Retro Review: 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst
Produced for one year only, the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst is a uniquely cool part of American muscle car history that remains desirable 50 years later.
Where It All Began
It’s interesting to compare Chrysler today, with just two vehicles for sale, against Chrysler of the 1950s when there were a host of fantastical options to choose from. And yet, one of those old-school beauties has managed to live on as the 2023 Chrysler 300, a car that we review here.
Like its predecessors, the modern 300 offers full-size luxurious appointments paired with a thundering V8 spinning the rear wheels. It’s part of a storied nameplate that traces its roots to 1955, but there is one model in particular that we’re looking at today – the rare 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst.
Chrysler built the 300 “letter series” cars from 1955 to 1965, adding a sequential letter for each new model year – 300B, 300C, and so on as we cover in more detail here. Chrysler dubbed them “the original muscle cars” and though fewer than 17,000 were made over that 10-year stretch.
The 300s contributed all manner of technical knowledge to the later American muscle car craze. Five years after dropping the 300 letter series cars from its lineup, Chrysler decided it was time to revisit that market with a new take on the performance luxury automobile.
Historical Info
At the time, there were performance cars and luxury cars, but no automaker was making a true performance luxury combination. So, when the 18 ½-foot long, 2-door 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst hit the street, it made quite an impact visually and as a model with essentially no competition.
In an effort to reinvent the prior Letter Series 300s, Chrysler dubbed this new ride the 300H where the “H” stood for Hurst. As in Hurst Performance, the aftermarket company known at the time for its work with Oldsmobile on the Cutlass 442 – a car we highlight on this list of affordable muscle cars (in base form of course). Following that approach, Chrysler built the 300H at its Jefferson Avenue plant in Detroit and sent it to Hurst for final touches.
Every model came from the factory and finished in Spinnaker White. Over at Hurst, the steel hood and decklid were replaced with fiberglass units. Up front, racing-type hood retainers and a “power bulge” feature were added, while the rear end gained a full-width integrated spoiler. Finally, Sauterne Gold Mist accent paint was added along with orange pinstriping.
Strangely, the trademark Hurst shifter was not part of this package, but the cabin did sport button-tufted saddle leather bucket seats that were lifted right out of the period Chrysler Imperial LeBaron coupe. As the most expensive Chrysler for sale in 1970, the MSRP was nearly $6,000, the 300 Hurst had nearly every available optional feature as standard equipment including power-adjustable front seats, power windows, and a remote trunk lid release.
Chrysler was planning on selling 2,000 of these 300 Hursts annually, but due to a late start and miscommunication on who was handling advertising – Chrysler or Hurst – sales sputtered at only around 500 In 1970. Part of the problem was that dealers didn’t know what they were looking at when these cars were delivered, so were wholly unprepared to sell them.
Mechanical Features
Those that did get their hands on one of these 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst special editions were in for a thundering treat of muscle car power. The only powertrain offered was Chrysler’s most potent, a 440 cubic inch V8 dubbed the “TNT”. Sporting a 4-barrel carburetor, a hotter camshaft than the standard 440, upgraded valve springs, a 9.7:1 compression ratio, and a low-restriction dual exhaust, this mill was rated for 375 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque.
That was serious power, enough to propel the 300 Hurst to 60 mph from a standstill in about seven seconds and through the quarter mile in 16.8 seconds per period Road Test magazine testing. Between the performance and luxury appointments, these big Chryslers could burn rubber on Woodward Avenue with the best of them and pull up for valet service at a high-class restaurant for dinner.
All that power was routed to the rear wheels through a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission that had been specially calibrated to work with the TNT power curve. To help control it, the 300H came with larger diameter front torsion bars, an extra leaf spring out back, power brakes, power steering, and the highest performance tires available at the time from Chrysler’s lineup. All in all, it was an impressive combination of performance and high style that was unique in 1970.
Conclusion
As noted above, the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst was the victim of a bungled launch that resulted in poor sales and a one-year-only lifespan. But that doesn’t negate how cool these cars were at the time and are today. In fact, a nicely restored example sold for $65,000 at auction in 2022, which is not too surprising given the rarity – only about 500 were ever made – and the flat-out cool factor of unleashing a 7.2-liter V8.
I’ve had my Hurst for over 30 years and love it. Just turned 18,000 original miles.