Usually when one thinks of Oldsmobile’s association with Hurst, the archetypal 1969 version springs to mind. But Hurst and Oldsmobile had a long association with each other and today we are going to review an example from their 1974 collaboration. Located in San Diego, California is his 1974 Hurst/Oldsmobile Cutlass S Indy 500 pace car. This one has an interesting back story, so let’s check it out. It is available, here on craigslist for $29,000. Thanks to Rocco B for this tip!

The Hurst association with Oldsmobile started in 1968 and continued in ’69, ’72-’75, ’79, ’83, and ’84.  As for pacing the Indy 500, Oldsmobile had the honor, generally with the Cutlass, in ’70, ’72, ’74, ’77 (Delta 88), ’85, ’88, ’97, (Aurora), ’00 (Aurora), and ’01 (Bravada).  Of those years, the Hurst association was present on the pace cars for both ’72 and ’74. As the seller states in his listing, there were about 1,800 Hurst/Oldsmobile pace cars built for 1974.

This particular example was originally built with a 180 net HP, 350 CI V8 “Rocket” V8 as California’s CARB restrictions precluded the registration of vehicles with the more powerful 455 CI engine. This pace car, however, has undergone an engine transplant substituting a 230 net HP, 455 for the original 350 CI motor. What’s interesting about this swap is that the new, bigger engine has not experienced any performance-enhancing modifications – it’s in stock form. The 455 motor, only gracing 380 of the 1,800 pace cars produced, makes, according to the seller, “a very fun way to experience an exceptionally rare car“. The standard three-speed automatic transmission handles gear changes though the one installed here looks like a “350” unit and not the more robust “400” that would have originally been installed behind the 455 engine.

The interior upholstery treatment caught me off guard at first, I assumed that the black and white vinyl color combination was an after-the-fact change but it’s not and it’s original – definitely an attention-getter! The rest of the interior is in like-new condition, no mean feat when so much of it is white. While only having experienced 19K miles of use, time the avenger has a way of turning white interior materials yellow – not the case here. The four-spoke X steering wheel is a very distinctive feature of the Hurst option package and looks as you would expect, it has not felt the grip of many hands. Other than the missing knob on the driver’s side window crank, nothing is out of place or requires attention.

There’s no mistaking the exterior of a Hurst Oldsmobile, especially one dolled up as an Indy 500 pace car. This example is no exception as it is resplendent in its gleaming white finish and accompanying gold highlights. The seller makes note of the two-tone vinyl top, likening it to a Targa inspired design, that is how it appears. The decals are all still clear, no evidence of lifting or cloudiness, and the gold striping is still exactly where it was originally placed, no sign of it peeling or shifting. The only issue noted is an imperfection in the lower front corner of the passenger side door, it may just be a scrape, however. There are a few images of the underside included and you can forget about any indication of rust or corrosion though the front cross member looks to have had a few scrapping run-ins with speed bumps or some other obstacle.  This Oldsmobile has been well stored over its 47 years of life.

Cars like this pace car seem to be collection pieces or car show attendees and that’s about it, especially one that is in as original condition as this example is. Beyond that, any type of light use would probably be limited at best. But if collecting either Indy pace cars or Hurst Oldsmobiles is your thing, you would be hard-pressed to find a better 1974 subject than this example, don’t you think?