Hurst had a good thing going with the 1968-69 Hurst/Olds, a fancy 4-4-2 that received a 455 transplant when General Motors would do no such thing thanks to a corporate edict limiting mid-size cars to 400ci. However, GM ruined Hurst’s momentum when it lifted that edict for 1970 and Oldsmobile made the 455 standard in the 4-4-2. Our Pick of the Day is the car that rendered the Hurst/Olds obsolete. This 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Holiday Coupe is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in Collierville, Tennessee.
General Motors had a problem on its hands, and it was all GM’s fault: Competitors offered performance cars with engines much larger than what it was willing to build. While the 1968 4-4-2 was saddled with a 400ci V-8, Dodge made a 440 Magnum standard in the Coronet R/T and Charger R/T. Even at Ford, the 427 was promised for the Torino and a 428 was delivered. Yes, the 4-4-2 was a decent seller and had a good reputation as a handler, but that alone did not sell cars.
Meanwhile, Hurst Performance was on a roll, producing one aftermarket hit after another (and a few misses — yes, those fantastic mags were misses). The automotive brand that had the best relationship with Hurst was Pontiac, but Hurst’s pitch for a fancy Firebird was not met with enthusiasm by Pontiac. However, Oldsmobile was receptive to the idea, and a beautiful relationship was born — and a GM problem was solved.
Interestingly, the classy-looking 390-horsepower 1968 Hurst/Olds received its 455 at the factory, which was against GM rules, but this was done surreptitiously, with the truth not revealed until decades later. The updated 1969 H/O lacked the classiness of the ’68, but it was a properly evolved bruiser that perfectly reflected the culture of the time (witness the GTO Judge, and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler and Cougar Eliminator). Horsepower was down 10 from ’68, but this “executive supercar” delivered the goods in ways that GM wouldn’t allow Oldsmobile.
That all changed for 1970. Oldsmobile allowed the 455 for the 4-4-2, rendering the Hurst/Olds superfluous (with folklore suggesting Hurst’s proposal was stolen by Olds, resulting in the insurance-friendly Rallye 350). The 4-4-2 was restyled, looking familiar up front, but the sides were different, especially with the rear fenders and the accented arches. Equipment was shuffled, with Oldsmobile ditching the W-Machine under-the-bumper air induction system for a new fiberglass hood with far-reaching scoops. Coded W25, this was newly available for the standard 4-4-2, which was rated at 365 horsepower. While the ’69 4-4-2 came standard with G.T. pinstripes on the hood and was available with W42 dual paint stripes, the ’70 hood featured no stripes but could be ordered with Y73 G.T stripes; additionally, all 1970 4-4-2s came standard with longitudinal pinstripes that ran across and around the wheel wells. Order the W25 hood and you’d get your dual paint stripes like before. This hood was included with the revamped W30 package, which also included thick bodyside paint stripes. This gave the 4-4-2 a more boisterous image reminiscent of the ’69 H/O, only requiring the new, optional spoiler to complete the look.
Plenty of folks are guilty of restoring their 4-4-2s to look like W30s. Look at others listed on ClassicCars.com and you’ll see many cars have the W25 hood and W-Machine side stripes, but this Matador Red 1970 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Holiday Coupe features the standard hood and side stripes. Sure, it looks like someone couldn’t help him/herself and added the spoiler and W27 aluminum rear (let’s see the documentation otherwise), but this is one 4-4-2 that looks remarkably pure compared to others in the market. “The body is exceptionally straight and rust free, with excellent panel fit, properly aligned grille and lighting components, and tight gaps throughout,” say the seller. “Factory Super Stock I wheels are mounted with reproduction Firestone ‘Sup-R-Belt’ redline tires, while dual exhaust outlets terminate through correct chrome tips.” Shifting comes courtesy of a TH400 automatic mounted on a console. Where’s the Hurst Dual-Gate? That was an option separate from the console. Other features include air conditioning and Oldsmobile’s nifty Custom Sport steering wheel.
The Hurst/Olds returned for 1972, a reconfigured performance car on a different wavelength, but power was down due to lowered compression, so it cannot compare to this 4-4-2. If the 1969 H/O is too extroverted for you and the ’68 H/O is a bit out of reach, then perhaps this $58,900 Olds is your antidote. It’s made from the same sound ingredients with the ’70 style that everyone loves.
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