While you may be more familiar with the “Hurst Olds,” this 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst Edition, offered from Illinois here on eBay, is one of fewer than 500 made. With its white and gold two-tone paint, full-width grille, tail-light bar, and rear spoiler, power options, leather, and 440 cubic inch mill, this big cruiser needs a new owner to get it into the wind after a lengthy hiatus.
The owner says the car “has been sitting in a garage for the last 20 years untouched,” and presumably this picture is from the glory days before it was tucked away. Perfect specimens can sell for more than $40,000, and this one shows fewer than 48,000 miles on the odometer. It seems to have good bones but will need (at least) body and fuel system repairs. With bidding at $8,500 (reserve not met) and no Buy-It-Now price, the seller’s magic number is anyone’s guess. Barring bids of passion it may be well-sold at $15,000. Is this your day to buy Chrysler’s swanky sport-branded muscle-coupe?
With leather seats, AC, Power Locks, Power Windows, Power Seats, and nearly 19 feet of length, this is no stripped-down pony car. The Hurst package, also called “300H,” carries on the history of Chrysler’s performance-with-luxury 300 Letter Cars dating back to their 1955 300C. The seller has included links to more high-resolution pictures and a page describing the history of these cars.
Though weighing in at nearly two tons, the 300H’s TNT 440 cid motor (375 HP, 490 lb-ft torque) assures this burly muscle barge is no slow-poke. In the ’60s and ’70s you couldn’t call yourself a serious gear-head unless your car had a Hurst shifter. Car owners would gladly display durable vinyl window stickers included with their Hurst products to brag that their car was no mere stocker.
The Hurst brand became so synonymous with performance that manufacturers like GM and Chrysler began offering Hurst shifters and other products as factory options, and made special Hurst-edition models of their vehicles. While the Hurst Oldsmobile may have offered more flash for the cash, this Chrysler 300 Hurst edition is more like your boss’s muscle car. What do you think of this TNT-powered luxo-coupe?
Kind of weird to have a Hurst-badged car with bench seats and a column shifter. Not saying it’s wrong, just…weird.
Without a 4 speed manual, Hurst badging means nothing.
Maybe it’s just me, but I would expect a temperature, oil pressure, tachometer,
and maybe a vacuum gauge on a car like this
Looks like the auction ended at $9.7k and remained unsold. Somewhat rough but still a handsome car.
Probably stickers in the 70’s. They were like vinyl decals but you couldn’t remove them without chemicals and cursing.
Hurst shifter on column..?
It’s for speed shifting the Torqflite!
Saw one of these being repaired on “FantomWorks.” Beautiful car.
I worked on 2 of these (2 different owners)back in the 70’s both were bucket seat cars but in 1970 you could order the car any way you wanted. There were other unique cars in the day but these were very cool.
it’s already been relisted for $18,500.00 OBO:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-Chrysler-300-Series-/152613372354?hash=item23887741c2:g:LKMAAOSwXY5ZVEYl
Thanks for the information about the re-listing. Seems seller really wants to get rid of it…WHY? I would not offer half of what he wants… following…
wasn’t this car posted here like just 2 days ago or was that a different one?
@jwinters
That one had the buckets and console
Different car! Of the 502 made, two have come up for sale in the past week.
I’d like to welcome Todd to our group. Caution,,,tough crowd here. I don’t think this car was ever accepted as a true 300 “letter” car by collectors that ended 5 years earlier. Still, for 1970, it was a high class mover, for sure. Even by 1970, the tide was turning, and insurance costs spelled doom for these cars. Gas was still pretty cheap, but they got dismal mileage, 7city/10highway. ( automobile catalog) Like I said on the last car like this, Hurst was bought by Sunbeam ( appliances) in 1970 and gave George Hurst the shaft, not that has anything to do with this car. Pretty nice car, not sure what you’d feed it today, but be prepared for it to be a lot. ( and don’t anyone give me that baloney they could get decent mileage, they just can’t.)
Thanks Howard! I’m a sucker for nearly anything with hidden headlights. Decades ago I wanted a Sport Fury then later realized there was a similar 300. These 300s had indeed come a long way from the ’55 300C, but anything with Linda Vaughn standing on it immediately looks better.
Hi Todd, I’ll bet there’s some folks here that have never heard of Linda Vaughn. Here she is on the ’70 Chrysler.
http://www.legendsofnascar.com/Linda_vaughn_70_hurst.jpg
Howard A,
Do you remember Linda in the “Gumball Rally” at the end of the movie? What a distraction.
The real 300H was built in 1962. Nobody that knows the history of the 300 letter cars would mistake this for one of them. While a nice highway car with lots of get up and go, a true muscle car would out perform this car.
Who said this was a 300H?
So if you buy the other one with the buckets and add to this one then you would have a decent car.
The problem is that with so few produced, each one should be saved and variety is the spice of life.
If you had a sweetheart in this car with you, the bench seat would be more than welcome.
All 300 Hurst’s had leather trimmed buckets from the ’70 Imperial – this one has the optional “buddy seat” armrest, the other car has the console.
AMXSTEVE I was thinking the same thing. Not a fan of the column shift, bench seat ” Hurst “
Agreed….. not even a “special” knob on the shift lever.
all in all, not a bad looking car for a 70, but not deserving of the “Hurst” treatment.
that TNT 440 in my 72 barracuda would have been a lot of fun though !!
The 70 300 Hurst the very interesting story. Well worth Googling. There was some miscommunication between Chrysler and Hurst. I think Chrysler had put out some advertising about it and then forgot about it and Hurst thought that the deal had been canceled and at some point both parties got to an ” oh cra p”moment and they hurriedly put out just under five hundred of these cars. The only Hurst car without a Hurst shifter.
Can I order a Hurst “T” Shifter for my column shifted Chrysler????
That way I can bang my neutral drops!
(just kidding folks!)
Had a friends neighbor that had one of these parked in his back yard in Dudley MA. Back around 1985. I had a couple of thoughts about it because I had never seen one before (or since)
1) it was kind of cool, because it was different.
2) it was HUGE.
The 1970s were notorious for body integrity problems as well as general quality control issues. The person who relisted at $18,000 is obviously suffering from misplaced greed.
And Howard is among the toughest….should be a complement ?
Hi lawrence, no I’m not,,, well maybe a little. I only speak the truth, apparently, in the past, some have had a problem with that.
429 feet-pound of torque,eh? Dunno what Mom’s ’74 New Yorker had but rest assured even that 440 was a tire shredder back in the day! It was huge(one helluva prom car!) but it was fun to toss around-it wouldn’t come out of first gear until it hit 70. I was never quite brave enough to find out just where that old 4-door would top out. Sadly, I lost all driving rights when my father discovered his toolbox contents scattered all across the massive trunk after I spent a particularly enjoyable evening cutting doughnuts in the high school parking lot. He couldn’t exactly ground me as I already had my Mustang so I was simply forbidden to drive it.
Talk about pouring salt in the wound-a few months later they traded it in on a new Nissan Sentra. I think I actually shed a tear that day.
Howard, Cool pic. from the day. I think I know a fare amount of car history,but never seen that pic. with Linda
Really cool, right down to the vintage crager ss wheels!!
I have 2 sbp crager ss wheels still in the box, old school wheels for my 71 duster.I cant wait for the right time to have tires mounted on them and on the car. (its a fc7 3 on the floor,bucket seat-even orig. 8 3/4 rear twister duster I believe)
Hi erik, oh yeah, there was more than one picture of her inside our high school locker doors. My parents forbade those kind of pictures. They were pretty racy for the time, when you think of it. Sold a lot of floor shifters, they did.
I met Linda at MCACN a couple yrs ago. Shes still hot for an old broad.
My neighbor had one of the in the garage, took up the whole garage, had to climb out the window to get out, once it was in. This is before my time and don’t really think of performance In this format. If I remember correctly the hood and the trunk were both fiberglass to lighten up the body.
Howard, Thanks for the return comment!! I think we always seem to think the same of the cool old times and I, speaking for myself, am glad to be able to say I was there and did it. Thanks and always enjoy your input. We are lucky dudes to have these real memories. Erikj