The Chrysler 300 Hurst is one of the most underrated American cars, perhaps because it got designed for young urban professionals (yuppies). But the 300 Hurst was (and is still) loved by gearheads clear-eyed enough to see that the Chrysler 300 H, is no less a capable American muscle car. If anything, it was the largest and roomiest performance muscle car of that era. We kid you not.

Back in the golden age of the '60s and '70s, the rarest muscle cars – by far – were in the full-size category. They include the likes of the ‘61 – ‘69 Chevy Impala SS, Ford’s two-door Galaxie, ‘60s Pontiac Grand Prix, and the two-door Catalina. Those were as big as their names and yet never exceeded 216 inches in length.

Except two, one of which is the 1969 – 1970 Mercury Marauder, measuring 221 inches in length. The other is the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst – by far the biggest muscle car ever made, both then and now – with dimensions measuring 224.7 inches long and 79.1 inches wide and a wheelbase of 124 inches. That's the car you're looking for any time you're searching for the behemoth of muscle cars from the golden age.

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The Chrysler 300 Hurst Brief Overview

1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst 
Barret-Jackson

Chrysler is currently a brand of Stellantis North America, making it a member of the Big Three and part of America's largest automotive manufacturer. In today’s market, Chrysler is synonymous with the well-rounded, luxurious 300 sedan series. However, many don’t realize how far back the 300 nameplate stretches – as far back as the 1950s, when the model got stitched together for an entirely different generation.

As the name implies, the Chrysler 300 Hurst is the result of the Chrysler-Hurst Performance collaboration. At that time, Hurst was already an established aftermarket performance parts maker, with aftermarket transmission shifters being its most popular product. It wasn’t the firm’s first time getting into bed with an automaker. A similar joint venture with Oldsmobile brought forth the legendary 1968 Hurst Olds, the first of many such special edition Olds to come.

Such partnerships didn’t end with Chrysler, either, as Hurst Performance Inc. would go on to join forces with automakers like Pontiac and AMC. So, the Chrysler 300 Hurst was never intended for mass production. You'd never have seen one in a dealership with a "For Sale" sticker on its windshield. To have the 300H, you'd visit a Chrysler dealership, fill out the order sheet, and then the weeks-long wait for your order to get delivered begins.

Most of the time, the prospective buyer put down a substantial down payment (it had a $4,400 base price) because dealers wouldn’t risk the customer growing cold feet after the hard-to-sell car got shipped. You’d understand better when you consider that a Chrysler-badged muscle car sounds like a Lincoln or Cadillac muscle car. As the gearhead you are, would you have shown it the same respect as the Pontiacs and Chevelles? The 300H was a bold move on the part of Chrysler, and the target market was a very tiny luxury niche.

RELATED: Here's Why The Chrysler 300 SRT8 Is A Muscle Car Bargain

A Brief History Of Hurst Performance

1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst 
Barrett-Jackson

Based in Pennsylvania, Hurst Performance specialized in manufacturing and marketing automotive performance parts, especially muscle cars. The company was originally called Hurst-Campbell, founded in 1958 by the duo of George Hurst and Bill Campbell. The two young men set up shop on Glenside Ave. Glenside, Pennsylvania, but later moved to a more spacious property on the corner of Street Road and Jacksonville Road in Warminster, PA.

Hurst Performance probably has Lawrence Greenwald to thank for the company’s successes today, as the elderly man apparently acknowledged the shop’s potential after taking his cars to Hurst’s shop for repairs. Mr. Greenwald had faith enough in Hurst-Campbell to bankroll their venture to produce large aftermarket bumpers for the Volkswagen Type 2 buses. These got very popular with VW owners to the extent that the German automaker began making its own large bumpers for the buses.

It was a blessing in disguise as Hurst branched out into the piston-driven gearshift business as well as other automotive components like wheels, engine mounts, shift knobs, and gearshifts. Hurst has come a long way since then and is now a globally renowned OEM supplier and service provider for numerous automakers, including Ford, Chrysler, and GM. Hurst specialty car models produced in partnership with automakers include the 1969 AMC SC/Rambler, Chrysler 300 Hurst, the 1971 Hurst Jeepster, and several others.

Why The 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst Is An Underrated American Car

1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst
Via Mecum Auctions

We’d get surprised if the 1960s gearheads didn’t look down on the 1970 Chrysler Hurst 300. When Skyler White asked Walter Junior what he thought about his new car – a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser, he smiled and said, “Thanks, mom.” Mrs. White wasn’t fooled. Would she have celebrated the hatchback wagon after cruising around in a red 2009 Dodge Challenger? Doesn’t make the Cruiser a bad car. It just isn't what Walt Jr. aka Flynn had in mind when he talked about 'Mach 1 Fastback in grabber lime with a shaker hood' at the dinner table.

It’s similar to what happened to the Chrysler 300 Hurst. Gearheads of that era didn’t associate the term ‘muscle car’ with luxury and comfort. Ultimately, the Chrysler Hurst 300 is a hugely underrated muscle car. Enthusiasts of that era prioritized three things – acceleration, attitude, and affordability. The Chrysler 300 series couldn't boast all three, but it did have the big one going for it – horsepower.

The powerful V8 was enough compensation for the large body. Five years after introducing the regular C-300 (so-named for its standard 300-horsepower V8 engine), Chrysler announced a conclusive version – the 1970 Chrysler 300 Hurst, marketing it as an ultra-exclusive, high-performance variant of the luxury 300, built in partnership with Hurst Performance. They dressed the two-door luxury performance car in a white and gold paint scheme similar to the Oldsmobile and Pontiac Hurst models of the same era.

Chrysler ensured the 300H looked more menacing and streamlined, complete with a fiberglass scooped hood and trunk lid. All the 300Hs came with the 375-hp 7.2-liter, four-barrel TNT V8 engine. So, why didn't this car get the love it so rightly deserved? Partly because both Hurst and Chrysler assumed the other would put the word out. It's what happens when everybody waits for everybody. The upside is that the 300H is one of the rarest models in the world today, with just 501 examples ever built.