American Motors was always known for stretching a dollar (or in the case of the AMX, shrinking it). When the Javelin pony car was introduced in 1968, AMC took 12 inches out of the wheelbase and created a 2-seat GT-style companion, the AMX. It would only be produced for three years in this format. The seller has a 1970 edition whose production numbers were below those of 1968 and 1969. He/she has owned it for 47 years and has only driven it 30 miles. Located in Pueblo, Colorado, this multi-colored muscle car is available here on eBay where the current bid is $17,200.
Only 19,134 AMXs were produced before AMC threw in the towel and made it a performance option on the Javelin. In 1970, just 4,116 copies saw the light of day. The VIN the seller provides indicates it came with a 390, so with a 4-speed manual, the population when new drops to 1,632 units. The long-time owner makes no mention of numbers-matching and a 343 is under the hood now, so could a transplant have occurred over the years?
The seller acquired this flashy car in 1977 after it had been treated to a full rework of cosmetic and mechanical components. Since then, it has mostly stayed in the garage, coming out every now and then for a bath (the odometer reads just 36,000 miles). The 343 was bored out and it’s paired with a T10 4-speed manual tranny. We don’t know if the red, white, and blue paint job was the original scheme, though some online sources indicate maybe 50 were done this way (a tribute to Mark Donohue and his Javelin?). The interior looks good, too, but the fabric and dash don’t look to be original materials.
This AMX has some performance goodies, like an Edelbrock intake manifold, and Thorley headers. It’s said to be a two-owner car, and the seller indicates that the buyer might find some mechanical imperfections once the vehicle is used regularly because it’s been a garage queen for 20 years. This is a sharp AMX that should attract a lot of attention, whether or not it left the factory in a form similar to that of today.
I believe all AMX’s came with the 390. It wouldn’t have made sense to stick a smaller motor in them. I remember my ’69 Javelin SST also came with the 390, it was fast and it was one of my favorite cars.
Standard AMX engine for the 70 was the 360. 1968/69 had the 290 standard if I remember correctly. The dash panel may be from a Javelin, they had brushed aluminum, I think the AMX dashes were wood grained.
You could get a AMX with a 290, 343, and a 390! In 70 it was the 304, 360, and 401.
401 not available until 1971
The 1970 AMX came only with the 360 or the optional 390 and either an automatic or 4 speed (same price).
A friend of mine bought a 1968 AMX, came from the factory with a 343
Garage Queen 20 years? Only driven 30 miles in 47 years, and was totally restored after 7 years of use and 30.000 miles, I do not think it ads up. Looks really nice, but his math does not add up I think.
Yeah, it sounds like a car that was pieced together. Maybe a fun car, but not for original condition dollars.
1968-1969 Available engines were 290,343, 390 cu in. 1970, it was either 360, or 390. All were four barrel engines. Therefore, the 343 is not original to this car. The door tag is from a Javelin. AMC’rs dont use the expression, ‘numbers matching’.
The most persistent myth of all….which came first.
The AMX was designed in 1965-66. The Javelin was mass-produced, and sold first, for the 1968 model year. The Javelin was derived from the AMX.
I’d make sure it was mechanically safe and sound, then drive it. I’m not a fan of the color combination, but would leave it. I wouldn’t change a thing, I’ve always liked factory muscle cars that were modified early in their life, that’s what you typically saw at cruises and the school parking lot and what I were exposed to when I was the age where you were getting into cars. Very few have survived in that incarnation, most having been either restored or modified further and in a different directions.
As for the limited use since the owner bought it, I have several friends that have done similar. They built a really nice car that was never intended to be a daily driver. They’d use them for cruises or the occasional car show. They eventually moved on from both those activities but still loved their car, over time life got in the way, they had a job and later a family that took up their time. For that reason the car came out less and less, or in some cases not at all. Many have been getting them up and running over the last few years as their kids have moved away and/or they jobs are taking up less if their time, a few car will keep sitting, some will be sold, but the cars still hold important memories of a time when their lives were pretty care free and weren’t complicated.
Steve R
Where is Howard, Mr. AMC? My theory is the original motor grenaded after some hard use and that’s how it ended up with the 343 ci. back in those days, seven years is what you got out of a car if you were lucky. Planned obsolescence. I knew plenty of the other kind too. Guys who would tear into an engine while it was still under warranty, to add headers, cams, etc. in search of better performance.
Certainly depended on how you ran it and cared for it. I know my oldest brother had his 69 AMX with 390 & 4-speed for about 16 years. Driven daily. He had very few issues with it. I was just finishing up college when he sold it due to needing a “family car”. I really regret not buying it from him.
There were no factory red, white & blue 70 AMX’s built. In 1970 the red, white & blue SST Trans Am editions were Javelins. There were 100 of them built, and the red and blue used on them was darker than the red and blue on this car. The Trans Am editions were different than the Mark Donohue editions that were also offered in 1970. The Trans Am edition only came in red, white & blue, and all 100 came with a 4 speed and the 390 Go Pac. The Donohue edition featured a unique duck tail spoiler, but was available in any color and came with the 360 standard.
There were some red, white and blue AMX’s built, but these were all 1969’s. In 69 Hurst Performance built 52 specially modified AMX’s for Super Stock drag racing. The Hurst SS AMX’s were available in either all white or in a red, white & blue paint job, but the white center section was much narrower on the red, white & blue SS AMX’s than it is on this car. The Hurst SS AMX’s were not street legal either.
The stainless dash in this car is neither a Javelin or AMX piece, but instead appears to be an aftermarket or home made piece.
It has been mentioned that about 50 RWB Javelins were made in 1968, all with a 290 IIRC.
It’s pretty cool, even if not correct. I had a 68 amx 290 and the a 69 amx 390 w/go package. Can anyone tell me if the factory rating on the 69 390 was more than the 315 or 325 hp that various publication rated it at ? I always felt with 425 lbs of torque the hp must have been higher.
tks
AMC built 100 red white blue Trans Am Javelins and 52 SS AMX’ both came only with the 390,this is just a cool AMX with a tribute paint scheme.
Massaged 343, 4sp, should mean some smiles/mile.
I know, the colors today just don’t mesh with our way of thinking. Perhaps too long since a war that affected us all. 1970 was NOT a happy time in America. We were still reeling from the atrocities of Vietnam, protests and anti-American sentiment were all around. Leave it to a company named “American” Motors, to go out on a limb to promote America by painting their cars R,W,& B. Many followed suit in the upcoming bicentennial, but I believe AMC was the 1st. Turns out, it failed miserably, and never tried again. Tells you something, eh? While I personally appreciate all the experts opinions and stats, sadly it will fall on deaf ears in the future, if it hasn’t already. In the future, it’s just going to be some quirky patriotic bafoonery car grandpa drove, and uhp,,what’s that, a clutch pedal? Let’s move on,,,
Yep, “hey grampa, where’s the hidden USB port in this?”
I recall there was some paint schemes like you mentioned then & around the bicentennial period, but I’d have seen one if they made one like this. Friends folks owned an AMC place back in Bridgeport on US1 & after that franchise folded, he had at least 4-5 AMX’s in his collection, along w/ a Donahue addition & some other rare model he explained to me all about. He was a fanatic w/ them, wouldn’t doubt still owns a couple, today.
The dashboard layout is from the 1969 AMC. AMX . The 1970 AMX had larger gauges with glass lenses. At least my 70 Javelin did . Every thing else is all 70’s AMX
Nope. The dash is definitely a 1970 dash. The stainless is not stock. just somebody with with extra time on their hands. Gauge clusters are the same from 1968-1970 with minor background/bezel changes. The AMX will have a 120 speedo for 68-69 and a 140 speedo and large 8K rpm tach in 1970. Javelin could have the 140 speedo and 8K tach for about $50.
1968 had 120 mph speedometers and the smaller tach. 1969-70 had 140 mph speedometers and the larger 8,000 rpm tach. Also most 69’s and all 70 4-speeds had Hurst shifters.
My error. i have a 68 & 69 AMX. Only the 68 has the small tach. A clock could go there too. For a 68 AMX, the rally pac included a clock since the standard tach was in the small hole on the left. Instrument clusters had slight differences: smooth or pointed bezel & black or metallic finish. A 69 instrument cluster with a bad tach was taken apart, on the number face plate was printed “AMX”.
The last thirty years have gone by without me realizing the time passing. I had always thought I would be able to buy a good used Javelin or AMX driver for $10k or even less. Or a decent 240Z for less than that. The inside knowledge I had from growing up in the business is now common Intel used by most. As our kids grew up about the only thing I did they thought was cool was my quirky taste in cars. That has come home to roost now they have their own money. Be careful what you wish for, and all you 40 year olds – wake up! I recall not listening to my Father, either. All the Ramblers I’ve owned yet the only AMX was the weird Spirit based hatchback. Not a bad car for 1979.
aww man dave you just had to type that out loud. the stuff that was on my lift in the dealership i worked for is now 40 years old. thanks dave.
Not a bad looking AMX–much better than a lot of them. But I hate those seats. There are interior parts available to make the car correct. That`s what I would do anyway. Though not correct, the 343 is a good engine.
Good looking AMX imop. The color shades are correct for those who painted theirs this way to mimmick the SS and Craig Breedlove cars. I think AMC did a good job with this front end after 68/69, but dropped the ball with the dash. Thankfully someone made it slightly more appealing with a stainless panel. Way too much woodgrain otherwise. There was nothing there from center to passenger side to break it up. Just a flat boring dash… Rebel machine was poor choice with that big box gauge cluster too. Both great cars, ugly dashes. This car deserves some better attention to the seats but id drive it for sure. Whoever buys it, start with checking entire brake system over, especially the hoses, dont need that kinda surprise! Dont be surprised if other leaks pop up after some good use.
Sold on 10/28/2024 with a bid of $22,211.11.
Steve R