1970 Oldsmobile 442 from The Hitcher

From the shelf of a local rental store, the poster for the 2007 movie, The Hitcher, looks tempting.  It's stars Sean Bean who most remember as Boromir from Lords of the Ring: The Fellowship of the Ring.  Sean Bean also stars in The Island.  I posted on the truck that Steve Buscemi drove in the movie, a Chevy SSR.

In any case, Sean Bean stars as John Ryder, the main nemesis.  This movie is a remake of an 80's film that starred Rutger Hauer as John Ryder.  The 80's movie is a classic, so Mr. Bean had big shoes to fill.


I really had no interest in watching the 2007 version, but what drew me to rent the DVD is the Oldsmobile 442 in the poster.  A blue 1970 Oldsmobile 442 with white racing stripes that the student couple, Zachary Knighton and Sophie Bush, have been driving cross-country for spring break.  They are going to meet up with some friends in Lake Havasu, Arizona (I think).  That is one nice car for a college student to be driving.  Not that it's an expensive car, it's just that every other college student seems to drive Toyotas and Hondas.

Check out this video clip of a 1970 Oldsmobile 442 in a drag race at the Norwalk Raceway Park.

Pictures of 1970 Oldsmobile 442

The 4-4-2 stood for four barrel, four-speed, twin exhaust when first marketed.  There was a W-30 package which was the top of the line option.  The W-30 came with the 455 cubic inch big-block V-8 that can put out 370 horsepower at 5400 rpm.  Other goodies included among others, a twin-scoop fiberglass and power front disc brakes.  The 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 was a popular car for high performance lovers.  And a 442 convertible was the pace car for the 1970 Indy 500.  Around 19,330 Oldsmobile 442s were made in 1970.