Many muscle cars were available with a gimmick in the late 1960s, but it was raw power that helped Oldsmobile and Hurst establish the street notoriety that made them among the most important examples to emerge from the era. Indeed, the Hurst brand was not limited to Olds, as the company was also involved in vehicle changes for Chrysler and AMC. However, the Olds connection, first with 455-inch conversions and later with dress-ups and power, was by far the most visible, and has been a focal point for the entirety of the muscle car hobby.
The inaugural 2017 Hurst Nationals, held at Carlisle Expo Center in July, showed them all off, as well as some of the late-model iron from Performance West Group, a number of specialty cars, and a grand selection of luminaries who had helped make the history. The event was held only a couple of blocks from the Carlisle Fairgrounds in central Pennsylvania, and a free shuttle ran between it and the annual All-Chrysler Nationals occurring at the same time. The Hurst show ran for two days and featured a select group of invitational cars on display inside, as well as outside participants in the large front parking lot, which had been secured solely for this show field. With basically every year of the Olds packaging on display, plus multiple examples of the SC/Ramblers from 1969, Chryslers from 1970, Pontiacs from select years, and PWG’s latest Dodge and Mustang builds with Hurst badging, the event could honestly be called epic and will be repeated next year, with a focus on the legendary 1968 Hurst Hemi drag cars on their 50th anniversary.
Meanwhile, former Hurst employees and other individuals on hand allowed owners and fans to hear tales from the past and get background on development thanks to historic seminars held daily. Hemi Under Glass pilot Bob Riggle came in from Arizona, and several of the guys involved in the construction and development of the package cars were there as well. Bill Campbell, who was the cofounder of Hurst-Campbell, inventors of the Jaws of Life life-saving tool, was able to attend, as did Howard Maseles, who once represented the company to sportsman racers. Missing was Linda Vaughn, who had planned to attend but was beset with health problems serious enough to require hospitalization. We hope she will be part of the 2018 follow-up, which will happen on July 13-14, 2018.
The outdoor show mixed a number of brands that were all approved to help showcase the Hurst packaging, including AMCs, Oldsmobiles, late-model Dodges, and a handful of assorted cars.From among the number of excellent examples on hand, we liked this 1972 pace car edition convertible best for its historical interest. This car actually took the top three qualifiers for the 1972 Indy 500 on their parade lap during that year’s event, and the owners had a lot of authentic memorabilia with it.
The top qualifiers were listed on the car. Unfortunately only Bobby Unser survived through 1976 during the he-man racing era of the 1970s.A real rarity at the event was the proposal car for the 1977 Hurst/Olds program, which was never constructed. This car, now owned by collectors Glen and Ann Marie Katterson, has a well-documented history. The planned 403-inch package died when Olds could not free up manufacturing capacity to build it. We think it would have been a contender for the king of the hill in 1977.This beast is the prototype for Hurst’s 1970 Chrysler 300 program, with a custom-fitted decklid treatment, a specialized interior, Kelsey-Hayes custom rims with H70-15 Goodyear rubber, and more. Owned by Cecil Montgomery of Canada, it is in need of restoration but shows excellent potential and drew a lot of attention even in its present state.Jack Hooks drove in with this 1975 Hurst/Olds. That year was a high-water mark in terms of Hurst/Olds production, with more than 2,500 examples made. His W-25 car, as the earlier W-31 package had been to the Cutlass line, denoted a 350ci engine under the hood. Coupled to the extras from Hurst, the sticker on these cars topped $5,000 even in the more base forms; T-tops were standard.SC/Ramblers are nasty cars, and a number of them were here, including this example owned by Paula and Steven Ward of Dallas. It showed some of the changes made for the race environment and had a great display of extras in an ISCA-type display surround.The Ward’s SC/Rambler display was fantastic, with lots of detailing to both car and accessories, including special matched SC/Rambler fluid containers and vintage race team clothing with AMC patches that was hung up in the trunk.Bob Riggle, noted longtime pilot of the Hemi Under Glass and best known now for giving Jay Leno the actual ride of his life, was among the personalities from Hurst’s heritage on hand. Like many, Riggle came from a long distance to be at the show. Several seminars were well attended during the event.Of the Hurst-equipped cars displayed outside, few could compare to Orvil Osche’s 1965 Pontiac GTO with its Royal Bobcat modifications and great Hurst wheels with deluxe spinners. The tri-power, four-speed car with white interior and Royal Pontiac identification was a terrific combo.A look at the impressive detail on the Osche Goat. The Hurst wheels were not marketed for very long, due in part to their high price, but were probably among the highest-quality street rims available at the time. To see a minty set on a car, especially with the extra-cost centers, is a real treat.The 1968 455ci Toronado-powered W-30 models were the first H/Os unleashed onto America’s boulevards. This spectacularly restored example with original driveline and 47,000 miles is now in the collection of Charles Lingenfelter, brother of late racer John. Charles also had two 1990s-era Firebirds on display that John had done for Hurst.In addition to the trio lined up indoors, two more of the SC/Ramblers were on display outside. The special paint and functional hoodscoops on these cars helped give them a lot of notoriety in 1969, and they are not easy to find or restore today.Sal Barberi’s highly optioned 1969 Hurst/Olds in our lead photo displayed its window sticker and the suggested cost of the Hurst upgrades: $4,831.69 for the car as delivered from the factory plus $683.94 for the Hurst equipment. In 1969 dollars, this particular car topped out at more than $5,500 brand new, which was above the cost of most convertible muscle cars!Most odd of all Hurst machines were the 1971 Jeepster Commando models, of which fewer than 100 were reportedly built. With a V-6 and four-wheel drive, all-around performance was the goal. Two were here, one outside and one inside. This example, owned by Lee Tidwell of Maryland, was once a plow vehicle and took five years to restore.Howard Maseles was noted for his own sportsman drag racing efforts but also worked for Hurst in the 1960s. Among his display items were rare snapshots he personally took that showed the original Hurst Hemi drag cars being built back in 1968.A couple of Maseles’ snapshots show the Hurst Barracudas and Darts being assembled in March 1968. None of those cars attended this year, as their 50th anniversary in 2018 will make them a centerpiece for next year’s event.Here is the front entrance to the center where the show was held. Two blocks away, Carlisle’s All-Chrysler Nationals was going in full force. Shuttles kept the events connected.Meanwhile, through the large windows, other Hurst-themed vehicles arrived for the outside display each day during the Friday-Saturday event.Late-model vehicles wearing the Hurst name have proven to be popular thanks to the efforts of Larry Weiner and the Performance West Group. Here is a pair of Hurst-badged Mustangs, with the 2017 R-code prototype facing the camera topped with a Kenne-Bell supercharger and 750 “Demon-eating” horsepower on tap.Larry Weiner (in yellow shirt) gives an onlooker a chance to sit in the 2017 GSS Challenger, a Hurst identity car he is creating in conjunction with Mr. Norm Krause that features unique upgrades, some akin to the 1971 ’Cuda, and enough power to give the aforementioned blown 2017 Mustang a run for its money.Mathew Markline had a great example of the 1980s Hurst/Olds revival, with a 1984 example that featured T-tops, a red interior, and the Lightning Rod shifter setup. That year would mark the final appearance of the nameplate until the 21st century.The Markline car as seen through the open T-top showed off its distinctive interior. The Lightning Rod package required a special pamphlet to explain what lever did what. Perhaps attempting to emulate the multistick design of a Lenco, it remains perhaps the most exotic floor shifter to ever come through a new car dealership in North America.Miss Hurst Linda Vaughn was dealing with health issues or would have been here. In her absence, a number of owners showcased this figurine of her from back in the glory days. We hope she will be able to make the reunion in 2018.Showing the legacy of Hurst performance is still alive, even if it is through tuner orders rather than the OE production market, these late-model versions will help continue the heritage of the Hurst name.
Oh, Chryslers Too?
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention what is one of the most important shows on the annual Chrysler-oriented schedule, Carlisle’s legendary All-Chrysler Nationals, which in 2017 played host to the second-largest crowd in the event’s long history. As always, the T and Y buildings were filled, with an FM3 Panther Pink invitational, a class of 1967 display including Super Stocks, a GTX heritage gathering, and an amazing four-door “what if?” Barracuda whose builders had even reproduced a factory brochure with four-door car illustrations. Of course, thousands of cars and tens of thousands of attendees filled out the show fields, car corral, Dodge thrill ride display, and swap meet.
This year we chose to focus on the first-ever Hurst event, but even without that going on there was no way we could have seen the entire All-Chrysler Nationals. The annual Mopar Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday evening was a special blend this year. Hosted by Mopar Collectors Guide and emceed by Mr. Four-Speed, Herb McCandless, the event honored the Rod Shop, Direct Connection, engineer Willem Weertman, all the former Hurst-employed attendees, and more. A great time was had by all!
It seemed like every one of the thousands of attendees at Carlisle had an opinion about Frank Waldon’s just-completed 1970 four-door “what if?” Barracuda. Built on a G-series Satellite base by ECS Automotive, it was a remarkably well-executed project. Here he and builder Steve Been show off the brochure reproduction with illustrations.Seen here at the Mopar Hall of Fame banquet is Chrysler’s top powerplant engineer Willem Weertman, who described the effort he put into creating the first race Hemi engines. Designer Tom Hoover said this engine survived to win the 1964 Daytona 500 only because of Weertman’s tireless efforts working around the clock at the foundry in Indianapolis just weeks before the event. In his 90s, Weertman came in from Washington State for the honor.For the man with everything carried in a Haliburton suitcase, dreams could come true. Here was a real 1971 Hemi ’Cuda in the car corral, with an asking price of a mere $449,000.You have no Haliburton suitcase full of Benjamins? Among the treasures in the swap meet was this Golden Ram GTX pedal car. We do not know if Chrysler had anything to do with it, but it was a perfect item for the Mopar man cave. Hey, ever see another one?Yep, you can find it at Carlisle. Most car shows have a row for Mopars, most Mopar shows have a row for B-bodies, but where else can you see a row of nothing but 1970 Chargers? See you here next year!
