10 Coolest Hurst Performance Vehicles

While American automakers started mass-producing factory performance cars in the 1960s, their shifters were flimsy and made it difficult to grab a gear, especially in racing situations. Enter Hurst Performance, which started out making bumpers for VW buses, and later went on to introduce an aftermarket, heavy-duty shifter that gave better control of gear selection and reduced throw lengths.

Hurst shifters were instantly popular with street racers and hot rodders, looking for any advantage they could bolt on. In his book Motor City Muscle: High-Powered History of the American Muscle Car, automotive historian Mike Mueller noted, “If you didn’t have a Hurst shifter in your supercar, you were a mild-mannered loser.” Detroit took note and realized having a Hurst in their performance models was brilliant marketing and the company became an OEM supplier for the Big Three and AMC.

The Hurst name became legendary, not just due to their quality, but also because they were the coolest. The pistol-grip shifter in Mopar muscle cars remains the most awesome way to run through the gears ever conceived. Hurst also branched out into making special edition high-performance versions of vehicles intended for blowing off doors. These limited-numbers Hurst Performance cars were the baddest street machines ever made and are a somewhat forgotten piece of American muscle car history.

RELATED: The Definitive History Of American Muscle

10 1969 AMC Hurst SC/Rambler

The Scrambler Rambler

AMC made some of the coolest-looking rides of the classic muscle car era, but the one knock was, that they weren’t quite as fast as the Mopars, Fords, and GMs. In a weird twist of fate, the fastest car they ever made came in the dorkiest package. The 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler was based on their entry-level Rambler, which was kind of a “grandma” car at the time.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

This one however was anything but Nana’s grocery mobile after Hurst got through with it. Adding T-handle shifters, straight-through glass-pack mufflers, and upgrades to the brakes and suspension, the SC (Super Car) was a red, white, and blue street superhero. AMC claimed quarter-mile times in the low 14s, but Amazing Muscle Cars documented a Hurst SC/Rambler hitting street tires at 12.06 seconds.

9 2017 Hurst Kenne Bell R-Code Mustang

Code-Gold Pony Car

With only a few exceptions, Hurst Performance special edition cars are white with black accents and plenty of signature Hurst Gold. Hurst was formed in Warminster Township, Pennsylvania, close to Philadelphia, which is Eagles territory, but the company’s trademark colors are Pittsburgh Steelers all the way. Maybe George Hurst was a closet Steelers fan or perhaps green and white isn’t as cool on a street rod.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from MotorTrend)

Whatever the case, the 2017 Hurst Kenne Bell R-Code Mustang is the Hurst-looking car that was ever made, in white with subtle black trim and a big body-length Hurst Gold stripe. It’s also obscenely powered, another signature of Hurst vehicles, with 750 horsepower under that glorious hood. Ford teamed up with Hurst and supercharger-maker Kenne Bell to crank out 50 of these killer rides, but only produced 16, making it one of the rarest Hurst vehicles.

8 AMC Gremlin Hurst Rescue System 1

Gremlins Save the Day for Once

In addition to making awesome shifters, George Hurst invented the “Jaws of Life” vehicle rescue tool. The idea for the device that can cut through car doors and frames came after Hurst watched a crew take over an hour to extract an injured driver from a wrecked race car. In order to promote this life-saving tool, Hurst produced the Hurst Rescue System 1.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Built out of AMC Gremlins, these vehicles were intended for municipal emergency response services as well as racetrack rescues. Loaded with the Jaws of Life, winch, stretcher, and firefighting capabilities, including a 25-gallon water tank, the Rescue System 1, had everything needed for a first responder. It was however kind of pricey, costing $12,500, which is over $92,000 in 2023 dollars.

RELATED: Fastest Pontiac Muscle Cars, Ranked

7 Pontiac Hurst SSJ Grand Prix

Made-to-Order Luxury and Performance

The way most Hurst Performance vehicles worked was that Hurst would customize a select number of cars and then sell them to the public. With the Pontiac Hurst SSJ Grand Prix, produced from 1970-1972, a customer would order the package through a dealer and then the factory would ship that car to Hurst. Once the Grand Prix was customized, the customer could either pick it up from Hurst or have it shipped to their dealer.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

What those customers got with the Hurst SSJ package was a signature white and gold paint job, a Hurst shifter, and a portable Sony TV. They also got a 455ci engine and Hurst Performance parts upgrades from bumper to bumper, making it a powerful luxury ride. The Hurst SSJ Grand Prix cars were not a limited edition because as many of them could have been made as customers ordered, but only 629 were ever built.

6 1971 Hurst Jeepster

Hurst Goes Off-Road

Jeep’s history started off with the Willys-Overland Company, which then merged with Kaiser Motors, which was in turn picked up by AMC, which was bought by Chrysler and is now part of Stellantis. Somewhere in there, the Jeepster Commando was launched and in 1971 Hurst designed a special version that wasn’t so much a high-performance variant as it was an appearance package.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Though it wasn’t super-powered, it was pretty cool, and its rarity made it even more desirable. AMC has claimed that 500 Hurst Jeepsters were made, but Hemmings estimates that only around 100 were actually produced. While clearly not a roaring success, it was the first time the Hurst did anything with a 4-wheel drive vehicle, and now it’s one of the most collectible Jeeps ever.

5 1970 Chrysler Hurst 300

Performance Followed Down to the Letter

The Chrysler 300 “letter series” were legendary performance luxury vehicles made from 1955 to 1965, and were replaced by the 300 non-letter series until 1971. Whether it had a letter or not, the 300 cars were powerful and the only reason why they aren’t considered muscle cars is because they were full-size and kind of expensive. In 1970 the Chrysler Hurst 300 was so badass that it received an honorary muscle car participation certificate.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

With a scooped hood and molded trunk lid spoiler, both fiberglass, the ’70 Hurst was the slickest-looking of the model year. It also packed a serious punch with all units equipped with the 375 horsepower 440 TNT engine. As cool as this ride was, it was a flop because neither Chrysler nor Hurst bothered to promote it and nobody knew about it before it was discontinued.

RELATED: The Most Powerful Oldsmobile Cars Ever Built

4 1968 Hurst/Olds

Oldsmobile Rocket 68

GM had a rule that no engines bigger than 400 ci could be used in mid-size cars, so Oldsmobile got around that by partnering with Hurst to create the special edition Hurst/Olds in 1968. Based on their popular 442 model but with a big honking 455 under the hood, the Hurst/Olds is one of the best muscle cars from any GM brand. Olds gamed the GM engine ban by claiming they were installed by Hurst, but really they went in at the factory.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

In addition to the torque-monster engine, the Hurst/Olds cars came with a console-mounted Hurst Dual-Gate shifter that allowed for automatic or manual shifting. Oldsmobile intermittently made the Hurst/Olds until 1984, when they sold 3,500 of them, but the first two years were the best and most rare. Only 515 were produced in 1968 and another 906 in 1969, making them highly collectible.

3 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR Hurst

Gold Standard For Speed

A 2009 Dodge Viper SRT-10 ACR was already pretty damn fast, so there were no performance upgrades needed, so when Hurst built some to commemorate their 50th anniversary, they got an appearance package. The Viper was already pretty damn cool-looking too, but seeing it in black with signature Hurst gold stripes takes it to an entirely new level of awesome.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

Since these Vipers were to celebrate 50 years of Hurst Performance, they made 50, but only one in black. The other 49 were gold with black stripes, which looks just as badass. The cars were packed with luxury and Hurst branding, but the ultimate touch was, as Mopar Insiders reported, the pistol grip shifter. While not as pronounced as the pistol-grip shifters from the classic Mopar muscle cars, it’s close and caps off a great Hurst special edition.

2 1968 Hemi Dart Super Stock

Drag Car Legend

Dodge has made some fast Darts over the years like the legendary ’62 413 Max Wedge and the ’69 GTS 440, but for whatever reason never made a factory car with a 426 Hemi. Hurst however made some with the special edition 1968 Hemi Dart Super Stock drag car. Hurst Performance dropped Hemis into 80 Dart GTs, stripped out all unnecessary weight, like the back seats, and replaced the hood and fenders with fiberglass.

Power, Performance, and Production

(Performance specs sourced from Automobile Catalog)

The result was a freaky fast car that was intended for track use only. They were however technically street legal, but Dodge discouraged anyone from using them as a daily driver. They also didn’t come with a warranty, because their purpose was to be abused at the drag strip, which is obviously different from going on a Taco Bell run. In addition to the 426, Hurst upgraded nearly every part to make the ultimate performance Dart.

RELATED: 10 Fastest Classic Mopar Muscle Cars

1 Plymouth Barracuda Hurst Hemi Under Glass

Two-Wheel Track Terror

Hurst conceived of the Hemi Under Glass series of drag cars as a way to showcase their performance parts. Starting in 1965, they made these cars from Plymouth Barracudas and created a new one each year, corresponding with the latest model until 1975. What made these cars unique is that they dropped a 426 Hemi in the back seat, under the Barracuda’s large rear window, hence the name “Hemi Under Glass,” a play on the gourmet dish Pheasant under glass.

Power, Performance, and Production

Originally designed to compete in the NHRA A/FX class, the front end tended to lift off the ground, because all the weight was in the back. This isn’t a great way to win a drag race, but the crowds loved it and the Hemi Under Glass became an exhibition wheelstand drag car.

Driver Bob Riggle, who recently passed away, was synonymous with the radical Barracuda, piloting it on and off from the beginning until recently when he rolled one with Jay Leno in the passenger seat. A Mopar muscle car with a rear-mounted 426 Hemi, that can do a quarter-mile wheelie isn’t just the coolest Hurst Performance vehicle, it’s one of the most awesome things anyone has ever come up with.