Unfortunately, there is some truth to the saying, “All good things come to an end.” Hurst Performance Vehicles is finding that out the hard way as their announcement of the discontinuation of the Hurst Challenger is beginning to circulate. Originally brought to our attention on the ChallengerTalk forum, we have found few answers about the legitimacy of the announcement but find it upsetting none the less.
The announcement states that as of July 29, 2011, the Hurst Challenger model was being discontinued. As of that date, Hurst stated that no more Challengers would be accepted for modification and their Irvin California plant would be shut down after their last existing Challenger orders were fulfilled.
This came apparently after the company struggled with the model, primarily with the lack of factory support for supercharging the modern Challengers in the aftermarket. With the Challenger being the most modified model in the Hurst performance line-up, the cancellation of it is not only surprising but also devastating to the automotive community.
The Hurst Challengers are legendary, and for good reason. Offered in different series, the Challengers brought unique Hurst styling along with a Eibach performance suspension, Magnaflow exhaust system and BF Goodrich Tires to R/T and SRT8 owners. In Series 4, the top-of-the-line SRT8 Challengers were also equipped with a Vortech Supercharger system that created the ultimate modern muscle car.
We made several attempts to contact Hurst Performance Vehicles to get more information on the discontinuation announcement, but emails and phone calls were never returned. Could it be that the company has already closed its doors?
Turning to the company’s website also resulted in no other information, making us wonder if the announcement was really made. However, previous public relations representative for Hurst, Nathan Hoyt of JMPR Public Relations was able to tell us that to his knowledge, the announcement was legitimate.
That means no more Hurst Challengers and potentially the cancellation of even more Hurst models, as the announcement acknowledges that the other Hurst models – the Camaro, Viper and Mustang – do not generate enough business on their own.
We are saddened by the announcement as it potentially closes another chapter in Hurst and automotive history. We will update you on the cancellation of the Hurst Challenger, as well as any other model, if we get any more information.