1997 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Hurst Test Drive

George Hurst’s first customized shifter was for a 1956 Chevy. It had shorter throws from gear to gear and a more precise feel than stock shifters. In no time, performance drivers everywhere were lining up for them. Detroit automakers were serious about performance back then, and by the Sixties, a Hurst shifter could be ordered on many cars, even Buicks.
The 1997, Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6, was developed in a roundabout way. Hurst owned by Mr Gasket, borrowed a car from Pontiac to develop a shifter for the FIrebird’s automatic transmission. Pontiac PR man Mark Hitchins handed over a black WS6 and suggested that maybe it was time for another Hurst car. Hurst agreed. Since both Pontiac and Hurst wanted the car to be more than just a paint and trim package, they called well known aftermarket tuner John Lingenfelter. The result was not just a Hurst Firebird – it was a Hurst Firebird by Lingenfelter.