The Hurst/Oldsmobile Pace Car

A pace car has led the racers since the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. The 1972 pace car is the only with a non-automobile company sponsoring the pace car.

The story of the Hurst/Oldsmobile pace car began in 1959 when George Hurst’s company started providing a floor-mounted gear shift for performance cars, particularly drag racing. Hurst Performance floor shifters allowed for better gear selection. With the development of the muscle car, Hurst Performance shifters became a necessity. Pontiac was the first automaker to use a Hurst shifter as standard equipment in 1961 Catalina.

 George Hurst first approached Pontiac about producing a special model. Under the then corporate policy, General Motors restricted the engine size in mid-size cars. Hurst proposed taking delivery of engineless Firebirds from Pontiac and installing an engine and delivering the cars to the dealers. After Pontiac rejected the idea, Hurst approached Oldsmobile which agreed. General Motors quickly dropped the restrictions in mid-size car engines. 

The 1964 Pontiac GTO included a Hurst shifter. At the time, General Motors policy prohibited the use of the outside vendors names as part of the marketing of the automobile. Pete Estes, Pontiac division head, convinced General Motors that having the Hurst name on its car shifters would be an effective sales tool.  Hurst teamed up with the four domestic automobile companies (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and American Motors). They have been used in a variety of muscle cars including the Pontiac GTO, Plymouth Barracuda, Ford Mustang Boss, and Ford Mustang Shelby. Hurst produced an entire series of special models for Oldsmobile. 

Times were tough in the automobile industry during the early 1970s. The focus shifted from performance to safety. It was an expensive proposition to provide the pace car and dozens of cars painted to resemble the pace car. One manufacturer’s representative said, “It’s damn expensive.” 

The first Hurst/Oldsmobile, the Cutlass 442, was built in 1968. Instead of the standard 400 cubic inch engine, the Hurst/Oldsmobile had a 455 cubic inch engine. It was a home run. Dealers had four times the demand than the production output. Seeing the demand for the Hurst/Oldsmobile, General Motors quickly adopted big block engines.

Times were tough for the automotive industry in the early 1970s. The Clean Air Act of 1963 required a reduction in air pollution from autos and improved fuel efficiency. Additionally, the Japanese auto industry provided cheaper and more efficient cars. In response, the manufacturers didn’t provide a pace car for the 1971 Indianapolis 500. Instead, the Indianapolis dealer group provided a Dodge Challenger pace car. Unfortunately, as the pace car pulled off the track, local Dodge dealer Eldon Palmer crashed into the photographer’s stand. Dozens were injured. In 1972, there was little appetite by the automobile manufacturers to provide a pace car. Hurst Performance partnered with Oldsmobile to provide a special Oldsmobile pace car. 

Based upon the Cutlass Supreme Coupe, the 1972 Hurst/Olds pace car was gold and white with a 455 cubic inch V8 engine. The public had the option of purchasing a decal set which included the “Official Pace Car” for the doors, “500 Festival” logos for the quarter panels, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway logos for the fenders. There were 71 official Hurst/Oldsmobiles pace cars including two 300 horsepower convertible pace cars, 43 convertible track cars, 11 hardtops, one Vista Cruiser for the medical director, and three Cutlass wagons for the press, track photographers, and Hurst Performance. The official Pace Car was driven by Jim Rathmann.

George Hurst later developed a tool to extricate drivers from their wrecked race cars, today known as the “Jaws of life.”

[12] Korff, Kevin, “1972 Hurst/Olds,” Antique Automobile, January/February 2026, 58-60.

[13] “George Hurst, 59, Inventor of the ‘Jaws of Life,” Found Dead,  Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1986, 60.