There was once a perception that buying a two-seat V8 American passenger car from the late 1960s meant handing over the cash for a Chevrolet Corvette. However, knowledgeable enthusiasts will also nominate the AMC AMX, a classic that provides very respectable performance and excellent comfort. This 1969 AMX is an absolute gem. The owner has been its custodian for over fifty years, and has protected it from adverse weather and abuse. It features a 390ci V8, a four-speed manual transmission, and the desirable Go Package. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder T.J. for spotting this fantastic survivor listed here on eBay in Addison, Illinois. The seller set their BIN at $39,900 with the option to make an offer.
AMC developed a reputation for pushing boundaries. Cars like the Gremlin and Pacer stood out for their distinctive styling, regardless of whether you find the appearance of either appealing. Releasing the AMX in 1968 was a bold move, one that didn’t translate into enormous sales success. The 1969 model year proved the badge’s high point, with 8,293 buyers handing over their cash to drive away in the company’s daring two-seat GT offering. This vehicle emerged during 1969, ordered by its first owner in Matador Red. The current owner purchased the car in 1974, and it has remained squirreled away in a warm and dry garage ever since. It sees action on fine days, with this approach leaving the AMX nicely preserved. Close inspection reveals minor paint chips, but the panels are straight, the underside is free from penetrating rust, and this classic retains 100% of its original steel. The trim and glass are in good condition, and this AMC rides on its correct Magnum 500 wheels with bright trim rings.
This classic’s first owner ordered the AMX powered by the 390ci V8. They also selected a four-speed manual transmission and didn’t stop wielding their pen until they’d ticked the box beside the Go Package on their Order Form. It added a Twin-Grip rear end, power-assisted front disc brakes, and suspension upgrades to improve the car’s handling. The 390 was a potent piece of equipment, with that year’s Sales Brochure confirming power and torque figures of 315hp and 425 ft/lbs. With the car weighing in at slightly more than 3,200 lbs, acceleration is all that you might rightly expect. The seller indicates that this AMX has been meticulously maintained, and the deal includes an extensive selection of documentation and service records. It recently received major suspension and brake work, and potential buyers can consider this a turnkey proposition that runs and drives well.
One aspect of the seller’s listing that I admire is that they don’t try to paint this AMX as something it isn’t. They admit that it recently received new carpet, but the rest of the interior is original and shows wear on the driver’s seat. However, the remaining upholstered surfaces show no evidence of wear or distress. Someone also installed a cassette player near the driver’s right knee, but it could be removed if the buyer prefers total originality. The dash and pad are excellent, and the gauges and wheel appear perfect.
Classics with long-term ownership histories are nothing new, but enthusiasts who have been custodians of their cars for over five decades are obviously passionate about their pride and joy. Such is the case with this 1969 AMC AMX. It isn’t perfect, but its overall condition is mighty impressive for what is a genuine survivor. The seller’s price sits high in the current market, but the indications suggest it is justified. This AMX has generated considerable interest since hitting the market, but do you believe that this will translate into sales success?
Look at the dealer invoice in the pics.
You mean where the describe the engine as the 290 not a 390? Hmmmm…
My BIL has been rebuilding a near identical ’69. Runs well but he’s never going to finish the body or repaint it…not skills within his wheelhouse.
Not to disparage my BIL in the least – he added a 4 speed and rebuilt the engine, skills FAR exceeding anything I could do with all nine fingers. NEXT is welding and body when he figures both out and adds them to his wheelhouse!
7th VIN = X = 390
This is great!! I guess they don’t do engine detail.
Invoices generally had 290 listed first, as they were the standard engine in AMXs. The 390 is listed directly below under the headrests, and was naturally, an added cost, as part of the Go Package. The VIN also bears this out, with X in the seventh place. AMCrs only have a few numbers to go by, so we never use terms like ‘numbers matching’. It has presented some issues in the AMC community, such as , there are more Mark Donohue Javelins today, than were produced in 1970! Go figure!
Interesting. Truly heart breaking to finally part with the love of your life. I know many who have AMCs and are the original owners. A thought. Maybe it’s just me. The younger generation is priced out of the housing market. How could they afford to buy a vintage muscle car? You buy a new 69 AMX for $3500. Enjoy it all your adult life. Protect and care for it. Then list it for sale at $40,000. Who is your audience? What seems most important? Finding someone like yourself to be a caregiver or get richly compensated for your time and effort. Take it to an auction and let the sharks go wild. Then your baby is shuffled from collector to collector.
I totally get what you mean by the audience for this car. But richly rewarded? $3,500 invested in 1969 at a conservative 5% compounded return would see $39,900 today, exactly what he is asking. Seems to me the seller had the foresight (or was fortuitous) to put his money in a place that he could get it back AND enjoy the ride (pun intended).
Dang, this thing is beautiful and one of my all time favorite muscle cars. I don’t know their value well, but I’ve seen what appear to be worse deals. Not in my budget, but I dream of finding one of these that’s not so well sorted and possibly is. One of the most underrated muscle cars ever IMHO.
This is pretty much the holy grail for AMC fans – too rich for my blood though! Hopefully the suspension work includes new trunnions in the front end, you really don’t want to have to mess with those. (Full ball joint suspension didn’t arrive for AMC until 1970 models.) Also the options on this car include electric windshield wipers, which AMC did not make standard until 1972.
It looks like box speakers for the cassette tape deck are laying behind the seats. That’s a trick I’ve used myself many times to avoid cutting up a car’s interior to mount speakers.
There has been some talk that a very few late 69s got the double ball joint front suspension.
Not sure I understand . . .
“the options on this car include electric windshield wipers”
There were non-electric windshield wipers? How did that work?
Vacuum motor like most all older cars had. AMC held on to them the longest, I believe. But I could be wrong.
Vacuum. By the 1960s they were as obsolete as a rotary phone is now. AMC did cut costs in unique ways, and this was one of them.
Watch the Flintstones
They worked poorly, stopped when passing at heavy throttle. My 68 Javelin had them.
Vacuum windshield wipers were standard on all AMC cars (except Metropolitan) from the old Nash days through the end of the 1971 model year. Electric wipers were optional.
AMC hung on to vacuum wipers way longer than any other manufacturer in the U.S. Maybe they had a warehouse full of vacuum wiper motors.
Beautiful car. It wasn’t that long ago that I thought 30K muscle, (except supercars) was too much. But cars like this are increasingly getting the coin. Grey hairs are looking for the last hurrah and buying the car of their past, but don’t want the hassle or expense of restoring one. These preserved versions fit nicely into that market.
I know because I entered into it myself a couple of years ago with my 340 Duster purchase and it has been very satisfying. Plus the garage got cleared out of a bunch of other drivers that I didn’t have time to enjoy!.
This appears to be selling through a dealer who has added their cut to the value, but I don’t think it will sell there.
Realistically it is a $29K car, which it still strong for an AMC..
But who knows.
My brother had a ’69 Javelin SST, 390, auto. It wasn’t the fastest car I had ever driven, that goes to a ’70 Hemi GTX, 4 speed, but the Javelin was the car I drove the fastest at 120+, according to the speed o.
I’ve had many a muscle car over the decades in the past, most of the top five everyone wants. Strangely though the fastest I had driven wasn’t a car.
It was a loner 2 weeks ago when my F350 Tremor went in for service. They gave me a ’23 lightning. In my defense, ignorant to Ev’s, I was rolling along almost 20 mph & floored it.
I thought it was going to do a wheelie, the front end got real light & squirrely & I’m hanging on to the steering wheel not taking my foot off, I think I went two short blocks & was at 63 when I ‘safely’ took my eyes off the road.
I still have the pinch or kink in my neck I got to see the chiropractor on Monday. A chronic pain in the neck no pun, not fun.
I looked it up & it says 0 to 60 in 3.8. Faster than my ’01 ZO6 I had that I thought was fast.
I had a ‘68 back around ‘71, same color but no stripes, 290 and a 4-speed, fun car but not practical to daily when you have a baby too.
There has been some talk that a very few late 69s got the double ball joint front suspension.
What’s with the rivets on the ID plate and the bend.
I never owned an AMC and this is about the only AMC, I would own. If it had P/S, it would be the perfect………AMC. For $40k, you would think the engine compartment would look a little nicer. In it’s present form, I see high $20’s to low $30’s.
This is at an established used car lot. Are y’all accepting anything as a submission, now??
Not an AMC fan, other than some Jeeps and the SC Rambler. Once you got past the paint scheme, that was a super cool car. I do like this AMX and think the price is very fair when you consider what it would cost to buy something similar made by Chevrolet, Ford or Chrysler Corp.
I had a 69 AMX optioned the same as this one. It was cool and fast enough. At the same time, I had a 70 390 Go-pack Javelin. I sold the AMX and kept the Javelin. I like the Javelin better–more comfortable, reliable and very fast. Best older car I`ve owned. Still have it since 1974.
I’m one of those grey hairs who would give my left 🥜 to have either one of my now classic rides from 50yrs ago. A ’69 AMX 343 4spd with some 2nd day mods that made it a screamer was a chick 🧲 that nobody else had cept for this testosterone fueled teen. This one looks good but at $40K and a trip from Illinois to Hawaii make it unobtainable for this old boy. And the other now classic I gave up to get the AMX – a ’67 Cougar XR7 GT. Some lucky person is gonna get to relive their youth.