1969 " Commotion by Motion" 455 Motion Hurst/Oldsmobile 

The unique genesis of this Oldsmobile actually began several years before it was produced. It originated as a promotional tool.  The relationship between Oldsmobile and speed products manufacturer, Hurst Performance Inc. started to grow into a promising partnership by the late 1960s. Hurst’s “Dual Gate” shifters were a common option for GM’s intermediate machines. Then, Oldsmobile approached Hurst to collaborate on a limited series of top-line performance cars.

The Hurst-equipped Oldsmobile (christened the “H/O”) was personally developed by performance guru Jack “Doc” Watson. The H/O breached GM’s 400ci cap by employing the 390-horsepower “Rocket V8” 455. The higher-performance “W-46” 455 featured a more aggressive camshaft and closed chambered, higher compression cylinder heads.The cars were trailered to Demmer Engineering for final assembly. There, the Hurst components were added, including black accent paint with hand-applied white pinstripes, authentic walnut dash trim, H/O emblems, and a Dual Gate shifter mounted in a mini-console.

913 H/O’s were built in 1969, (two of which were convertibles), and only 906 were available to the public. The 1969 H/O was dubbed the “Hairiest Oldsmobile,” and clicked off an impressive 0-to-60 mph in 5.9 seconds, high 13-second 1/4 mile times at 101 mph, while slicks and headers could boost the H/O, earning solid 12-second time slips.

A partnership between Long Island, New York’s Baldwin Chevrolet and nearby speed shop, Motion Performance, birthed the now-famous Baldwin Motion. During the H/O’s initial year, Motion Performance prepped Oldsmobiles on its own. Then, stepping in where Baldwin stepped out, Hempstead Long Island, New York dealer Mack Markowitz Oldsmobile Inc. joined with Motion to create the “Motion-Markowitz Racing Division.”

This particular 1969 H/O 455 Oldsmobile was purchased from Mack Markowitz Oldsmobile dealership and then handed over to Motion Performance where it was christened “Commotion by Motion.”  It was built for Super Stock drag racing competition. It was mini-tubbed, and the 12-bolt rear given a set of steep drag gears and ladder-bar suspension. The W-46 455 received a set of long tube headers leading into big 3-inch exhaust ending before the differential, a lopey camshaft, and carburetor jetting. This automatic-equipped H/O also sports the famous Hurst Indy-Matic 3-speed floor shifter. The Oldsmobile was then taken north to New England and campaigned at the Connecticut Dragway for no less than two years, dominating its Super Stock classes.

Surviving unscathed to this day , the Commotion is still in the same condition it was in when it terrorized the tracks over 40 years ago. It resides in the care of a private collector in sunny Florida, and is the only example of a marriage between one of the most lauded speed shops and factory-built performance muscle cars existing today.