1969 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Convertible

In the late 1960s Hurst Performance was among the most aggressive aftermarket performance parts manufacturers. Known for building cars that truly stood out, they ordered two convertibles to be converted to full Hurst/Olds specifications for promotional purposes; one of the east coast and one of the west. The west coast car would end up being totaled early on, so a third car was secured. This is the car that replaced the original west coast car, built to the same specifications in 1969.

There were 913 examples of the 1969 Hurst/Olds built. If the all-new Firefrost gold and white paint doesn't grab your attention, the wild 'mailbox' hood scoop certainly will! And it isn't just the looks, as somehow Dr. Oldsmobile and his team managed to shoehorn the big 455 cubic-inch engine under the hood, even though General Motors had a corporate ban on putting the largest engines into their intermediate A-body platform.

This particular car was never meant to be sold to the public. Three very special convertible Hurst/Olds were built for special use as promotional cars, with the first being destroyed shortly after its appearance at the Daytona 500. One of the remaining convertibles would serve as a West Coast promotional car while the second served the East Coast. You may recall the Hurstettes, and often Linda Vaughn, hanging onto the huge 8-foot tall replica of the golden Hurst shifter mounted on the rear decklid platform, waving to thousands of adorning fans.

This is the West Coast car, which was owned by a gentleman in the San Francisco Bay area for several decades. He knew what he had, (as did many Oldsmobile enthusiasts) but declined the constant offers until a few years ago, when the current owners were able to add it to their extensive collection. With numerous unique features, it has undergone an extensive restoration by Level One Restoration of Arvada, Colorado, and was unveiled at the recent Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals.