For Sale: 1-of-2 '69 H/O 455 Convertibles

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If you're a muscle car enthusiast, you might remember black and white images of the Queen of Hurst Shifters, Linda Vaughn riding around in a convertible Hurst-edition Oldsmobile 4-4-2 with a giant fake shifter jutting out of a flat bed-style platform mounted on the back of the Olds. Well, this is the car. This exceptionally rare '69 Hurst Oldsmobile convertible is one of the only two '69 H/O drop tops ever produced and up for sale at Specialty Sales. Specially built for retired Hurst Performance VP, Richard Pierce, the rag top was one of the first Hurst-built Oldsmobiles. Pierce, who ran the division's brake department, ordered the convertible for events and specifically so it could be fitted with an over-sized Hurst shifter. The only other drop top went to George Hurst's wife, spouse of the owner of Hurst Performance and was never put into production for the public.


Images: Specialty Sales

Just like the limited-production '69 H/O's, this Olds touts a 455 Rocket V8 producing 500 lbs. of torque and fitted with a dual gate shifter with a prototype goose neck, this setup never found its way in to production as well, the production H/Os featuring a center-console mounted dual gate instead. Like the production H/Os, the convertible shared the same gold stripes following body lines, but the gold lines are also found on the interior headrests with gold carpeting highlighting the normally all-black interior. Believe it or not, this exclusive Olds is over 40 years old and has shared only two owners.



More impressively, the running gear is nearly all-original, with only a repaint, new convertible top, and interior being refurbished six years ago. The original patina from when the car was paraded is still there, including where screws secured the chrome trim where they had come off during the car's use as a pace car and a small dent in the rear bumper where the large platform displaying the Hurst shifter and Ms. Vaughn was attached. Inside the trunk, there's an electrical plug to where the platform and shifter pulled electricity to power the display lights. Original style Goodyear Polyglass tires wrap the gold SSII 15-inch wheels.



Like you would expect from an Oldsmobile, this rare H/O (serial number: 344679M409421) features enough bells and whistles to make a Cadillac blush including air conditioning, power steering, power front disc brakes, power windows, power door locks, cruise control, tilt steering wheel and an AM/FM radio. With only one other convertible in existence, this Hurst Oldsmobile convertible is truly priceless.




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