I'm looking through a bunch of 1971-72 Olds 442s and I noticed that some have the "Oldsmobile" badge on the hood (above the driver side headlamp) and some do not.
Does anyone know why?

 

I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the ones with the Olds script are the '72s. because that was the year that the 4-4-2 reverted to being an option package instead of its own line. IIRC no '68-'71 4-4-2 used Olds script in that location. Of course, it could be that some of them are '71 "Faux-4-2s" (as Joe would say).

 

Interesting

Are there any tell-tale signs that 71' with the Olds badge is a "faux-4-2s"?
If a 1971 has the "344" VIN, and the 455 engine block matches the VIN, can one assume it is a genuine 442?

 

Idk the exact answer re hood badge but olds was funny w AC, non AC, supreme etc some had olds on the hood some didn't you may just have a replacement hood or maybe it's correct.

As far as 442 if it's a 71 and the vin Starts w 344 it's a 442

 

This is exactly right. It also applies to '68-'70 cars. It does not, however, work on '72s, which are very hard to authenticate.

 

71 442s without OAI had "Oldsmobile" on the hood.

 

My 70 442 hardtop has the Oldsmobile on the hood.

 

From the 1970 Assembly manual.

 

All 1970-72 442s with metal hoods had the Oldsmobile script on the hood. Lesser Cutlii had the Oldsmobile logo in the grill those years, but the 442 grilles did not allow for that. No logo was used on the W-25 fiberglass hood either way.

The short answer is that if a 442 with a metal hood does not have the script, the emblem was removed and the holes filled, or the hood has been replaced with one from a Cutlass, or the car is a Faux-Four-Two. Of course, if the car is fake, it's almost certainly got a repro fiberglass hood too.