#Car blueprint hurst oldsmobile drivers#

It might sound insane today, but once, in the 80s, General Motors made series-production cars with up to three gear levers. “Setting the Pace: Oldsmobile’s First 100 Years.” Oldsmobile Public Relations Department, 1996.Have you ever heard of the gearbox with three levers? “Classic Muscle Car Advertising: The Art of Selling Horsepower.” Krause Publications, 2002.Įarley Jones, Helen & Walkinshaw, James R. Today, a company called Hurst Performance Vehicles now produces the Hurst Challenger and Hurst Camaro. Later, the company was acquired by Sunbeam Products. These models were exceedingly rare and are now prized by collectors.Įstablished in 1958, Hurst was originally an auto repair shop. To commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the Hurst/Olds partnership, four 1988 Hurst/Olds models were built on the last rear wheel drive Cutlass platform. In 1979, the Hurst/Oldsmobile model was based upon a Cutlass Calais coupe, which offered a Hurst dual gate shifter now standard.

#Car blueprint hurst oldsmobile drivers#

Although the Hurst/Oldsmobile models were a hit, America’s oil crisis was beginning to take its toll on consumers, including drivers of high performance vehicles. It was the third time in five years and the second time in three years that a Hurst/Oldsmobile model would represented in the race. In 1974, Oldsmobile returned to the Brickyard racing scene. A total of 1,097 units were manufactured for the 1973 model year. A more heavily padded vinyl roof was also added in 1973. The new colors for the 1973 models were cameo white and ebony black, both with gold accents. The 1973 Oldsmobile models sported a new design look which continued the brand’s momentum. Motor Trend magazine dubbed the 1969 Hurst Oldsmobile models “The Hairiest Oldsmobile.” In 1972, a Hurst Oldsmobile was honored to be named the pace car for the Indianapolis 500, and a total of 629 units were manufactured, including 130 convertibles.ġ972 Hurst Olds pace car (Barrett Jackson) A new functional rear wing was also added to the rear. The car’s advertising campaign slogan was derived from former President Theodore Roosevelt’s famous statement, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” It became “Snarls Softly and carries a big stick” for the Olds campaign, and the model was a success among young drivers.Īs the Hurst/Oldsmobile relationship continued, an all-new logo was designed featuring a new cameo white paint, Hurst fire frost with gold stripes and panels, along with a huge size hood scoop. The model was a special limited production Oldsmobile, which muscle car enthusiasts enjoyed and admired. In 1969, Oldsmobile really came alive within the muscle car community when it teamed up with Hurst Performance Research Inc to manufacture the Hurst/Olds performance vehicle. Hurst was also an innovator in the design of motor mount kits for engine conversions in hot rods, as well as the popular Hurst Shifters, which were available in three-speed and four-speed models. He was highly active in the early days of auto/drag racing and later, he would team up with his friend Bill Campbell to form Anco Industries. In the beginning, George Hurst, who had served in the US Navy, was a great strategist. Automotive historians have said that Hurst shifters were the industry’s fastest selling aftermarket item of all time.

Hurst was in the business of creating and manufacturing gear shifters for high-performance automobile interiors and was originally based in Ferndale, Michigan. The Oldsmobile Division wanted a super 4-4-2 model that would be low in volume but high in performance, so George Hurst was ideal partner. Beltz and Bob Dorshimer that helped create the Hurst/Oldsmobile. It was Olds’ staffers Doc Watson, John B. The first Hurst Oldsmobile in 1968 (GM Media Archives)ġ968 was the year that George Hurst (1927- 1986) and General Motors’ Oldsmobile division came together to create a powerful and legendary muscle car. Images Courtesy of Getty Images, Barrett Jackson and the General Motors Media Archives By Robert Tate, Automotive Historian and Researcher