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Automotive Lifestyle
AUTOS: Hurst Olds Sold By The Lady Herself
Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, Linda Vaughn, sells her rare 1979 muscle car at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach.
Linda Vaughn's 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile was owned by her family since Day 1. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson)
Linda Vaughn, the famed First Lady of Motorsports, sold her own 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile on Saturday at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction.
The hot Olds (Lot #646) sold for $45,100, won by the collector-car auction CEO, Craig Jackson.
It is only fitting that Vaughn would be selling a Hurst/Olds since she has reigned for many years as Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, appearing at drag-racing events everywhere during the ‘60s and ‘70s, wearing a body-clinging jumpsuit and draped from a gigantic Hurst shifter mounted on the back of a 442 convertible. And the lucky winner of the competition would most likely get his trophy and a kiss from Miss Vaughn when the racing was done.
Vaughn was the archetypal blonde bombshell of the era, but she is also known as a gracious ambassador for motorsports, gaining love and respect from legions of race fans, sponsors and drivers alike. And her luscious Georgia accent just serves to accentuate her charm.
Today, she is a highly sought-after celebrity guest at racing events and auto shows, so Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach visitors should count themselves among the lucky ones to enjoy Vaughn’s company.
This is not the first time that Vaughn has brought a Hurst/Olds to auction at Barrett-Jackson. In 2007, her own 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile two door hardtop sold for a strong $64,900, including buyer’s fee, at the Scottsdale sale, its value no doubt enhanced by the connection and the presence of Miss Hurst Golden Shifter herself.
The 1979 Hurst/Olds, built on the downsized two door Cutlass body, was the first of the H/O cars created entirely by the Oldsmobile division. In step with its performance heritage, it was the only General Motors car of its type to come with a 350 V8 in 1979 instead of a smaller engine. Of course, it was also equipped with a Hurst Dual Gate shifter.
The base color could be black, as is Vaughn’s car, or white with an overlay of gold paint on the grille, hood, roof and rearmost portion of the trunk. The aluminum wheels are also painted gold, and the W30 designation of the Hurst/Olds is imprinted on the lower quarter of each front fender.
The cost of the conversion for the standard 1979 Cutlass was $2,054, and a total of 2,499 of them were built. The production number was picked because if Oldsmobile had built 2,500 or more, the 350cid drivetrain and body combination would have to be separately certified by the federal EPA. The engine already had EPA’s blessing for the bigger Olds 88, so the division was allowed without specific certification to sell the Hurst/Olds as long as fewer than 2,500 were made.
The Hurst brand was an icon of the U.S. performance wars of the 1960s and into the 1970s, with just about every self-respecting Hot Rodder and drag racer installing one of the famous Hurst floor shifters. The signature appearance of the sturdy Hurst shifters was striking, with its wide, flat arm and billiard-ball knob. But what the gearheads liked best was the quick and solid shift action. During those days, the Hurst shifter was the hottest aftermarket performance item on the shelf.
George Hurst was a Pennsylvania Hot Rodder and one of the best innovators in performance parts at the time, developing special engine mounts and exhaust headers before turning his talents toward creating better floor-mount shift mechanisms than those offered by the manufacturers or the aftermarket. In partnership with a Hot Rod pal who was also a professional engineer, Bill Campbell, Hurst was able to bring some of his ideas to fruition during the 1950s.
The inventive duo worked with another Pennsylvania gearhead, Ed Almquist, who had founded an aftermarket firm called Anco that was active in developing and marketing hundreds of aftermarket parts. But after Anco refused to provide startup cash for the Hurst shifter, they formed their own company called Hurst Performance, Inc.
The hot Olds (Lot #646) sold for $45,100, won by the collector-car auction CEO, Craig Jackson.
It is only fitting that Vaughn would be selling a Hurst/Olds since she has reigned for many years as Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, appearing at drag-racing events everywhere during the ‘60s and ‘70s, wearing a body-clinging jumpsuit and draped from a gigantic Hurst shifter mounted on the back of a 442 convertible. And the lucky winner of the competition would most likely get his trophy and a kiss from Miss Vaughn when the racing was done.
Vaughn was the archetypal blonde bombshell of the era, but she is also known as a gracious ambassador for motorsports, gaining love and respect from legions of race fans, sponsors and drivers alike. And her luscious Georgia accent just serves to accentuate her charm.
Today, she is a highly sought-after celebrity guest at racing events and auto shows, so Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach visitors should count themselves among the lucky ones to enjoy Vaughn’s company.
This is not the first time that Vaughn has brought a Hurst/Olds to auction at Barrett-Jackson. In 2007, her own 1979 Hurst Oldsmobile two door hardtop sold for a strong $64,900, including buyer’s fee, at the Scottsdale sale, its value no doubt enhanced by the connection and the presence of Miss Hurst Golden Shifter herself.
The 1979 Hurst/Olds, built on the downsized two door Cutlass body, was the first of the H/O cars created entirely by the Oldsmobile division. In step with its performance heritage, it was the only General Motors car of its type to come with a 350 V8 in 1979 instead of a smaller engine. Of course, it was also equipped with a Hurst Dual Gate shifter.
The base color could be black, as is Vaughn’s car, or white with an overlay of gold paint on the grille, hood, roof and rearmost portion of the trunk. The aluminum wheels are also painted gold, and the W30 designation of the Hurst/Olds is imprinted on the lower quarter of each front fender.
The cost of the conversion for the standard 1979 Cutlass was $2,054, and a total of 2,499 of them were built. The production number was picked because if Oldsmobile had built 2,500 or more, the 350cid drivetrain and body combination would have to be separately certified by the federal EPA. The engine already had EPA’s blessing for the bigger Olds 88, so the division was allowed without specific certification to sell the Hurst/Olds as long as fewer than 2,500 were made.
The Hurst brand was an icon of the U.S. performance wars of the 1960s and into the 1970s, with just about every self-respecting Hot Rodder and drag racer installing one of the famous Hurst floor shifters. The signature appearance of the sturdy Hurst shifters was striking, with its wide, flat arm and billiard-ball knob. But what the gearheads liked best was the quick and solid shift action. During those days, the Hurst shifter was the hottest aftermarket performance item on the shelf.
George Hurst was a Pennsylvania Hot Rodder and one of the best innovators in performance parts at the time, developing special engine mounts and exhaust headers before turning his talents toward creating better floor-mount shift mechanisms than those offered by the manufacturers or the aftermarket. In partnership with a Hot Rod pal who was also a professional engineer, Bill Campbell, Hurst was able to bring some of his ideas to fruition during the 1950s.
The inventive duo worked with another Pennsylvania gearhead, Ed Almquist, who had founded an aftermarket firm called Anco that was active in developing and marketing hundreds of aftermarket parts. But after Anco refused to provide startup cash for the Hurst shifter, they formed their own company called Hurst Performance, Inc.
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