1968-69 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds
These Oldsmobiles were truly head-turners. By stuffing the Toronado's
455 in a Cutlass 4-4-2, an instant hit was created. And with Hurst
joining the project, the Hurst/Olds was born. Hurst was (and still
is) one of the premier gearbox manufacturers, and when teamed with Oldsmobile,
a truly memorable product was born.
The 1968 was basically a 4-4-2 Holiday coupe with several upgrades,
including the 455. Force-Air Induction, performance engine tweaking,
and a special Hurst Dual-Gate shifter were some of the many features on
the H/O. The Hurst shifter was a tremendous innovation which enabled
3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic operation in addition to normal manual
shifting. Like the 4-4-2, the H/O featured dual stabilizer bars and four
coil springs. A light car it was not, topping out at nearly 3,900
pounds, 300 more than a standard 4-4-2. Still, the '69 could run
the quarter in under 14 seconds, and it had reported 0-60 times of less
than 6 seconds.
While the '68 had a relatively subtle look, the '69 went all out.
White bodies with Firefrost Gold striping and a huge rear spoiler made
these cars stand out from the crowd. Also new this year, two functional
hood scoops were placed on the hood, which were more aerodynamically sound
than the previous year's intakes located under the bumper. Nevertheless,
horsepower dropped to 380 -- still plenty for anyone that wanted it.
The 1969 Hurst/Olds
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