Man Waited Decades To Buy His Dream Car, a Rare 1968 Hurst Olds

Launched in 1968, the latter is one of the rarest and desirable Oldsmobiles from the golden era.

Although it shared its body with the Cutlass and 442, the Hurst/Olds came in a unique paint scheme. Although it's primarily famous in gold-on-white livery, the Hurst/Olds was initially launched in a black-on-silver color scheme.

The 1968 version hit showrooms with a 455-cubic-inch (7.5-liter) Rocket V8 engine equipped with a four-barrel carburetor. The mill delivered 390 horsepower and a whopping 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of torque. Oldsmobile produced only 515 units in two body styles: 51 Sport coupes and 464 Holiday coupes.

Born at a time when GM prohibited its divisions from using engines larger than 400 cubic inches (6.6-liter) in mid-size cars, the Hurst/Olds got away with a 455-cubic-inch V8 because the company claimed the mill was installed by Hurst. In reality, the cars got their engines at the Olds factory before being shipped to Demmer Engineering to get the unique Hurst features.

The Hurst/Olds returned for the 1969 model year in the more iconic white paint with gold stripes. How rated at 380 horsepower, the Hurst/Olds 442 found 906 customers that year.

Oldsmobile revived the nameplate in 1972, keeping it in production through 1975. The Hurst/Olds returned in 1979 and in 1983-1984. Although these versions are also relatively rare, the 1968-1969 Hurst/Olds is the most desirable.

Often regarded as the ultimate golden-era Oldsmobile muscle car, the Hurst/Olds is a dream car for many enthusiasts. Rob Williams, the owner of this 1968 example, had been dreaming about buying one ever since he got his 1974 Cutlass at age 16. Decades later, he finally got his hands on a first-year Hurst/Olds in Peruvian Silver.

Rob's beefed-up 442 is a Sport coupe (it has a B-pillar), which also makes it one of only 464 produced. It still relies on the original drivetrain, which includes a three-speed automatic gearbox, and it looks ready to hit the auto show tour.

The owner says the car was "freshened up," and it remains unclear if it received a proper restoration. But based on how it looks, this Hurst/Olds was either restored, or it's a nicely maintained example with a repaint. The coupe has only 94,860 miles (152,662 km) on the odometer and was ordered with the rare power seat option.

Rob does not disclose how much he spent on this first-year Hurst muscle car, but I can tell you they're not cheap. According to Classic.com, about a dozen examples were auctioned off for an average of nearly $68,000 over the last decade. Only one car fetched a six-figure sum at $104,500.

The rarer hardtops are obviously the most expensive, but the regular coupes can change hands for over $82,500. Far from cheap, but definitely more affordable than other muscle cars from the era (think Hemi-powered Mopars).