13. 1983-84 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds
After taking a few years off, Oldsmobile introduced a new limited-edition Hurst/Olds model for the 1983 model year. The Cutlass was the only mid-size rear-wheel-drive platform that could serve as the basis for a muscle car after Oldsmobile’s smaller offerings switched to front-wheel drive.
Under the hood was a 307 V8 with 180 HP that delivered a relatively swift performance and 0 to 60 mph times under eight seconds. The secret was the famous Oldsmobile Lightning Rod shifter. It was an automatic with three levers, one main and two separate sticks for manual shifting of the first and second gears. The 1983 Hurst/Olds sold 3001 examples, ranking it among sales flops. They didn’t change the car for the 1984 model year and production rose to 3,500 units. Today, however, both models are highly-prized collector cars.