Hurst-Olds
The newly redesigned Cutlass S provided the platform for the 1973 Hurst-Olds. It was available in just two colors, black or white, with each accented by gold touches. Two big blocks were made available. First was a L75 455 CID 4bbl, dual exhaust V8, making 250hp. Taking the fumes out the back were a pair of chrome tips. Finishing it off was a Turbo 400 automatic, operated by what else, a dual-gate Hurst shifter. Also offered was the higher-output L77 455 CID 4bbl, dual exhaust V8, making 270hp. It was backed only with a 4-speed manual. Just 1097 copies of the H/O were produced this year.
In 1974 the L77 455 was dropped. The standard 455 remained, though this year it was down a bit, making 230hp. A new base engine was offered which was the 350 CID 4bbl V8 that made 180hp. No more manual transmission was available, but two automatics were. These were the TH400 behind the 455 V8, or the TH350 behind the 350 V8. The Indy 500 pace car this year was a Hurst-Olds, and commemorative versions with pace car decor were offered to the public by Olds. 1900 copies of the H/O were made this year.
For 1975 the H/O got moved to the more squarish Cutlass Supreme body style. New for this year was a standard t-top package, known as “Hurst/Hatch”. The same engines and transmissions were again offered for the car as previously. It was the last ‘official’ year for the Hurst-Olds, atleast for a while. Produced this year were 2525 copies.
Although in 1976… The Cutlass Supreme had an option for the Hurst/Hatch t-tops. When these were checked off on the order form, the car automatically got emblems that said “Hurst-Olds”.
There was one prototype built for 1977. It was based on the Cutlass S body style. The car still exists today and is registered and routinely driven to shows.
Forward to 1979… The Hurst-Olds returned as the official performance ambassador for Oldsmobile. It was the second year of the smaller A-body platform on which it was based. The body style used this year was the Cutlass Calais. Powering this lightweight contender was a 170hp 350 CID 4bbl V8. The 350 was unique to the Hurst-Olds this year as other A-bodies could not be had with a V8 this large. They got away with this by producing one less than 2500 units at 2499. More certification at the government level would have been necessary if they crossed that plateau. This was the last H/O for a couple years.
One prototype was built again for 1982. This one had a unique blue/silver color combo.
The H/O returned for 1983. This time the platform was called a G-body, which was basically the same as the ’78-’81 A-body. A 307 CID 4bbl High Output V8 with dual exhaust was in this one. It made 180hp. The rear axle ratio was healthy at 3.73:1 . A Hurst Lightning Rod shifter came in the H/O of this era. A rear spoiler and hood bulge were added to the car to. A color of black over silver w/ red trim was the combination on this car. 3000 copies were made for ’83. The same H/O returned for 1984, but with reversed paint— silver over black.
