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Tips for Buying a Car Out of StateCheck Out This 1970 AMC AMX
There was only one other American two-seater to compete with the Corvette back in the late ‘60s, and it was the AMC AMX.
AMC AMX: A Cheap Thrill on Wheels
Back in the ‘60s, if you wanted an American made car, it’d almost always carried at least four seats inside, that is except for two specific models. After the Ford Thunderbird moved to four seats in 1958, the legendary Chevrolet Corvette was left alone in the market as the only domestic model with just two passenger seats. However, a lesser-known two-seater showed up in 1968 that aimed to be the more affordable competitor to Chevrolet’s venerable Corvette.
This two-seater competitor was the AMC AMX, one of the shortest muscle cars of that era and a pretty powerful little machine. The AMX wasn’t a popular seller for AMC during its three-year run between 1968 and 1970 but seeing American muscle of that size burning down the avenue was awesome. That’s exactly what AMC hoped this model would do as it helped attract a younger audience onto AMC dealership lots. This kept the smaller American automotive brand in the conversation against the likes of the Detroit Big Three – Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford.
We found an excellent example from this rare muscle car’s last year of production for sale on Carsforsale.com. It’s a 1970 AMC AMX with the Go-Package, plenty of optional features, and restored using only new-old-stock, making it possibly one of the best AMX models online right now. We’re going to take a look at this collector class muscle car that’s for sale and get a quick history lesson to learn why this classic AMC is so cool.
The AMX Concept and the Production Model
American Motors Corporation, better known as AMC, was in a slump in the mid-1960s. The brand heavily leaned into their popular Rambler brand and had grown to be considered by most shoppers as an economy brand. To flip this automotive stigma, a decision was made to move their fastback Marlin and their luxurious Ambassador under the American Motors branding in 1966. That year the company also showcased their pivot into the performance car market through two American Motors Experimental concept cars at their Project IV auto shows.
The first was the AMX, a fiberglass bodied two-seater performance car that featured long hood, short deck, and a unique feature dubbed the Ramble Seat. This added an exterior rumble seat that popped up from the rear decklid. It was a radical idea to not only bring back a seat option from the 1930s but to have it on a performance muscle car. Public perception of this concept and it’s four-seater companion, the AMX-II, led to immediate production requests by AMC executives. The AMX-II would be introduced as the 1968 AMC Javelin in 1967 with the AMX debuting the following year.
The 1968 AMC AMX didn’t feature the Ramble Seat from the original concept, but it did maintain its long hood and short deck stature along with bringing performance to the forefront. It was essentially a squished version of the Javelin and was marketed as “the only American sports car that costs less than $3,500”. AMC also took two specially prepared AMX models to the Goodyear Proving Grounds where they were able to set 106 world records for both speed and endurance. This stunt helped prove the capabilities of AMC’s new pony car and allowed them to market the AMX as a contender in the muscle car market. The model was also given praise as one of the best-looking cars made in America at the time of its release and was commended for its American muscle car acceleration coupled with European-esque sports car handling.
Under the hood of these 1968 AMC AMX models was initially a base 225-hp four-barrel 290 CID V8, 280-hp four-barrel 343 CID V8, or a 315-hp four-barrel 390 CID V8 engine. Each of these utilized a dual exhaust setup and could be mated to either a four-speed BorgWarner T-10 manual or a three-speed Shift-Command automatic transmission, but only the two larger engine options could gain a special performance package. The Go-Package or Go Pack tacked on a heavy-duty cooling system, seven blade flex fan covered by a shroud, a Twin-Grip limited-slip differential, front disc brakes, E70X14 sized performance redline tires, a heavier duty suspension, thicker sway bars, and dual racing stripes running over the top.
1969 saw virtually no mechanical changes to the AMC AMX. It did gain some minor updates to exterior racing stripe colors, interior options, and manual models gained a Hurst floor shifter. The most notable update though was the new Big Bad paint options. These were bright colorways like Big Bad Blue, Big Bad Orange, and Big Bad Green that included color matching front and rear bumpers, grille trim, and rear bumper guards.
AMC also leaned into the motorsports side of things in 1969. The AMX became the official Pikes Peak Hill Climb pace car and was used as a practice vehicle by participants up the mountain. AMC also introduced the Super Stock AMX, a drag slick toting performance model that was put together by Hurst Performance. It carried a unique 390 CID V8 engine built with aftermarket Crane headers, JE pistons, Crane solid roller camshaft, an exhaust, and dual four-barrel Holley carbs to produce 340 horsepower. Further enhancements by Hurst Performance These drag racing AMC Super Stock AMX models were built to participate at National Hot Rod Association events and were recorded achieving a quarter mile in in the high 10s.
1970 was the end of the two-seater AMX as fans knew it, but AMC made some changes before it hit the chopping block. The 1970 AMC AMX got a facelift for its final year that gave it a more aggressive, longer front end. The most notable changes to its design were the full-width grille that encapsulated all four headlamps, a taillight bar comprised of four long brake lights and a center mounted reverse light, and the new power blister hood that featured two functional hood scoops. Inside, AMC added woodgrain accents across the dashboard and center console, a two-spoke Rim Blow steering wheel was installed, and the bucket seats were updated to integrate the headrest into their construction.
AMC didn’t just update the AMX’s looks though, they also updated its performance. The base 290 CID engine was gone, and the 343 CID engine was replaced by a four-barrel 360 CID V8 capable of 290 horsepower. The four-barrel 390 CID V8 was also revised with new heads that helped it produce 325 horsepower. That powerplant coupled with the removal of the 290 CID V8 made the last year of the AMX one of the most potent across the board. The suspension was also updated to give the car more stable handling, and the Go Package continued with the addition of a ram-air induction system.
The AMX name continued forward in 1971 on the Javelin, but the two-seater design we knew for those three short years never returned under AMC. Just under 20,000 models were produced between 1968 and 1970, making these some rare classic muscle cars. Their unique stature and relative anonymity allow the AMX to stand out amongst the rows of Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers at local car meets. They were loud, cheap, small, and exciting. Nobody has quite matched this formula since for an American muscle car and they never truly will ever again – and that’s exactly why you need to pick one up.
This Low-Mileage 1970 AMC AMX For Sale
This 1970 AMC AMX is a prime example of proper restoration. It’s sourced from an avid AMC collector who spared no expense to keep this piece of history as original and pristine as possible. It has only 41,600 miles on the odometer and anything that needed to be replaced or repaired on this AMX was corrected using new-old-stock parts. The car itself is fully optioned to be possibly one of the rarest configurations of the model. It’s painted Hialeah Yellow P58 with the Shadow Mask exterior option that paints the hood black and continues the black addition around the passenger windows.
This AMX also features the best powertrain option, a 390 CID V8 paired with a four-speed manual and the Go Package. That means it’s got the Twin-Grip differential, a Hurst shifter, heavy duty cooling, power front disc brakes, and a functional ram-air induction system through the blister hood scoops. This example came with some uncommon optional equipment like AM/FM radio and an Adjust-O-Tilt steering wheel adding to this listing’s rarity.
This isn’t just another living breathing classic muscle car, it’s one of the most desirable versions of the 1970 AMC AMX for sale right now. Low mileage examples for sale are hard to come by already, but one in this condition with all the of these great options kept going with new-old-stock parts from AMC is exceedingly rare. Jump on this classic listing before this 1970 unicorn is off the market for good.
