24. 1969 Hurst Olds 442
One of the most successful collaborations between a major car company and a small aftermarket outfit was the deal between Hurst and Oldsmobile. Back in the late 1960s, Hurst transformed the Oldsmobile 442 into one of the fastest cars available on the North American market. They equipped them with their famous shifter and added their signature gold and white or black and silver paint jobs. At the time, Oldsmobile was under GM`s ban that forbade the company from putting engines larger than 400 CID in intermediate cars. This meant the popular 442 model couldn’t receive the biggest available engines. Due to that, it was inferior to Mopar muscle cars that had engines of up to 440 CID under their hoods. However, since Hurst was an independent company, GM rules didn’t apply.

Oldsmobile shipped partially disassembled 442s to Hurst where they installed the biggest engine Oldsmobile had, which was the mighty 455 V8 with 390 hp. The real output was over 420 hp. The Hurst Olds package also got numerous other performance upgrades like a ram air induction system, a heavy-duty suspension, and updated brakes. Since the Hurst Olds was a limited-production factory hot rod, it was expensive, and they didn’t produce a convertible. But, in 1969, Hurst made three convertibles for promotional purposes only. Fully dressed in eye-catching gold and white paint scheme with a white top and interior, a rear spoiler, and Oldsmobile Rally style wheels, they toured America promoting Hurst alongside famous muscle car pinup girl Linda Vaughan.