1979 AMC AMX

1977 was the final year for the AMC Hornet, offered as a hatchback, two- and four-door sedan, and station wagon. To celebrate, AMC offered a limited edition AMX hatchback package, reviving a nameplate that had established a solid reputation for its sporty persona. the name returned in force for 1978, offered as a model in its own right as a two-door hatchback with seating for four. Its base engine, which it shared with the Matador, was a six-cylinder unit with overhead valves, a 258 cubic-inch displacement, seven main bearings, and 120 bhp at 3,600 RPM and 201 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 RPM. A four-speed manual with floor shift controls was standard equipment. It rested on the Concord platform and its body design featured a wedge-shaped front, black fender flares, black scuff moldings, and dual flat black mirrors.

American Motors made several modifications to its lineup for 1979, including dropping the slow-selling Matador. A new model named the sprint was added, taking the place of the Gremlin, and sharing its platform with the AMX. Both had a wheelbase of 96-inches and an overall length of 168.5-inches. The stying of the Sprint and the AMX was similar, with the Sprint coming standard with an overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine with a 212 cubic-inch displacement and 80 horsepower at 5,000 RPM. The AMX came standard with a six-cylinder engine with 258 cubic inches and 110 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque. The Sprint had a base price of approximately $4,000 and the AMX was priced at $5,900. A total of 52,714 examples of the combined Sprint and AMX were built in 1979, and 3,657 of those were AMX Series 40 Liftbacks.

Standard and distinguishable features of the AMX were black bumpers in the front and back with guards and nerfing stripes. There was a front air dam and rear deck spoiler with accent stripes. There were twin remote mirrors, Turbocast II aluminum wheels with white letter tires, a new rectangular blackout grille with an 'AMX' emblem. The grille was flanked by quad headlamps resting above clear rectangular signals and parking lights.

The interior of the AMX was comfortable with Sport Vinyl or Caberfae Corduroy bucket seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a brushed aluminum instrument panel overlays, and a full array of gauges. The center console came with an armrest.

Optional equipment included a 304 cubic-inch V8 engine with overhead valves, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, an 8.4:1 compression ratio, and 125 horsepower at 3,200 RPM. A Rally Tuned suspension system came with Gabriel 'Strider' shocks, heavy-duty rear sway bar, front sway bar, and Hi-Control rear leaf springs.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021