The Nearly Forgotten AMC AMX Is Stunning Pony Car Alternative

By 1969, the American muscle car wars were in full combat. The Big Three were cranking out high-performance variants of nearly every model in their lineups. The American Motors Corporation (AMC), a lesser-known underdog, refused to be left out of the battle. And it delivered worthy contenders of their own, like the rip-roaring 390-cubic-inch V-8 powered AMX for sale on eBay.

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Cut-Down Pony Car

AMC based the AMX—or American Motors Experimental—on the larger, four-seat AMC Javelin. The AMX, introduced in 1967, competed against the ultra-popular Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro.

American Motors chopped 12 inches of midsection out of its larger sibling and eliminated the back seat. Unlike the Javelin or its pony car competitors, AMC only offered the AMX with a stout lineup of V-8 engines. With its short wheelbase, performance suspension, and balanced handling, the two-seat AMX was closer to the Chevrolet Corvette in spirit. In fact, at the time, the AMX was the only other two-seat sports car made and sold in the United States.

The AMX rides on a 97-inch wheelbase, one inch shorter than a period Corvette. The AMX has a curb weight of just 3,205 pounds. Its 390 cubic-inch V-8 was capable of a zero-to-60 acceleration time of 6.6 seconds. Best of all, the AMX’s exciting package of sharp design and strong acceleration cost as little as $4,000—about $1,000 less than a Corvette.

Read this 2016 article: Collectors Turn Attention to AMC’s Experimental AMX Muscle Car

The Pride of Kenosha

The AMC AMX was an immediate hit with the motoring press. Tom McCahill, a prominent car reviewer writing for Mechanic Illustrated, wrote this in March 1968:

The AMX is the hottest thing to ever come out of Wisconsin. You can whip through corners and real hard bends better than with many out-and-out sports cars.

The AMX was built, like many AMC cars, in Kenosha, Wis., a town along Lake Michigan about halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. Thankfully, this one didn’t stay in the Midwest for long. It’s a rust-free California car and one of just 3,690 units produced for the 1969 model year with the 390 V-8 and a manual transmission.

Moreover, it’s an unmolested example, finished in original copper with factory black stripes. The glass, chrome, and trim are also original on the car, which shows 97,000 miles on the odometer. The tan interior complements the exterior paint.

Built to Perform

Recent maintenance includes new suspension bushings and a new starter. The list of performance upgrades includes:

• An intake manifold from Offenhauser, which is best known for making custom racing engines that dominated the Indy 500 for decades. It also offered intake manifolds to boost power.
• Exhaust headers to move spent gases through the engine faster for more power and a better sound.
• Lightweight yet strong Weld racing wheels that give the AMX a mean look.

While most enthusiasts gravitate toward traditional pony cars like Mustang or Camaro, or the venerable sports car Corvette, the AMC AMX presents an unheralded middle ground between the two extremes of 1960s American performance.

It’s a shame that the AMX never achieved the same level of success as its muscle-car competitors. But The Big Three outgunned AMC. That’s what makes the AMX such a cool find. It’s unusual, and as such will always turn heads and invite people to come and ask questions. This 1969 AMC AMX is a stunner.