1971 AMC Hornet SST SC/360 Sport Sedan

When it comes to American Muscle, AMC is not the first manufacturer that comes to mind. Yes, they did produce the sporty two-seat AMX and their own Pony Car known as the Javelin, but for most, they are thought of as builders of somewhat mundane transportation.

The Muscle Car era would change that, at least for a few years. With some success, AMC managed to lure a considerable amount of younger buyers to their showrooms with some fun and creative advertising. Remember the television commercial with the goldfish on the passenger seat? How about the wild blown red, white and blue Javelin print ad?

The powers that be at American Motors saw that a larger engine in a smaller, lightweight body had a considerable amount of appeal with their 1969 SC/Rambler. With the new Hornet, they knew that adding a 360 cubic inch V8 under a scooped hood and adding an optional 4-speed shifter would certainly do the trick, just as it did in 1969. 'Introducing a sensible alternative to the money-squeezing, insurance-strangling muscle cars of America.'

The SC/360 was an easy way to remain in the Muscle Car market without the need for high development costs. Since the Hornet was already able to accommodate the corporate V8, adding a variety of other enhancements made it easy to create a stop light screamer at minimal expense. A mere 784 SC/360's were built from August 1970 through February 1971.