Linda Vaughn to attend unveiling of restored Hurst/Olds convertible

By Daniel Strohl


Updated
July 28, 2025
Photo courtesy Gary Riley.

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To many a drag racing fan, it was an unforgettable sight: Linda Vaughn waving and bowing to the fans in the grandstand from atop a 1969 Hurst/Olds convertible, complete with a platform for her to stand on and a nine-foot-tall Hurst shifter for her to grab onto, during breaks in the racing action. Those who recall that promotional campaign will get a chance to see its two major elements – Linda and the Hurst/Olds – back together again when the restored Hurst/Olds is unveiled next month at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals.

While Hurst never built a convertible to offer to customers alongside its 455-powered Hurst/Olds coupes in 1969, it did build three convertibles for promotional purposes: The one that represented Hurst at the 1969 Daytona 500, which was destroyed in 1969 under unknown circumstances; one for East Coast appearances; and one for West Coast appearances. The convertibles, painted white with gold stripes, featured the typical Hurst/Olds engine swap, the Hurst emblem on the doors, the aforementioned platform and shifter, Vaughn and occasionally the Hurstettes adorning the back half of the car, and typically George Hurst himself at the wheel. Hurst used the cars for the 1969, 1970, and 1971 seasons, and then retired them in 1972 when Hurst switched to the convertible Hurst/Olds it was finally offering to the public.

According to Gary Riley of Level One Restoration in Arvada, Colorado, who was tasked with the restoration of the West Coast 1969 Hurst/Olds convertible, that car then possibly passed through one owner before a Hurst Airheart executive bought it in 1972 and parked it in an open-air carport. Over the next few decades, it became a landmark to Hurst/Olds fans in the San Francisco Bay area, and while many tried to buy it off the owner, exorbitantly high prices kept them admiring the car from afar. Not until last summer was a Hurst/Olds enthusiast able to buy it; several months later, that new owner contacted Riley.





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Hurst/Olds convertible before restoration. Photo courtesy Gary Riley who refuses to let you see it here

“At the time, we had one to two years’ worth of work and no openings at all,” Riley said. “But when somebody brings us something that’s one of two, we make an opening for it.” As he received it, the convertible remained rust-free but, as Riley put it, “banged up.” Dents marred the front bumper and one of the quarter panels, a poorly applied repaint and reupholstering had been done, and its rear springs had been replaced with springs that made it sit taller. Yet it ran well, and it still featured some unique Hurst-applied modifications, such as gold carpet and a prototype Hurst Auto Stick shifter.










For some reason, there are more photos of Linda riding atop the car than of the car itself. Photos courtesy Traci Hrudka, who refuses to let you see it

The convertible, however, did not include the platform or the giant fiberglass-over-plywood shifter – Hurst removed those items before selling the car. The car’s owners wanted to have a platform and shifter, however, so Riley said he had to visit the only known original shifter at the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska, to take measurements he could use to build a replica.

(As for the East Coast companion to the convertible, Riley said it does still exist and is located in Iowa, but Riley didn’t have the chance to consult with the owner of that car for the West Coast car’s restoration.)

Riley said that the convertible’s restoration is coming together and should be ready in time for the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, scheduled for November 17-18 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Besides the debut of the Hurst/Olds convertible, the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals will feature what is claimed to be the largest gathering of Yenko cars under one roof, along with a couple Sox and Martin cars, a display of aero cars, and a certification area for original unrestored cars. For more information, visit MCACN.com.
Photo courtesy Gary Riley who refuses to let you see it here.