1972 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds Pace Car Mecum Arizona Auction Bound

Before he had a working relationship with Oldsmobile, and well before the creation of the Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds, George Hurst had a history with Pontiac. Hurst shifters were installed in the 1964 Pontiac GTO. For the 1965 model year, the GTO shifters bore the Hurst logo, the first branded aftermarket part to appear in a factory car.

Hurst had an idea for a performance package for the Pontiac Firebird. He pitched the idea of sending Firebirds that were complete save for the drivetrain to Hurst where they would be crammed full of Big Block power, then returned to Pontiac for the final touches. Doing so would allow Pontiac to sidestep GM’s internal rule limiting engine displacement to 400 cubes in midsize passenger cars. Chevrolet wouldn’t hear of it, thinking that the Hurst Firebird would cut into Camaro sales. Chevy managed to put a stop to the project before it got off the ground. Disappointed but not defeated, Hurst approached Oldsmobile about doing the same thing to the Cutlass. The Cutlass was more of a Pontiac GTO competitor, but Pontiac had no objections. Hence, the Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds was born.

The 1968 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds was sent to Demmer Engineering, where it was stuffed full of a 455 cubic-inch Big Block Rocket V8 producing 390 horsepower and a monstrous 500 pound-feet of torque. The Big Block sucked air through a ram-air intake under the front bumper. The Hurst/Olds came in only one color combo, Toronado Peruvian Silver with a black trunk lid, and black stripes outlined by white pinstripes. The interior was equipped with bucket seats, walnut instrument panel trim, and Hurst’s proprietary dual gate ratcheting shifter in the center console. Oldsmobile received more orders than they could fill, with just 515 Hurst/Olds units built the first year of production.

For the 1969 model year, the Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds returned, albeit with a different paint scheme. The Peruvian Silver was replaced by Cameo White with Firefrost Gold stripes, accents, and hand-laid black pinstripes. The grilles received a black-out treatment, and the under-bumper ram air intakes became a pair of mail slot-style inlets on the hood adorned with “H/O 455” painted on either side. Stylized “H/O” emblems appeared on the front fenders and rear deck lid. 913 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds units rolled off the production line.

The Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds would take a leave of absence until the 1972 model year. An accident involving a Dodge Challenger Pace Car at the 1971 Indy 500 had injured 29, and had made manufacturers hesitant to provide cars to pace the 1972 race. Hurst Performance provided Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds for pace cars. The was the only time a supplier other than a manufacturer had been the source of the Indy Pace Car, and the first time a parts supplier’s name was included in the Pace Car’s title. Hurst built 629 cars in coupe, convertible, and station wagon configurations (only six wagons were built, for press and ambulance use), all considered Pace Cars. Finished in Cameo White with gold decals and stripes, the Hurst/Olds were equipped with either the 255-horsepower 455 Big Block, or the optional 300-horsepower L77 455 that was part of the W-30 option. All Hurst/Olds Pace Cars came with the three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission with the Hurst Dual Gate shifter.

Our feature 1972 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds is finished in Cameo White with gold stripes and Pace Car decals. It has the Pace Car flags and rear bumper mounts. The H/O is powered by the 455 cubic inch Big Block backed by the Turbo-Hydramatic automatic transmission. Inside, the Hurst/Olds bucket seats are finished in black vinyl. The center console is home to the iconic Hurst Dual Gate shifter, and an AM/FM 8-track player is fitted. Included in the sale is a reproduction of the original window sticker.

This Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds will cross the Mecum Auctions block at their Glendale, Arizona event taking place March 5^th through the 9^th.

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