Buying a classic car can be a stressful experience. There will always be a nagging question in the back of a buyer’s mind about the physical state of the object of their desire. These can include wondering whether its lustrous new paint hides nasty surprises like Bondo that has been applied with a shovel. This photo of our feature 1968 AMC AMX should allay those fears because the original steel is in remarkable condition for its age. As you will see, the owner has taken advantage of that by applying one of the most stunning paint shades that money can buy. After completing all of the hard work, he has decided to part with this classic. It is located in Grand Island, Nebraska, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. He has set the BIN at $39,900 but also leaves the option for potential buyers to make an offer. I have to say a huge thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for spotting this potent classic for us.

The AMX first appeared on the market in 1968, and in that model year, AMC built 6,725 examples. This car is the 860th to roll off the line, making it a relatively early production vehicle. The car has spent most of its life in California, making its rust-free status no great surprise. When it was shiny and new, it wore a color called Scarab Gold. It would’ve been attractive, but the owner wanted something more distinctive and unique. Once he had stripped the body to bare metal and was sure that all of the panels were perfectly straight, he laid on a fresh coat of paint. At first glance, it looks black, but when you examine the photos carefully, you realize that it is a fantastic shade of blue. The color comes from the Dave Kindig AkzoNobel range and is a color called “Bruised.” While it appears to be a pearl finish, the owner assures us that repairing future blemishes should be no problem. Once he had applied the paint, it was buffed and polished to a mirror shine that feels deep enough to sink into. The spotless trim and chrome offer a striking contrast, as do the immaculate Magnum 500 wheels wrapped in new Firestone Firehawk tires.

AMC offered potential buyers several engine options in the 1968 AMX, and the VIN confirms that this car rolled off the line with the 290ci V8/4-speed combination. That was not a bad starting point, and with 225hp on tap, it would’ve been capable of covering the ¼ mile in 16.2 seconds. That’s pretty respectable, but who can’t use more power? The 290 V8 has been consigned to the pages of history, and this engine bay is now filled by a 390ci beast that should be churning out at least 315hp. Those ponies are fed to the road via a 4-speed manual transmission and a Twin Grip rear end. The performance improvement would be profound because this car should now demolish the ¼ mile in 14.4 seconds. That figure cemented the AMX’s reputation as a genuine muscle car. However, just because a vehicle offers exhilarating performance shouldn’t mean driving it should be a labor of love. This AMX might not feature power brakes, but the original owner’s decision to order the car with power steering should make life reasonably comfortable when the going gets twisty. The engine bay presents extremely well, and it doesn’t flatter to deceive. The owner says that the mighty 390 feels strong and that the car drives perfectly. The next stop for this classic will be the open road with a lucky new owner behind the wheel.

While the paint has received a significant refresh and the owner has upgraded the engine, the interior is claimed to be original and unmolested. If that claim is true, then its condition is pretty remarkable. It isn’t perfect because the wheel has a few cracks, and there is a single crack in the dash. I believe that the wheel has gone beyond the point of no return, but it would be worthwhile for the buyer to investigate repair options with the dash. Beyond that, this interior would seem to need nothing. The Black vinyl on the seats shows no evidence of wear or physical damage, and the same is true of the remaining upholstered surfaces. The carpet has some light fading in a couple of spots, but its overall lack of wear means that sourcing a replacement set is not essential. The gauges look crisp and clean, and while the interior isn’t loaded with luxury equipment, the AM/FM radio/8-track player is a nice touch.

Whenever I see a car wearing the AMC badge, I’m left to wonder what could have been. The company’s engineers and product developers managed to produce some amazing vehicles on a shoestring, so it leaves me to contemplate often what they might have been able to produce if they’d had access to a Ford or GM-type budget. Sadly, that is a question that we can never answer, but it is cars like this AMX that offer us an insight into what they could develop through pure grit and determination. While the 1968 AMX isn’t a strong performer in the classic market, they have maintained their values in recent years. This one isn’t 100% original, but I believe that its BIN price still looks pretty reasonable compared to recent sales results. That makes it worthy of a closer look for anyone seeking something interesting and different to park in their garage.