Oldsmobile's Secret 32-Valve 455 V8 Nearly Sparked a Muscle-Car Revolution
Oldsmobile’s W-43 was a 32-valve, DOHC 455 V8 with its own block and heads that aimed to push horsepower well into the hundreds, reportedly reaching up to 560 hp in a revived dyno test and indicating a potential peak performance rival to the Chevelle SS 454; alas, it never reached production due to the shift to unleaded fuel and tougher emissions rules in the 1970s, though its advances helped influence later developments like the Quad-Four engine.
