There was a time, years ago, when a window decal proclaiming “Hurst Equipped” was a common sight. The discreet decal was the nod and wink that the wearing vehicle had chucked its original gear shifter and moved up to a better performance piece. Well, today’s find is Hurst equipped alright but we’re talking the whole doggone car, not just the inclusion of a special gear selector. For your review, we have a 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst, one of 502 (or 503 – depending on your info. source) produced that year. This big Mopar is located in Harrisburg, South Dakota and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $7,470, reserve not yet met.
By 1970, a year many consider to be the pinnacle of domestic muscle and performance, full-size hot-rods were winding down. Chevrolet dropped its Impala SS427 the previous year and Pontiac’s Grand Prix last saw full-size dimensions in 1968. Over at Ford, the XL500 and Mercury Marauder X-100 were running out of road as this would be their last year. Chrysler/Plymouth, however still saw some room in this market niche with the Fury GT (’70-’71) and the venerable Chrysler 300. The surprise however was when Chrysler and Hurst – that gearshift company and auto enhancer best known for their upgrades to Oldmobile’s 442, decided to work their magic on the 300 – a car with sporting intentions but refined and luxurious intentions as well – and voila, the Chrysler 300 Hurst was born.
The exterior appearance of a 300 Hurst is unmistakable as it is finished off in Hurt’s signature, two-tone, white and gold finish. Our subject car shows fair, though the finish is faded and both fender legs are rusted through. Rust is also apparent in both lower quarters and around the rear window. Fortunately, the unique spoiler, an odd sight on a 4,400 lb., 224″ long coupe, and the equally special Hurst hood are still in place. The fiberglass hood, in particular, is known to separate from its frame but this example looks fine. Nice to see and still in place, are the original, color-matched steel rally wheels – they, fortunately, haven’t been substituted for something non-OEM.
The running powerplant is a 375 gross HP, 440 CI “TNT” V8 connected to the sole available transmission, an A-727 TorqueFlite, three-speed automatic. The seller adds, “car does run and drive but needs new tires and brakes”. The mileage is recorded as 78K miles so if that’s a genuine measure, this 300’s engine should still have quite a bit of life to it.
The commodious interior, with its leather-swabbed seats, is in fair shape. The appearance of the interior is initially stark due to the missing carpet but we’re advised that a new carpet is included in the sale. The floors do show surface rust and their complete condition is not disclosed. The leather upholstery of the driver’s seat is starting to give it up but the rest of the environment, including the cool center console, looks pretty good.
OK, so I have found three different 300 Hurst production totals, 501, 503, 504 – all close enough so that any way you cut it, this is a limited production car, made so much more interesting by what it is – it’s really the end of an era. This example is included in the Chrysler 300 Registry and the broadcast sheet has been found and is available too.
But wait – there’s more! The seller has a 1969 Chrysler 300 coupe that he’ll throw in as a parts car. It runs, but he wants to keep the engine and transmission and let it go as a roller. This 300 Hurst is a nice find, it needs some help but hopefully, it will make its reserve and someone will be off to preserving a special model from a magical time when U.S automakers seemed unstoppable. Wouldn’t you agree, a car like this not come our way again?
Cool cars but it’s so huge! I immediately started singing the song from the B-52’s and now I can’t get it out of my head!
And now I’m singing “Can’t Get it Out of My Head” by ELO….thanks a lot!
Now I’m singin’ Thanks A Lot by Earnest Tubb . Appreciate it .
If you have a taste for full size cars with healthy V-8’s this one helps limit the choices. I’m sure it needs plenty of work to get back to beautiful. It’s got great lines and the hurst 300’s added nice features.
I have wanted one of these since the very first time I laid eyes on one. Growing up my father had a 1970 300, just about the time I got my license and for crying our loud was that a fun car on a Saturday night cruise! I roasted a lot of tires in that beast with the 440 TNT. Put my fair of chevys and fords to shame as well, no one expected a boat to move like that sleek Maroon missile did!!! Sure hope someone saves this rare car!! Maybe one of my odd balls will sell and this can take its place?!?!?!
Nice find, love a big, full-sized bruiser. The current bid seems fair considering the car does need some work. Hope the fiberglass hood truly is in good shape, watching “Fantomworks” on TV taught me they’re a pain to work on .
Fixing her up will cost some coin but you’ll end up with a fairly rare ride. Just hope your garage is long enough!
Man, that is a land yacht!
I straight love this car. The fuselage styling just works for me, and the interior looks posh (if a bit worn). If it gets 10mpg I’d be shocked, but it’d be a weekend cruiser for me anyway.
There was a guy locally who had a couple of these. He drove one of them when the weather was decent and the other one sat next to a garage that he may have owned. The driver was beautiful and having been passed by it on several occasions I can attest to the great rumble it made in passing. The other car may have been a parts car or possibly even one for future restoration. He was on his way home one afternoon when the drive caught fire and burned to the ground on a local interstate. I happened to be stuck in the resulting traffic jam and got to see the aftermath. Hope he went to work on the other one.
What many don’t know – These cars have no trunk key because the lock is electric only! The 440 is a 440 six-pack engine with a single four barrel, and has all the bigger rods, heavier valve springs, better pistons, better valves, the high-stall convertor, and more…
Sorry , it is vacuum open trunk .
Fantastic car. A behemoth. Rare, never seen one in person.
Sounds like a great motor and torq-flyte trans are good ones too.
Couple of prime demo derby entrants saved. I’d bet more than one of these was destroyed, in pursuit of the “last stick standing”. The 300 Hurst has long been mistaken as a true Chrysler “letter” car, so much so, enthusiasts of these cars have tried to include it as one, even though there already was a 300 H in 1962. Ultimate “Gentlemans Cruiser”, a term applied to all these 2 door, 4 passenger boats, as the epitome of highway luxury travel, highway travel being the most popular means of travelling at the time. Certainly worthy of restoration, from a time when bigger really meant better. A left lane car, fo sho, if someone isn’t going 52 mph with their left blinker on, hey Scotty? (Scotty’s bane, slow left lane drivers)
These cars are just massive in a 2 door configuration, made to look even more so with the slab sides, wide track and low roofline.
Now at $13,100 11/25/2021 10:20am CTRL Time. Looking closely at the pictures they don’t go UNDER the car at all, just views from the top. This one is pretty rough but truly one of the classics of the early ’70’s for Road Locomotives, Big, Fast and Beautifully sculpted body lines. Manage to get it for less than $20K be prepared to spend at least another $30K – $45K bringing it back to true showroom condition.
Car was criticized when new because it didn’t offer any performance advantage over a 440 Fury, Newport, or Polara. It was more a tape stripe package, albeit one with a pretty potent engine already in it! I certainly wouldn’t view it as a 50k + car, but that’s just me. Someone will take the plunge.
That’s the limited addition “Social Influencer” model: It has a Donatella Versace front end and a Kardashian rear end …..lol.
This is a console bucket seat car, very very desirable
Now at $13,900 at 12:15 PM CST. Reserve not met. It’s only 35 miles away from me but I won’t be having a look. For anyone interested, Harrisburg is just south of Sioux Falls, less than 10 miles. Interesting car for sure but just too big for my taste.
Liking those rectangular quad exhaust pipe tips – but the “color-keyed steel rims” are only fully in evidence on the driver’s side – and the passenger side shot – maybe a downhill-sloping dirt drive – makes it look almost like the back end is jacked up – ‘shine-runner style – maybe a substitute tire bigger-sized…also, not sure why the rear spoiler would be gold like that – must be more to the original color scheme – uh-oh and WOW! Here is THAT car, new, and look at how the paint color blends – from white roof to cream to gold with darker gold trim striping and the color-keyed steel rims too – https://www.streetmusclemag.com/news/rare-rides-the-1970-chrysler-300-hurst/ You have got to read this story – only (502) made, and even a picture of “Miss Hurst Shifter”! More Mo-Par, More Power!
The site was calling my first post (above) “a duplicate” and wouldn’t post it, then I pulled off the hot link (as a possible “image”) below, and it posted it, but it posted the FIRST entry above. Now I see it LATER posted the second entry too! But what I also now see about the photos is that the final pic showing the non-color-keyed wheels is actually the SECOND “1969 300M Parts Car” and is white with what looks like white interior – ok, got it now. In the above linked article, it says the seats were identical to those in the Chrysler Imperial – yes!
Liking those rectangular quad exhaust pipe tips – but the “color-keyed steel rims” are only fully in evidence on the driver’s side – and the passenger side shot – maybe a downhill-sloping dirt drive – makes it look almost like the back end is jacked up – ‘shine-runner style – maybe a substitute tire bigger-sized…also, not sure why the rear spoiler would be gold like that – must be more to the original color scheme – uh-oh and WOW! Here is THAT car, new, and look at how the paint color blends – from white roof to cream to gold with darker gold trim striping and the color-keyed steel rims too – there is an excellent write-up on this model Chrysler on streetmusclemag rare rides the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst – You have got to read this story – only (502) made, and even a picture of “Miss Hurst Shifter”! More Mo-Par, More Power!
While working to wind down a factory owned AMC store in 1979, I recall appraising one of these at $500. Remember this was when common knowledge was that gas would be $5/gal. soon and everyone was either buying Japanese four bangers or VW diesels. A dispute rose between me and the factory accountant so I ended up driving the Hurst home that night. My wife of the time was a forgiving soul, but driving this beast was beyond even her ketch and ken. PS- most cars of the day were worn out at 80,000 miles and needed extensive repairs or were destined for the pure sale.
I used to read this guys electric meter about 20 years ago, he had 3 of these in his carport in the backyard. I always wonder what happened to them.