Vehicle Description
In a 1966 Detroit meeting of the society of automotive engineers,
American Motors Corporation officials introduced a compact
short-wheelbase two-seat prototype coupe with fastback styling and,
of all things, a rumble seat. Named AMX, the push-car prototype
soon found its way into automotive periodicals, where it was
lavished with praise. A Vignale-built second car joined three other
idea cars as a star in the AMC project IV shows that toured seven
American cities. The public loved the AMX and, desperate for a win
in the face of dwindling finances, in late 1967, AMC rolled the
production version into showrooms across the nation. The rumble
seat was nowhere to be found, especially not in Ralph Nader's
America, but the production AMX gave AMC fans a real performer that
just got better with each passing year of its brief three-year
existence. Fresh out of the gate, factory-prepared AMXs using 304ci
engines and driven by racer Craig Breedlove and his wife Lee set
more than 100 speed records. The same powerplants worked well in
the SCCA's Tran Am series, and 50 AMXs specially prepared by Hurst
Corporation for NHRA Super Stock competition, the most famous one
driven by "The Dragon Lady" Shirley Shahan, set a number of class
records to elevate AMC to third place in NHRA standings for 1969.
All that competition improved the breed and the 1970 AMX was a
well-developed performance machine that was at its best. This
example, finished in blue over a blue interior, is powered by a
4-barrel carburetor-equipped 390/325hp engine and 3-speed manual
transmission.
