1970 might have been the high point in the Musclecar Era, but even before the EPA started to become a problem, insurance agencies were causing all sorts of headaches for customers who drooled like idiots over Cobra Jet Torinos and Six Pack anything from Ma Mopar. It all boiled down to the VIN number. That little code that true car geeks use to decode just how rare a vehicle is, as well as figuring out what it was supposed to look like when it hit the dealer lot, was also a big clue-in for your average insurance adjuster into the program going on underneath the hood. Case in point: you might have bought the most plain-jane 1969 Road Runner you could have found. You skipped on the High Impact paint choices, and only checked the boxes for the good parts underneath the car. Didn’t matter none to the insurance agent. Once he saw the “RM21” code on the VIN, your goose was as good as cooked. 
Oldsmobile knew they had a problem on their hands. The 442 was their in-house monster, but it was a separate model line from the regular Cutlass. Buy a 442, prepare to pay a handsome penalty for insurance coverage. Like most other manufacturers, Olds had already taken the “same body, smaller engine” route with the Rallye 350 package, which offered up the looks but didn’t have the big hammer under the hood. But Olds had a second option that really subverted the insurance penalty: the Cutlass SX. Only available for 1970-71, the Cutlass SX took the formal-roof version of the Cutlass and kept visual adornments minimized, only showcasing the “SX” badge on the fenders and the 442’s exhaust cutouts in the bumper. Nice and discreet, no spoilers, no scoops, no nada. In fact, inside there was nothing to give away any devious connotations. All examples came with the TH400 automatic, so there was no four on the floor, and most cars were fully loaded.
So you got a fluffy Cutlass? Not quite. Under the hood was one of three different versions of the 455 cubic inch V8. There are differences between the three, but for brevity’s sake, expect at minimum 320 horsepower and big-boy torque on tap. They weren’t as completely unhinged as a 442 W-30, but the Cutlass SX wasn’t far off, either. Instead of a low-geared Saturday Night Special, this is more of a livable big-cube machine, one that you could cruise around at your leisure, but was more than ready when you were ready to let half of the county know what the program really was all about with your car.
Buddy of mine in high school had one of these. He picked me up in the morning for the ride to school. Dark green in and out, with Indy mags or slots, depending on his mood.
I also had a buddy who had one of these in the 70s, with headers, 3.73 gears and slicks it was a low 13-high 12 second beast lookin’ like Moms car, a great car( his was a pale orange-black top one)
Nice Cutty,if you have ever drove the 455 beast of a motor.you have lived life
Cool ride! I owned a 1972 Cutlass back in the late 70’s. It had s 350 and was just a cruiser. I used the link to go to the Mecum auction but all I could see was 5 exterior pics? Could not get to the details of the car?
Join our FB Olds 442 Cutlass fan page. Holiday eCarshow going on now. Just started free signups.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/185212359430
The Cutlass SX wasn’t a subversive offering to avoid insurance premiums.
It’s more like a 1968 442 Turnpike Cruiser , 1969 442 W32, and Monte Carlo SS 454 all in one.
This is a very nice looking car, and it brought back a lot of memories. I owned a \’70 Cutlass SX, Sherwood Green with a black vinyl top. It had a 455 with a 2-barrel carb, but it still had way more power than it needed. The Hurst Dual Gate shifter was fun to play with, but it made it tougher to keep rear tires on it! I bought it when I was 19 and have SO many fond memories of that car and the fun I had in it. Modern technology aside, that was the most fun car I have ever owned. I wish I never sold it.