if any) marketing attention. It was based on a different body design than the 442. But it had the same 455 engine as the base 442. Insurance companies had no idea what a Cutlass SX was - to them it was a Cutlass - not a Muscle Car, so it didn't get the high insurance premiums a 442 got.