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Garage Find: 1970 AMC AMX 390

American Motors Corporation (AMC) produced cars from the 1950’s to the 1980’s including the Rambler American, Gremlin, Pacer, and Javelin. They also produced the AMX or “American Motors eXperimental” during the ’68, ’69 and ’70 model years. The AMX is a small two-door sports car and made a big impression during the height of the muscle car wars. This car is a 1970 and can be found for sale here on eBay in Aroma Park, Illinois, with a minimum opening bid of $25,000.

Woah, that’s a whole lot of wood paneling! The brown dash, carpet and upholstery don’t really do this car any favors. I think these cars look much better with black or white interiors. The originality of this car really comes through and it would be a shame to replace everything with non-factory parts. If you haven’t read about the history of the AMX and the breakthroughs that were made during the development and performance of these cars, check it out here on Hemmings.

This car has the largest engine offered in the AMX. The 390 cubic inch V8 is mated to a 4-speed transmission. While this is the single four-barrel engine, it still produced over 300 horsepower when new. The ad states there are just over 40K original miles, but the car hasn’t run in twenty years. Hopefully, the owner has at least taken the time to put some oil in the spark plug holes and drain the gas tank.

There is only a hand full of cars that look fast standing still. The roof lines and design of the AMX certainly fit in this category. Although not as popular as a lot of Chevrolet, Ford and Mopar muscle cars, the AMX should be in the conversation. They look good, have great power to weight ratios and are very collectible. If you’re in the market for a muscle car, why not look at the AMX?  You can have a great and unique performance machine.

Comments

  1. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    Want!

    Wait…. I don’t think these had back seats, did they? That was the Javelin. Seller might be a bit short on knowledge. Still, I like the idea of a “Herst 4-speed”

    Has this listed in 2 separate auctions too…

    Like 0
    • Avatar SRyan

      I wouldn’t call anything I’ve seen as a back seat. Seems correct.

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      • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

        From the auction listing:
        Seller Notes: “All original unmolested needs restoration has not run in 20 years. Needs air breather and back seat parts. 41 K miles rust free”

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      • Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

        If it were a Javelin, it would need a back seat, but not the shorter AMX…

        It would be interesting to find out whether or not it had the Go-Pack.

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    • Avatar Nova Scotian

      These cars LOOK like they are missing the back seat. That was how they were built. Just sheet metal back there. To someone who hasn’t seen them new from the factory, it really does look like its missing the back seat. But really, that is how they were built…to reduce weight…(though I can’t imagine much), so this screamer would haul ass down the biways. (But just two at a time..lol)

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      • Avatar Steve

        It is a go-pack car (not that the flipper knows what that is) as it has the vacuum line going to the ram air actuator.

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  2. Avatar Bobo

    This ad is a perfect example of what has happened to this hobby over the last 10 years or so.

    Literally a 23 word description of a car that the seller expects to sell for a minimum of $25K.

    I especially like this part: “Needs air breather and back seat parts”. Yeah, good luck finding those “back seat” parts.

    What a maroon.

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    • Avatar Mountainwoodie

      Really…..

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    • Avatar Snidly

      What an ultra maroon
      Lol
      Yeah, what eBay has done to the hobby is disgusting. On one hand, you can now find the parts and cars (where at one time, this would have been buried in the classifieds section and NONE of us would have seen it, but some 16yo kid would have been thrilled beyond reality when he ended up with it for $1500), on the other hand, you can’t afford the cars or parts now. Yes it sucks, but it’s a market economy, supply and demand.

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    • Avatar stilbo

      Yep… Parked for twenty years without and air cleaner? Check. Don’t bother rolling it out for photos? Check. ‘Repair’ a $5.00 steering wheel cover with electrical tape? Check. “Herst shifter”? Check.
      Lots of knuckle callouses.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar LAWRENCE

    “Needs a back seat ” ….yep flipper did their homework….nice car though.

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  4. Avatar Jeff

    This car never had a back seat and the air cleaner should not be very hard to find.

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  5. Avatar Mike

    Back seat or not, this I know…I ran against this car once and won however, I believe if that car was driven by one more experienced the out come may have been very different.

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  6. Avatar jw454

    Yes, what we have here is a flipper that knows nothing about this car.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Jack in NW PA Member

    Still I would love to have it, restored it could bring $40.00+ could be worth close to 25 if it had been gone through,refreshed and made to run well with as many original parts as possible. The color combination doesn’t bother me.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar TBAU Member

    An almost identical car is featured in an episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” along with a Gremlin

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Classic Steel

    I like that it’s a four speed mated to a HURST shifter and not the “Herst” family along with the AMX edition!

    I don’t like not run in decades and wonder what the under side looks like for rust.

    I always ask myself when I hear hasn’t ran in “X” years does this mean I tried to start and the engine is stuck meaning lets tear down and manually tap out pistons and possible new piston caps etc. why no air cleaner on a 40 k car?

    40k or 140 non started is wear and tear on engine!

    Love ❤️ javelins though🤠

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Tom Justice

    Asking 30K for buy it now. That is the price for a NICE driver with a Go Pack option and NOT for a car that has not run in 20 years and is missing parts and in this condition. I agree, the seller does not seem to know much about the car he is selling. Nice to see the AMC cars getting some love, the over 50 crowd may remember Roger Penske ran MATADORS and won races.

    Like 0
    • Avatar kuzspike

      The Captain won a Trans-Am championship in 1971 with Mark Donohue driving a Javelin before they moved to NASCAR and the Matadors. In 1970, there was a special edition Mark Donohue Javelin available to the public.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Loco Mikado

        And for a couple of years there an Indy car powered by an Amc I6 engine.

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  11. Avatar 86_Vette_Convertible

    I’ve always has a soft spot for the AMX. I’ve only seen a couple of them at car shows and always appreciated them. Hope someone gets this one back on the road.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Rick

    Looks a little crunchy in that final photo above the tail light, right at the junction of the body panels. One of my favorite cars.. but I question the glass behind the seats, random black tape everywhere and a few other odds and ends that look like they shouldn’t be there after only 40K miles…

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Road dogs

    Alabama State Troopers had a few AMX cars around 1970. Troopers drove their cars home when off duty. One trooper lived two blocks down the street from my parent’s house. I used to see him wash the AMX everyday. It was interesting to see these cars patrol on the Interstates in the livery of State Trooper cars. First sightings of the AMX shape combined with a State Trooper paint job messed with our teenage brains…

    Like 0
    • Avatar Terry Roberts

      I remember seeing those on my excursions between Mississippi State and University of Alabama as a college student. Never got pulled over by one of ‘em, but made the drive more fun, watching for ‘em!

      Like 0
    • Avatar Jeff Brown

      You can probably see a restored Alabama State Trooper AMX car at the World of Wheels in Birmingham, AL the weekend of February 10-11. I have seen one there every time I attended the show. Several years ago at that show I took a quick picture of the AMX shown in the photo. Great event if you can make it.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Bill C

      I remember them too. It was interesting to see a line of them parked across from the Jefferson County Courthouse in Bessemer. Here ‘s what they looked like.

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      • Avatar Bill C

        Another

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      • Avatar Alan (Michigan)

        Javelins, not AMX.

        Like 0
  14. Avatar Ohio Rick

    If the seller wants to buy a back seat for this car I have one. Unfortunately someone modified it and reupholstered it to look like one from an 83 Dodge Charger, but I’m willing let it go for, oh, let’s say, $250.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar the one

    I wanna know what ball is in that bag.
    Milwaukee rubber perhaps?

    Like 0
  16. Avatar dwise

    I wonder how many years the engine has set without an oil cap.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar mark

    This is what I can afford…….

    Like 1
  18. Avatar Ted

    Hate to tell you but they made the AMX Javlin till 1974. They were redesigned for Trans Am racing. I use to work for an American Motors lot.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar TBall

    Always loved those cars. Absolutely correct, look like they are wailin’ when parked. Seller pulled listing due to “errors”. Perhaps he reads Barn Finds too…

    Get a cup of coffee, spend some time on google, then go back to flipping…

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Harry

    if I remember right in 1973 I went over to the AM dealer next to the high school to drool over the new Javlin’s and the AMX’s. I think they were both available with a 401 engine option also. Thought I could talk my dad into buying me one for graduation gift. At the time I knew all there was to know about them. Needless to say I did not get either. But I did get a nice new 1974 Ford Mustang II for graduation. Wish I still had that one!!

    Like 0
  21. Avatar EHide Behind

    A M C had Police only option from company through local dealers. Until 1974, ??¿¿¿¿ on 4 Dr Matador sedans.
    IMO , worth 2 cents, the 2 seat A M X is the most over looked performance autos of the factory muscle years.
    PLEASE CORRECT ME, but in 1957 the quickest US built auto was an A M C with its 327¿¿ motor.
    In a quarter mile it ran second to big block autos, but would out corner them all, including the cuda 340, and 350 camaros and stangs.

    Like 0

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