17. 1969 AMC AMX 390 SS
American Motors Company was a legendary economy car manufacturer that battled Detroit’s Big Three for decades. But, eventually, they folded in the mid-80s. AMC was always famous for its wide selection of compact and affordable cars, interesting concepts and dependable mechanics. However, in the late ’60s, AMC decided to enter the muscle car market since it would bring some excitement to AMC’s lineup.
This was a good decision. Today, people remember AMC for its muscle cars, not for their basic, low-optioned family sedans, which were what they produced the most. AMC presented two models, a four-seat coupe they called the Javelin and a two-seat coupe they called the AMX. At that time, the AMX was the only American two-seater model besides the Corvette.
They built the AMX on a shortened Javelin chassis. It featured better equipment, more powerful engines and lots of go-fast options. Both the Javelin and AMX enjoyed considerable success at the time. However, there was one rare, special version, and that is the AMX SS 390. They built this car in cooperation with Hurst, a famous company from the era.
It featured lots of modifications and the biggest AMC engine, the 390 V8 with 340 HP. This may not sound as much as some other muscle cars of the period, but the AMX SS 390 was light, compact and brutally fast. They only made 52 of them. Most were red, white, and blue machines that went to drag strips where they beat much more powerful cars with ease.