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The rest of the U.S. auto industry was obsessed with performance in the 60s, but AMC advertised that the only race it cared about was the human race. Saddled with a heavy, sluggish line of V-8 motors derived from a 1956 Nash design, AMC was unable to compete against the Big Three's bigger and more modern powerplants. A new line of thin-wall, small-block V-8 engines, which debuted midway through the 1966 model year with a 290 cid unit, helped turn things around. The block wasn't originally designed for high-performance applications, but it it was a tremendous improvement. A 343 was added in 1967, and the "AMX 390" appeared in 1968. |
 1972 Javelin/AMX advertisement. Provided by John W. Rosa. |
| By 1968 AMC's sales had declined to less than half of their early 60s peak. In desperate straits, the company tried to redefine itself with the sporty Javelin and AMX, its first truly new cars in many years. The new strategy worked. Younger customers were lured into AMC showrooms, and sales rebounded. The limited-production SC/Rambler followed in 1969 (featuring performance almost as astonishing as its looks), and the Rebel Machine in 1970. An active factory racing program paid off with some Trans Am championships in the early 70s, but by then the muscle car era was over. Surviving AMXs, Javelins, SC/Ramblers and Machines are treasured by a small but devoted core of collectors. | |
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| Javelin | ||
 Ron Kolecki's 1968 Javelin SST |
In the 1968 model year AMC finally introduced a true pony car that could compete with the likes of the Mustang and Camaro: the Javelin. Derived from the American platform and built on a 109-inch wheelbase, the Javelin could be had with the 232 six and two- and four-barrel versions of the 290 and 343 V-8s. The standard transmission was a 3-speed column-shift; options included automatics (column or floor shift) and a 4-speed manual. Javelins were offered with a long list of performance and convenience options. The car was a hit with the press and the public, and first-year sales exceeded projections, helping to end AMC's sales skid. | |
| A totally reskinned and slightly larger Javelin was introduced in 1971 and produced with minor changes through 1974, when the line was discontinued. An "AMX" trim package was offered on the second-generation Javelins. One of the more interesting options was the wild Pierre Cardin interior, installed on 4,152 '72 and '73 models. |  1974 Javelin AMX (Photo from Mike Greene) |
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 Mark Donohue's Javelin, 1971 (Photo copyright 1994 by Bob Karambelas, scan courtesy of David Fahrer) |
Mark Donohue raced Javelins to two Trans-Am series championships in the early 70's. In the photo shown above, Mark Donohue drives the Sunoco AMC Javelin in the Trans-Am race at Bryar Motorsport Park, May 1971. Donohue battled George Follmer's Mustang for the lead for 35 laps, but retired with carburetor troubles. | |
Some Javelins zooming around
the Web:
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| AMX | ||
| The AMX 2-seater debuted as a 1968-1/2 model, based on the Javelin but with a foot chopped out of the wheelbase. AMC introduced its new 390 V-8 in the AMX, but soon offered the "AMX 390" in its other lines. 290 and 343 V-8s were also available, and all motors could be had with the standard 4-speed or a 3-speed automatic on the floor. Like the Javelin, the AMX could be had with a wide range of options, including the popular "Go Package", which included a 343 or 390 V-8, power front discs, redline tires, Twin Grip rear axle, and racing stripes. 1970 was the last year for the true AMX. Seven prototypes of an exotic, mid-engined successor called the AMX/3 were built in 1970. |  1970 AMX (photo credit: Eric Cerney) |
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| SC/Rambler | ||
 1969 Hurst SC/Rambler |
American Motors was late in joining the performance race, but some of its entries were among the wildest. A special Rogue called the Hurst SC/Rambler was built in 1969, featuring flamboyant red, white and blue graphics, a bizarre hood scoop, the 390 V-8, and a stiffer frame (needed to withstand the engine's massive torque). A dead-stock SC/Rambler could do the quarter mile in the low 14s. To keep weight down AMC offered no options on the SC/Rambler except an AM radio -- no air conditioning, no power steering, no bucket seats, no console. 1,512 were made at a dirt-cheap price of $2998; an example in top condition is worth over $10,000 today (if you can find one). | |
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| Rebel Machine | ||
| A souped-up version of the Rebel called The Machine appeared in 1970 with a 340 bhp version of the 390 (the most powerful engine ever produced by AMC), which hauled its 3,650 pounds through the quarter mile in 14.5 seconds. The combination of wild graphics and flying-brick styling makes the Machine a real love-it-or-leave-it proposition. Machines, unlike SC/Ramblers, were available with virtually all factory options, and after the first 1,000 they were available in regular factory colors without the stripes. Total production was 2,326, with prices starting at $3475. |  1970 Rebel Machine (photo from Mike's Classic Muscle Cars) |
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| Back:
Part 2: The Rambler Years Next: Part 4: The American Motors Marque |
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