By 1968, there was only one American Motors car left that carried the Rambler name, the American. The powers-that-be felt that the name – which had been used by AMC since 1954 – left the company with a stodgy image. One thing the new Javelin wasn’t was stodgy, its new pony car entrant that debuted for 1968. Because resources were always limited at AMC, the new car was built off the American’s platform that also served as the basis for the new two-seat GT, the AMX. This first year Javelin, a 1968 model, looks to be in good overall condition and might not take a lot to get going again. It’s available here on eBay in Manahawkin, New Jersey where the bidding is up to $6,600.

The Javelin was always available in just one body style, a fastback, which no doubt hurt sales as competitors offered convertibles and notchbacks. The Javelin would be produced across two generations, 1968-70 and 1971-74, before being retired. 1968 would be its best sales year, with more than 57,000 cars coming off the assembly line. About 29,000 of them were “standard” models (not the higher trim SST), like the seller’s car. Thanks, Planet Houston AMX, for Javelin production data.

This 1968 Javelin is said to have been off the road for years, perhaps in the company of other AMC products as there is at least one AMX visible in the photos provided. As a throwback to days gone by, the car is still wearing its black California license plates. While the burgundy paint looks pretty faded, there isn’t much sign of dents or rust. However, the seller does mention there is damage on the driver’s floor that may have been caused by an aggressive jack. The undercarriage is a bit crusty, but much of that could likely be blasted away. A good application of rubbing compound and wax might make the car at least look presentable initially. The interior, while dirty, doesn’t seem to have a lot of glaring issues that need attention. The radio and speakers have been removed, but that may be the extent of the flaws.

We’re told that if you have some starter fluid, a can of gas and a battery, the 290 cubic inch V-8 will come to life. That’s encouraging regarding the health of the motor. We hope the automatic transmission is still up to par. A good flushing of the entire fuel system would seem like a logical first step, as well as changing all the fluids. The seller suggests that brake work is also going to be needed but doesn’t indicate whether than would impede loading the car on to a trailer. The car is approaching 100,000 miles, so it certainly saw its fair share of use (but not abuse) back in the day. The tires, while some appear to have decent tread, all must be rock hard by now.

From what we can tell, this Javelin looks as though it would be an easy restoration, if there is such a thing. Javelins don’t command the same prices today that Mustangs or Camaros do from the same time period, so $25,000 is about the limit that Hagerty says they’ll go for. At the current level of bidding, that would leave a fair amount of room to reinvest in the car. With the base V-8 and an automatic, it would be a decent performer and a car you don’t see all that often anymore.