1969 AMC AMX

American Motors may have come late to the muscle-car party, but when they arrived they did so with style when they introduced a new sports model titled the AMX. Introduced in 1968 at the Chicago Auto Show, the Javelin-based AMX was the first steel two-seat vehicle offered by an American manufacturer since the 1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird. The short 96-inch wheelbase design of the AMC made it competent on both the drag strip and the road course. It had a long hood, fastback deck design, aggressive body lines, and a unibody, stamped steel chassis.

When introduced, the AMX engines ranged from a 290 cubic-inch, 225 horsepower V8 up to a 390 CID, 315 hp V8. A four-speed manual was standard but an option three-speed 'Shift Command' automatic was also available. Among the notable options was a range of three colors that included neon brilliant blue, orange, and green. The package offered special trim and color-coded bumpers for an extra $34. Additionally, there was the 'Go-Package' option that added power-assisted disk brakes, E70 by 14 performance tires, 'Magnum 500' styled steel rims, 'Twin-Grip' differential, heavy-duty cooling and suspension, bigger anti-roll bars, and other performance enhancements.

The AMX was named the 'Car of the Year' by the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1969 and again in 1970.

The 1969 AMC AMX fastback coupe had a base price of $3,300 and a total of 8,293 examples were sold. Changes were minimal with several revisions appearing throughout the year. The 140 mph speedometer and tachometer with a larger face was a new addition. The 290 CID four-barrel V8 was the base engine with the 343 and 390 CID being optional equipment.

Standard equipment included dual exhaust, cigarette lighter, collapsible spare tire, sport steering wheel, ashtrays, armrests, courtesy lights, and glovebox lock. There were front head restraints, reclining bucket seats, front foam seat cushions, wheel discs, and Flo-Thru ventilation. A new option was the leather upholstery.

For 1969, there were 284 examples painted in orange-colored Big Bad and 195 models finished in blue. 283 examples were done in green. Just over 50 examples were the Super Stock AMXs that were enhanced by the Hurst Corp for AMC.

by Dan Vaughan

Fastback Coupe
Chassis number: 31483

AMC offered several different 'muscle cars' during the late 1960's and early 1970's. The AMX was a two-door fastback hardtop available with a variety of powerful V8 engines. The 'Big Bad' AMX came out in the middle of the year. This option-created model came in three colors and had its bumpers painted the same shade as its body. A total of 284 'Big Bad' Orange AMX's were produced. 'Big Bad' Blue and 'Big Bad' Green cars were also available.

Super Stock Coupe

This automobile is Number 18 of 52 super stock AMX drag cars built jointly by American Motors Corp. and Hurst Performance. The AMC has a 390 cubic-inch, 12.3:1 compression ratio, cross ram manifold, with dual Holly Carburetors, Crane Roller Cam & heads, and develops 420 horsepower.

In 1969 this car won the AHRA Summer Drag Nationals and was runner-up in S/S Eliminator with the world record of 11.08 at 127.11 mph. It has factory paint in a red, white and blue paint scheme.

Fastback Coupe
Chassis number: A9M397T257662

This AMC AMX is powered by a 343 Typhoon V-8 engine offering 280 horsepower. The car was given a restoration in 2014 and features a 4-speed transmission, Hurst floor shifter, Performance exhaust, factory air conditioning, bucket seats, rally stripes, Magnum 500 wheels, and Good Year polyglas tires.

by Dan Vaughan

Super Stock Coupe

The horsepower wars were indeed at fever pitch in 1969. Race on Sunday, sell on Monday was the mantra, and the 'Big Three' were battling for a piece of the hungry youth market. And then there was American Motors, with their AMX.

To call the SS/AMX a street car is certainly stretching it, but truth is, if you had the funds, it was possible to visit your local AMC dealership and order one of the purpose built drag cars that came out of the Hurst Performance facility.

Seeing the success that Chrysler had working with Hurst on their Super Stock Dart and Barracuda, AMC decided to contract Hurst to produce two distinct cars: the wild SC/Rambler and the SS/AMX. Of course, the intent was clear for the SS/AMX.

Working directly with Hurst, AMC brass contacted dealers known to be involved with racing to see if they were willing to commit to purchasing a car that was clearly built for the strip. Starting with the bare bones 1969 AMX with a 390 cubic-inch engine under the hood, the cars were all built identically with a large hood scoop, dual quad induction on a special manifold, heavy duty clutch and bellhousing, modified cylinder heads, a relocated battery, modified suspension, altered wheelbase, and more.

This car is a prime example of a truly over-the-top offering from the ultimate performance era. It is believed that just 55 SS/AMX's were built. They are not street legal.

Fastback Coupe
Chassis number: A9M397X317059

This AMC AMX is powered by a 390 cubic-inch V8 engine offering 425 lb-ft of torque and 315 horsepower. There is a 4-speed manual transmission linked to a Hurst shifter and dual exhausts. It is equipped with the optional Go Package, or Go Pack as it became known. The Go Pack was AMC's marketing campaign to offer performance-minded buyers optional extras singularly or as a cost-saving package.

Other features found on this AMX include chrome-tipped dual exhausts, a heavy-duty cooling system, Twin-Grip limited-slip differential, power front disc brakes and power steering. It was restored in a two-tone color combination of Metallic Red with the correct Charcoal interior. It has an accessory electric windshield washers, an aftermarket wooden steering wheel and American Racing wheels wrapped with Cooper Cobra radial tires.

by Dan Vaughan

Super Stock Coupe

The Super Stock drag wars were at a fever pitch in the late 1960s and American Motors Corporation drove right in. Working directly with the Hurst Corporation, they produced 52 purpose-built Super Stock AMXs. This is #50 of 52, delivered April 24, 1969, to Bill Rodekopf. Delivered in red, white, and blue, the custom paint it currently wears was applied in November of 1969. The Rodekopf family ran a successful American Motors dealership and worked with AMC in the development of many race-related parts that would end up on the S/S AMX's. Numerous performance enhancements made these cars fierce competitors, including the dual 4-barrel, 390 cubic inch, highly modified engine.

This original S/S AMC was acquired directly from the Rodekopf family in 2011. Raced for ten years, it is acknowledged as being the most original and documented example of the 52 AMX Super Stock produced

The AMC AMX, representing American Motors Experimental, was produced in low production numbers produced during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It had similarities to AMC's pony car, the Javelin, but was smaller and had seating for two. The AMX was not only sporty and attractive, but it introduced many 'industry firsts', including being the first production vehicle to use a one-piece injection molded dashboard which greatly improved safety for its occupants. In 1969 and 1970 it was named 'Best Engineered Car of the Year' by the American Automotive Society of Engineers.

There were multiple engines available to the buyer. From 1968 through 1970 a four-barrel carbureted eight-cylinder engine could be had in 290, 343, 360 and 390 cubic-inch flavors. Power was sent to the rear wheels courtesy of the standard T-10 four-speed manual gearbox. Dual exhaust and a special traction bar were also included as standard equipment. Adding to the sporty persona were extra wide tires which provided extra traction and enhanced performance.

In 1968 AMC produced 6,725 examples of the AMX. The following year 8,2963 were produced and in 1970 sales dipped to 4,116. There were 52 examples of the Hurst-modified SS/AMX drag strip racing versions. These are highly sought after in modern times as collector cars.

The AMC AMX was popular on the racing circuit, especially at drag strips. The potent engines and wide tires made them very competitive. The AMX captured the Super Stock Championship title multiple years. Craig Breedlove, a renowned driver with years of experience and many titles was hired by AMC to help further the career performance of the AMX. He did so by breaking over 100 records including the 24 hour average speed record which he averaged 130 mph. The previous record had been 103 mph.

From 1971 through 1974 the AMX name was used on the Javelin indicating the performance option. It was used again in 1977 as a performance option on the Hornet. The following year it was applied to the Concord and in 1979 and 1980 it appeared on the Spirit.

There were three concept versions of the AMX created, known as the AMX/1, AMX/2, and AMX/3. The first operational AMX prototype was debuted in 1966 and resided for a number of years in the Talledega Speedway museum. Two rolling prototypes were made of the AMX/2, with one being used for many years atop of a pole of a used car dealership. In 1970 AMC commissioned ItalDesign to create a mid-engined high-performance version of the AMX, dubbed the AMX/3. The design was mostly by AMC designer Richard 'Dick' Teague and production was done at the former Bizzarrini factory located in Turin, Italy. Only six versions were created from 1969 through 1972. Located mid-ship was a 390 cubic-inch AMC V8 capable of producing 340 horsepower. A custom made OTO Melara five-speed manual gearbox was used and top speed was achieved at 160 mph.

by Dan Vaughan