Rare is the classic car that has its own hit song. Country singer Kathy Mattea reached number 21 with “455 Rocket” on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart. She was singing the praises of the Hurst/Olds, a big, burly muscle car built by Oldsmobile to blow away the competition.

For more than a decade, the name Hurst was synonymous with high performance. This Pennsylvania company produced parts that gave muscle cars even more muscle. The Hurst name extended to co-branding partnerships with automakers, including the one that gave us this Hurst/Olds.

is powerful and aggressive, with a sweeping back end like a gathering wave about to crash into shore. English racing mirrors, H/O emblems, and hand-painted pinstripes complete the exterior finish. The car’s interior features a wood veneer console, gold-striped headrests, and H/O badging.

Under the hood, the 1969 model arrives with the famed 455 Rocket engine backed up by a specially calibrated code OH Turbo 400 transmission. The motor is fed ram air from its fiberglass “mailbox” hood scoop. The Hurts/Olds features a unique intake manifold, chrome steel valve covers, and a vacuum operated air cleaner lid. A trunk-mounted spoiler uses redirected air flow to help with stability.

Corporate politics and the changing automotive landscape put the brakes on subsequent model years. Several years later the Hurst/Olds would return as a lower priced car with a smaller engine. The end of the muscle car era had begun. But for the 913 lucky owners of the 1969 Hurst/Olds, the vehicle had instantly become a sought-after rarity.