AMC AMX

Story and photos by John Gunnell

AMX stood for “American Motors Experimental.” It was Step 2 in American Motors’ image upgrade program. The goal was to attract young buyers who were scooping up high-performance models from other companies. AMX designer Richard “Dick” Teague created the first steel-bodied, two-seat American production model since the early T-Bird.

From its inception as a prototype in ’66, through its 2-1/2-year production run, to its ever-rising status as a collectible muscle car today, the two-passenger AMX has always blazed new trails for a gets-no-respect corporate parent . . . American Motors.

The first AMX was a non-running fibreglass concept car that let auto show attendees know that ultra-conservative American Motors Corp. (AMC) could design a car with pizzazz. A later running model had a “Ramble Seat” in place of the rear deck.

AMC, based in Kenosha, Wis., launched the Javelin pony car in the fall of 1967 as a 1968 model. The two-place AMX was based on the Javelin. However, it was a foot shorter in wheelbase and length. It came out as a 1968-1/2 model. It bowed to the press at Daytona Beach, Fla. and at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 24, 1968. Along with the new car came a new 390-cid Gen II AMC V8, which was rated at 315 hp.

The short 97-inch wheelbase cut the 390-powered AMX coupe’s curb weight to 3,205 lbs. That gave the little muscle car a 10.8 pounds-perhorsepower ratio when equipped with the 315-hp V8. Car and Driver found this combination good for a 6.6 second 0-to-60 mph time. The 390 AMX also did the standing-start quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 95 mph. The car’s top speed was an estimated 122 mph.

Reclining bucket seats, carpets, wood-grain interior trim and E70 x 14 Goodyear Polyglas tires were standard. Also included was a four-speed gearbox and heavy-duty suspension. Many buyers were happy with the standard 290-cid 225-hp V8 or the one-step-up 343-cid 280-hp V8, but the “390” was the most muscle car engine option. In February 1968, race driver Craig Breedlove set 106 world speed records with an AMX.

This rare 1969 Craig Breedlove AMX is owned by Gary Carlson of Rockford, Ill.

The AMX was based on the Javelin. This 1969 Javelin SST belongs to Terry Weiner of Buffalo Grove, Ill.

The 1969 AMX had few changes. With a full model year, AMC sold 8,293 examples, making 1969 the two-passenger AMX’s best year. At midyear, several “Big Bad” option packages were introduced in wild (at least for AMC) colours. The Big Bad paint program was designed to make potential customers take an even closer look at AMC products and to get the cars in magazines. Three Big Bad colours were available—orange, green, and blue. The entire car including bumpers was painted the colour, though the front bumper had a piece of chrome added to give the grille opening 360-degree coverage. A Hurst Competition Plus shifter for the Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission was added to the options list at the same time for $205 extra.

The two-passenger AMXs were the first American Motors Corporation muscle cars to be sought by collectors other than AMC purists. Today, AMX prices continue to outpace those of other AMC machinery, with special editions—not counting the AMC SS—topping $69,000 in top condition. The values are blazing new trails for cars made in Kenosha.

“The AMX standard features put most sports cars to shame,” the 1969 AMC sales catalog said. The standard equipment included all-welded single-unit construction; deep-dip rust proofing; a tachometer and 140mph speedometer; all-vinyl seat upholstery; foam seat cushions; a moulded ceiling (headliner); a sport steering wheel; wheel discs; front arm rests; interior lights; a glove box lock and a suspended accelerator pedal.

Standard AMX mechanical features included a direct-action independent front suspension; semi-elliptic rear springs suspension; heavyduty springs and shocks; a front sway bar; rear traction bars; fat road-holding polyglas tires; an automatic transmission oil cooler; All-Season engine coolant; a Clear Power 24 battery; an aluminized dual exhaust system; 10-in. diameter brakes; 167.5 sq. in. of brake lining and a 19-gallon fuel tank.

Other standard features included a WeatherEye heating and air conditioning system; back-up lights; four-way hazard flashers; Guard-Glo headlamps; a left side exterior rear-view mirror; windshield washers; nonglare windshield wipers; side-of-car safety markers; a Double-Safety self-adjusting brake system; seat belts for all seating positions; two front shoulder belts; two front seat head restraints; high-strength door locks and safety-shaped interior door handles; a padded instrument panel; padded interior sun visors; a padded A-pillar; padded roof headers and an energy-absorbing steering column.

Since values are rising, collectors need to know how to decipher the product codes on an AMX model. The Serial Number (Vehicle Identification Number or VIN) is on the left-hand side of the dashboard and visible through the windshield. There are 13 symbols in the VIN. A typical number is A9M397X341185. The first symbol is an A for American Motors. The second symbol indicates model year: 9=1969. The third symbol indicates type of transmission: M=four-speed manual with floor shift. The fourth symbol is a number designating the car line: 3=AMX. The fifth symbol indicates body style: 9=two-door hardtop. The sixth symbol designated the series or class: 7=AMX (also Rogue or SST for other AMC specialty models). The seventh symbol indicates type of engine: X=390-cid V8 with four-barrel carburetor. The last six symbols are the sequential production number.

The 1969 AMX two-door fastback hardtop was coded as Model 30. Its suggested retail price was $3,297 and it tipped the scales at 3,097 lbs. The production of 1969 models hit 8,293 units. The AMX rode on a 110-inch wheelbase and stretched just 192.3 inches overall. Its front tread was 59.3 inches and the rear tread was 60.0 inches.

“We made the AMX look tougher this year because it’s tougher this year,” heralded ads for the ‘70 edition of AMC’s two-seater. It came with a new 360-cid V8 as standard equipment. It developed 290 hp—65 more than last season’s 343-cid base engine.

Now base-priced at $3,395 (and advertised as “the only American sports car that costs less than $4,000”) the ‘70 AMX had a production run of 4,116 units, which made it the rarest of the three two-seat editions. The height of the fastback coupe was reduced about one inch. While the wheelbase remained at 97 inches, the car’s overall length grew about two inches to 179 inches. The increase gave it a longer

This should have helped sales, but didn’t. The AMX sold better when it was a totally distinct car. The ’70 AMX got new rear lamps and a restyled front shared with Javelin performance models. It featured a flush-with-the-hood grille and a redesigned bumper that housed “mutant square” parking lamps. A horizontally-divided, crosshatched grille with four very prominent, bright horizontal mouldings had AMX lettering at its centre. It incorporated circular rally lights. The bumper had an air scoop system to cool the front brakes. The restyled hood had a large ram-induction scoop that took in cold air. Inside were new contoured high-back bucket seats with integral head restraints and a completely redesigned instrument panel. An exclusive Corning safety windshield was also available.

An all-synchromesh “four-on-the-floor” transmission with a Hurst shifter was standard. Performance options included the AMX 390-cid V8 with 325 hp and a close-ratio four-speed manual transmission. Very desirable today is the code 391-392 “Go-Package,” that was available on 360-powered AMXs for $299 and on 390-powered AMXs for $384. It included power front disc brakes, F70-14 raised-white-letter tires, a handling package, a heavy-duty cooling system and a functional Ram-Air hood scoop.

The metal dashboard plates affixed to 1970 models were numbered 014469 to 18584. This was the final year for the original type AMX. Although the nameplate was to be used again on Javelin- and Hornetbased models, the two-seater AMX was the true sports car and the real high-performance edition.

Eric Dahlquist wrote up the ‘70 AMX in the December 1969 edition of Motor Trend and summed it up as “one of the better constructed cars around.” The test car had the optional 390-cid V8 that produced 325 hp at 5,000 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm. It drove through

Story and photos by Cam Hutchins

When a car from 1970 only has 12,707 miles on her, one wonders about the charmed life of the car, as maybe the owner loved it so much they used it only very sparingly....NOT. This car was hated by the first owner as, although it was a reward for getting good grades in school, it was PINK! He only drove it for around 4,000 miles before parking it and buying another car. Although any of the crazy Mopar colours are very desirable today, the Panther Pink for Dodge cars was not a really hot seller.

But they had so many colours in 1970, it was hard for any one colour to be too plentiful. For Dodge in 1970, they offered 27 colours! Maybe not all colours were offered on all models, but they were trying something wild with the colours and their naming. Maybe not everyone was aware of the other meaning for the name Swinger in 1970, but the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice did an admirable job of spreading the word.

This 1970 Dodge Dart Swinger 340 was apparently bought off the lot and not special ordered, but Rich Woods, who bought the car for Darby Motors, says it is a cool car but if it did not have the flat-black hood with hood scoops and Rally wheel options, it would really be a “Blah” car to look at. Woods is one of the list of buyers for this car since it was found, forlorn and disrespected in a heated garage of the little old lady who had bought it for her ungrateful son.

The car was discovered by Chuck Pierce from New Hampshire in 1985, with only 4,100 miles on her. Parked in August of 1970, it had all the original bits it came from the factory with and they are still with the car except for the oil filter, battery, mufflers and tires. It went on to be part of the Tim Wellborn Muscle Car Museum which

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acquired the car when it had 10,100 miles on the odometer. The car has the original IBM Card that was found in 1985, and the Broadcast Sheet that was found in 2006 when another owner took out the back seat. The spare tire has never been out of the car.

This car has the original windshield wipers and it is not inconceivable to imagine some of the windshield washer fluid is still in the tank and lines. Originally, it was ordered by the dealer, or possibly someone who factory ordered it and then upon delivery, ran from the Panther Pink car. What is known is this car is an actual numbers matching car with original engine, transmission and rear end.

The few options on the car are good ones - the H-code 340ci V8 engine, Rally wheels, V21 blacked out hood with hood scoops that allow fresh air into the engine compartment,V8X rear Bumble Bee stripe and M43 bright trim that goes

around the grille. The hood scoops could be ordered without the flat black hood treatment. The flat black hoods also have Dodge on the hood.

The car comes with the N41 and N42 dual exhaust with chrome tips as part of the Swinger 340 package, as well as the Rally dash with gauges for temperature, amps, oil, and fuel, 150-mph speedometer, but no tachometer. The car has a bench seat with full rubber floor mat instead of carpet.

When new, the Swinger 340s had been tested with impressive mid-14 second ETs. The May 1970 CAR CRAFT Magazine tested the Dart 340 Swinger and it ran a 14.70 at 96.84 mph with the 3.91 rear end. The car came with three different axle

ratios - 3.23, 3.55 and the stump-pulling big-block-beating 3.91, all with Sure Grip positraction. The 340 also put out impressive numbers, 275 hp @ 5,000 rpm / 340 lb-ft of torque @ 3,200 rpm. As great as that sounds, the drag racing sanctioning body NHRA decided that the cars actually produced more like 320 hp.

So, other than the mother and ingrate son, the car has been loved by all who drive her. One such lover of old cars is Dennis Cage, who reportedly drove the time capsule. The car was recently bought out of a car collection in White Rock,

B.C. and before that was in a car collection in Kelowna before Delta’s Rich Woods found it.

Although it is everything Woods hoped it would be - original, fast and quirky - Darby Motors wanted to see what it would do at auction. The car did very well, and for those of you wondering what an all-original low-mile Dart 340 Swinger is worth, it is just shy of $70k U.S.! Not bad for a car that was hated at birth!