April 17th, 1964, is the day that Ford created a monster. That was when it lifted the covers from its new Mustang, started a sales frenzy, and created a new market niche, the pony car. Every manufacturer looked enviously at Ford’s success and wanted their slice of the pie. AMC was no different, unveiling the Javelin on August 22nd, 1967. The company offered several versions, but our first-year example is an SST. It isn’t perfect, leaving a new owner to choose between preservation and restoration. The Javelin is listed here on eBay in Wiggins, Colorado. The seller set their BIN at $14,900 but leaves the option for interested parties to make an offer.
It would be easy to describe this Javelin as a survivor, but some readers will object to that term. That is understandable because a genuine survivor should be completely original and unmolested. This car goes close, but a previous repaint in a non-original color probably disqualifies it from that category. Frustratingly, the existing paint shade is so close to the factory Code P58A Hialeah Yellow that it wore when it rolled off the line it is almost impossible to tell the two apart. The seller is honest about this change, which bodes well for their honesty regarding the rest of the vehicle. They confirm the car has accumulated plenty of scratches and chips, and there is Bondo in some areas. However, it is a rock-solid vehicle with no known rust issues. The chrome and glass are acceptable for a survivor, while the original steel wheels are wrapped in new tires and finished off by a set of correct NOS hubcaps.
Powering this Javelin is a numbers-matching 290ci V8 that sends 200hp to the rear wheels via a three-speed “Shift Command” automatic transmission. The new owner receives power steering, but the brakes are unassisted. It should cover the ¼-mile in 17.1 seconds, with the 290 running out of breath at 118mph. For a quick comparison, let’s pop over to the home of the Blue-Oval. A 1968 Mustang Coupe with an equivalent C-Code 289 and three-speed automatic transmission will take 16.7 seconds for the same journey on its way to 117mph. Many factors could explain the ¼-mile discrepancy, but weight is a possible culprit. The Mustang tips the scales at 2,978 lbs. The slightly larger SST asks its V8 to shift an additional 232 lbs, and we all know that weight is the enemy of performance. However, the figures are close enough that they caused Ford a few anxious moments. The seller recently rebuilt this classic’s carburetor and replaced the plug wires and radiator hoses. They say it runs and drives well, making it a turnkey beauty awaiting a new owner.
The SST package brought the owner reclining front bucket seats and a woodgrain wheel, and these features remain intact. Javelin interiors developed a reputation for being susceptible to UV damage and deterioration. This interior’s overall condition is pretty respectable, with the Black vinyl upholstered surfaces showing no signs of wear or damage. The dash, pad, and console are uncracked, with no signs of crumbling plastic. The only notable flaws are a cracked wheel and carpet wear. A new carpet set sells for around $260, but the buyer may need to be patient with their online search to locate a replacement wheel. The interior isn’t overflowing with optional extras, but many will welcome the AM radio.
The 1968 Javelin encapsulates what was right about AMC and why it deserved greater success. The company’s target in the pony car market was the Mustang, but it lacked the resources to design and develop Coupe, Fastback, and Convertible versions to match every offering in the Blue-Oval range. Instead, Dick Teague designed a striking semi-fastback body that sat atop the humble Rambler American platform. The Javelin stood apart from the opposition and was developed on a tight budget. The SST was a marketing masterstroke, offering some welcome upgrades for only $105 above the base offering’s sticker price. It is little wonder 26,027 buyers saw the benefit and opened their wallets to welcome an SST into their life. These classics remained largely ignored for decades, but they are gaining traction in the market. Values have climbed by more than 10% in the past year, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. This one’s price is slightly below what I expected, considering its condition and lack of apparent rust. It is affordable now but could be less so this time next year. Are you willing to wait that long to see if I’m right or wrong?
“I have a bowl of goldfish on the seat”,,,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2j04v2XrVwg
Good memory, Howard. I’d forgotten about that commercial. 👍🏻
I remember that, that’s Murray the cop from The Odd Couple movie. The golden age of car commercials.
It’s Stan from the Golden Girls
A young Richard Dryfus was lead actor in the ad with a NYC gang checking out one to steal!
I also remember a car commercial with passenger holding a goldfish bowl demonstrating the smooth ride.
I don’t know car.
Don’t forget the Saturday Night Live commercial where Dan Ackroyd, as a mohel, performs a circumcision in the back seat of a “Royale Deluxe II”, while extolling the smoothness of its ride…
That,,was hilarious.
I remember that .I think the car was a ford Granada or mercury monarch. Back when SNL was funny and not political for the most part except for Chevy Chase playing Gerald Ford tripping and tumbling while exiting airforce one.
Wasn’t that a spoof on the Mercury Marquis diamond cutting ad?
Looks like it’s been well cared for with 91K on the odometer. Always liked these cars and I am not an AMC guy but the little car company that could had some nice performance cars for three or four years.
The Saturday night live skit was title The Mercury Mistress well worth the time to watch it. it’s one of my favorite Saturday night live skits to watch. Full disclosure I sold new and used Ford and Mercury vehicles for many years.
One other thing Saturday night live haven’t done any automotive satire in a while Enjoy the video
Now, about that Grand Wagoneer in front of the Javelin….
Borg-Warner “shift command ” i beleive.
Around 1993 I bought a 1973 AMC Javelin that was in great condition. Engine blueprinted to 401 C.I. The only repair was having a new set of headers made for one side of the car. The previous owner installed headers. Had a special cam in it because of how nice and loud it rumbled when idling. Mark Donohue edition. It had been repainted in the original color with new decals, plus a set of NOS decals in the trunk. Asking price was only $4,000 but I brought it home for only $2,000 because the owner was buying a house and desperate for cash. My favorite car, but bought it to resell for nice profit when it soon sold for $4,000. My daily driver then was a 1982 AMC Eagle S/X red coupe. Loved the 4 wheel drive when it snowed. Before that I had a new 1978 AMC Concord that I drove for 14 yrs.
I can still remember the Television Commercial for the car. Kids standing on the corner in their neighborhood, yelling ” Hey Javelin ” as the New Car drove by. Great times then.
My neighbor down the street where I used to live had an AMX that looked something like this. He had it really looking nice. I thought he had the 390ci engine. He claimed it had somewhere around 425 hp. He spent one whole winter just on the engine alone! Anyway, he summer was race time. He did very well and brought home big trophies and $$$. He ha retired from the railroad and got sick one day in his garage. 6 months later he passed away from cancer. That was not a good day.
I have a complete 401 AMC motor for sale eustis fla Clint Dobbs here
As I posted, I once had a ’73 Javelin with blueprinted engine to 401 CI. What is the HP of your 401, as I never knew the HP of my 401.
Not too significant, but I’m 98 percent sure that’s a 69 grille.
Really nice car, we had a 68 with a 343, and I really liked that car. This one seems like a bargain to me.
I agree. I made the same observation. The wheel covers are also incorrect for GEN 1 Javelins.
Yes, ours had “Mag Wheel” looking hubcaps, and for hubcaps, I thought they looked pretty good.
FYI my dad traded in a 65 Marlin for the Javelin.
Wheel covers for the 68 Javelin: Dog-dish; fake mag with 5 black trapezoids; Turbo -cast; wire spokes. Also available was the full chrome 500 wheel.
When I was 17 one of the first cars I changed oil on at the kmart auto center I worked at was one of these. As I was going up with the lift all you could hear was crunching and rust falling.Stopped about 1/2 way and the car was literally cracking in half.Manager told the guy we aren’t changing your oil …junk the car it’s not safe to work on let alone drive.These aren’t full frame cars if I remember correctly.
No AMC cars were ; all Pony cars were unibodied , unless you count Camaros bolt on subframe as a “frame” vehicle
As virtually every modern car is unit construction, you should tell all the engineers body on frame cars are better since they never rust.
I had a 68 that was giving me some grief. I was all.of 18 and I loved that car. I took it to the dealer and while I waited my turn for an evaluation, a salesman tried to hook me up with a new one..73 or 74 with the tic-tach He promised some cash AND a “lid of dope” on the front seat if I pulled the trigger. AAMCO wanted a 60$ tear down for a non shifting transmission. The parts guy explained the modulator on the tranny. Sure enough, a vacuum leak. He gave me a footlong piece oftubing. I replaced it and was good to go for another couple of years. The torque converter crapped out.
People seem to forget the Barracuda came out before the Mustang. They just never made as many.
“The 1968 Javelin encapsulates what was right about AMC and why it deserved greater success.”
It would have had it – but for the celebrated Dick Teague.
Teague was brilliant, and also feckless to the point of incompetence. He set the Rambler on a good course with the 1963 rework of the Classic/Ambassador. He got the Hornet right. His design of the Gremlin was the most car for the least investment…if only they’d had a smaller engine to match the car’s shorter, lighter profile.
Betwixt and between, he had the dead Marlin; managed to mitigate the smell a bit by moving it to the Ambassador line. It could rightly be seen as a Rivieria or LTD Fastback competitor; but by then…dead is dead.
Then, the C-103 Commando rework. That killed a line that had had small-but-steady sales for six years prior. THEN…the Matador Coupe. By then, the money pump was sucking air. AMC couldn’t afford a mistake, and they sure made one.
Two in a row, with the Pacer.
What was really needed, was someone over Teague, who could take his good ideas, even his off-the-wall ideas like Gremlin…and throw the obvious duds in the wastebasket. But there apparently wasn’t the money even for that kind of oversight. Nor, apparently, focus-group surveying of potential buyers.
JPT,
Why do you have such a hard on for Dick Teague? I’ve seen your negative comments about him on other listings.
Dick Teague was a magician. You may not agree with all his designs but you need to take into consideration what he had to work with. He was asked to hit homeruns in every at bat, like you mentioned. Except he had 2 strikes on him and he was facing 103mph fastballs.
I was an AMC dealer and met him several times and you couldn’t find a better man.
The saying amongst AMCers was that GM had more custodians in their design area than AMC had designers.
I personally think he did a helluva job.
Just because the Ford mustang outsold the Plymouth barracuda by a billion to one doesn’t mean they started the pony car craze, either way this looks like a nice driver!!!
Not to disagree with you, but there is a reason they are called PONY cars, not FISH cars. The original barracuda was longer than the mustangs and was pretty ugly by comparison. Sorry but true.
Not that anyone else will care, but the yellow fastback that shows up 22 seconds in the commercial was driving me crazy. First, I thought it was an AMC show car – nor AMX II, not Cavalier, not the Vixen. Looked familiar, but couldn’t place where I’d seen it. It’s a full on custom by Dean Jeffries, the Falcon Python.