You don’t street-park a Chrysler 300 Hurst. You dock it.
Chrysler tightened up the 300 Hurst Edition’s suspension with larger front torsion bars and stiffer rear leaf springs.
Chrysler swiped the over-stuffed Imperial seats straight out of the parts bin.
Chrysler swiped the over-stuffed Imperial seats straight out of the parts bin.
The 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst edition did not have a Hemi engine.
The earlier Chrysler 300C paved the way for modern American performance. It debuted in 1955.
Each year through 1965, Chrysler’s legendary limited-edition “letter cars” captured the hearts of Mopar enthusiasts. However, the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst edition was a one-year wonder, a mere blip on the radar. Chrysler shelved the 300 badge until the 1999 model year.
Detroit Muscle with a Philadelphia Twist
Chrysler 300 Hurst’s origin is shrouded in mystery. The car was assembled at Chrysler’s Jefferson Avenue plant in Detroit, Mich. It was shipped 600 miles east to Warminster, Penn. for completion.
Hurst bolted on a distinctive satin tan fiberglass-skinned hood with 300H emblems and a fiberglass trunk lid with an integrated spoiler. There’s no mistaking a 300H on the street because the car was only available in Spinnaker White, with orange and brown tape stripes embellishing the flanks. Oddly, the cars were not equipped with Hurst shifters.
Safe to say, there’s nothing like the 300 Hurst’s magnificent interior in the muscle car world. The designers swiped the gorgeous overstuffed tan leather seating from the Imperial. It’s as if someone stuffed a living room sofa into a Charger.
Chrysler swiped the over-stuffed Imperial seats straight out of the parts bin.
Chrysler packed plenty of power under the 300H’s hood. But they never put the same marketing muscle into moving the magnificent beast. Nor did Hurst.
Nevertheless, the short production run (somewhere between 485 and 502 cars) sold out. The factory turned out just one 300 Hurst convertible. Rumors of a second convertible are not substantiated.
Also read: 1970 Chrysler Convertible Served as Platform for Racing Queen
TNT: Brand Engineering via Decal
Every 300 Hurst edition left the factory with Mopar’s well-proven 440 cubic-inch V-8 and a heavy-duty TorqueFlite 727 three-speed automatic transmission. The air-cleaner housing proudly carried a TNT designation.
With a four-barrel carburetor, the TNT 440 engine had a 375-horsepower rating with 480 pound-feet of torque. The 300H’s V-8 wedge is identical to Plymouth’s Super Commando 440 and Dodge’s 440 Magnum. Slap on a decal and boom: It’s a TNT.
The 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst edition did not have a Hemi engine.
With the standard 3.23 gears out back, the 300 Hurst delivered 0-60 MPH times in 7.1 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 15.3 seconds, according to Street Muscle Magazine. Its speed with more aggressive gearing and stickier tires is anyone’s guess.
1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst Value
The 300H’s grille and hideaway headlights are menacing and cool.
The 300H’s original $5,939 MSRP was a barrier to entry for some enthusiasts back in the day, but it appears to be a wise investment today. Demand looks strong.
Mecum Auctions sold an immaculate numbers-matching 300 Hurst Edition at their 2018 Kissimmee auction with an estimated sale price of $50,000-$70,000. Four Chrysler 300Hs sold at the Gulf Coast Classic Auction in December 2019. Hagerty estimates range from slightly over $50,000 for a Concours-level car, down to roughly $20,000 for a car in fair condition.
1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst for Sale on eBay
The Chrysler 300 Hurst Edition for sale on eBay in 2020 had a Buy-It-Now price of $39,500. It’s a numbers-matching car with a console shifter that looks to be somewhere between good and excellent condition.
Chrysler tightened up the 300 Hurst Edition’s suspension with larger front torsion bars and stiffer rear leaf springs.
The seller states that the interior is “almost survivor quality with minor blemishes.” The original paperwork, including the punch card, is intact. The car sits on the original factory wheels, wrapped with BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires.
