Oldsmobile 442 Indy 500 Pace Car (1972) in White (1:24 scale)
- The 56th running of the Indy 500® marked the first time a car entered by an auto parts manufacturer ever paced the field. Now you can feel the power of the awesome ’72 Hurst/ Olds in this authentically engineered scale replica. Loaded with true-to-life details, including a precise re-creation of the potent 455 ci engine.
The Muscle Car era was just about hitting its peak, when in 1968 General Motors decided to forbid the installation of motors larger than 400 cubic inches in any of its intermediate bodies. This could have had quite a dampening effect but for George Hurst who had other ideas. Hurst headed Hurst-Campbell, a manufacturer of shifters & other aftermarket high performance car parts. By the late 1960s Hurst was already a legend having established a reputation for having the smoothest & fastest shifters available. When the ban on 400+ ci motors went into effect, Hurst created the Hurst/ Olds, an “executive hot rod, ” as he called it, by swapping out the 400 ci from a 4-4-2 with a 455 ci from a Toranado. Not only was there an increase in power but the 455 actually weighed less than the 400 it replaced. Special paint, a Hurst shifter, engine modifications & a walnut dash appliqué completed the picture. Production was handled by Demmer Engineering in Lansing, MI. & the Hurst/ Olds was such a success that it ultimately paved the way for a long relationship between Oldsmobile Division & Hurst Performance.
In 1971 there was a tragic accident involving the Indianapolis 500® Pace Car & as a result, the following year, manufacturers were reluctant to offer one of their models as the Pace Car for the 1972 race. Enter Hurst Performance who volunteered to sponsor the Pace Car. It was the first & only time an Indy Pace car was sponsored by a manufacturer other than an automobile manufacturer & the first time to include a major supplier’s name in the title. The Hurst/ Olds Cutlass Supreme convertible paced the race & about 130 convertible & 499 coupe Pace car replicas became available for sale to the public.