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The AMC – Forgotten Economy Car Heroes

Vukasin Herbez December 20, 2024

From the start, the AMC concentrated on the economy car field. For a few decades, this company presented a tough competitor to the Big Three with numerous small and cheap models that sold well and were common on American roads. Constantly trying to invent something new and stay relevant and profitable in the market, AMC presented many memorable models like the AMC Gremlin, Hornet, Pacer, and muscle duo – Javelin and AMX. Despite being much smaller than the Big Three, AMC was always innovative and resourceful. Today, we will tell you about those cars.

AMC Marlin 343

1967 Amc Marlin Fastback At Amo 2015 Meet In Brown 2of7 Scaled — Photo Credit: Edmunds

For the 1967 model year, AMC decided to introduce a 343 V8 version of the Marlin with 280 HP on tap. Although it wasn’t very much, it was enough to give the Marlin decent performance and driving dynamics. Today, 343 V8-powered Marlins are very rare, but there were even rarer options, which consisted of a factory-tuned 343 V8 engine with 320 HP, which provided the Marlin with some real power.

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AMC Javelin

AMC wanted to get into the muscle car game, and for 1968, it prepared two interesting models. One was Javelin, and the other was AMX, and those two models shared the drive train and engines. The Javelin was modern-looking, a four-seat, two-door muscle/pony car ready to fight the Mustang and the Camaro. It came with a long list of optional extras and featured several V8 engines.

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AMC AMX

The main difference between the 1968 AMC Javelin and AMC AMX was that AMX was a two-seater model, the only two-seater on the US market other than the Corvette. With a shorter wheelbase, 390 V8 engine with 360 hp, lots of go-fast options, and a reasonable price, AMC AMX was an exciting and capable muscle car. The Javelin proved to be a sales success, but the AMX was tough to sell, and people wanted more room in their muscle cars, so a two-seater AMX was obsolete.

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AMC AMX 390 SS

01969 Amc Super Stock Amx Front Three Quarter.jpg — Photo Credit: Hot Rod

AMC was active in the NHRA drag racing championship but needed a proper car for the Super Stock class. So the company produced the AMX 390 SS. This car was built in cooperation with Hurst, a famous company from that era, featuring many modifications. It also had the biggest AMC engine, the 390 V8, with 340 hp. They only made 52 of them, most of them in red, white, and blue. Machines went to drag strips, where they easily beat much more powerful cars.

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AMC SC/Rambler

American Motors Corporation - AMC Ambassador — Photo Credit: Flickr

The Rambler was an economy model with no performance options but a light body, and somebody in AMC thought it would be a good idea to install a big engine and create a proper factory hot rod. This cool-looking and rare AMC was built in cooperation with transmission manufacturer Hurst. It was a budget Rambler model with a powerful 390 engine and many “go fast “options from Hurst. Since it was light and small, it was fast and eye-catching because it was painted only in the white, red, and blue color schemes.

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AMC Rebel Machine

The modest success of the 1969 AMC SC/Rambler encouraged the company to produce another special, one-year-only muscle car in the form of a Rebel Machine. AMC presented the Machine in 1970 with the same mechanics but more power (345 HP) and more performance-oriented options. It had a cool name, patriotic color scheme, Ram Air induction hood, and 0-60 times of fewer than 6 seconds, which made it a reasonable choice for any street racer.

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AMC Javelin SST

Besides drag racing, AMC realized that most muscle car buyers are into road racing championships, especially the legendary Trans Am series. So, in the late ’60s, the company started sponsoring Mark Donahue, a famous racer, and his team. Also, AMC presented the Javelin SST, a top-of-the-line model that featured more power, a better handling package, and exterior details. The 360 and 390 V8 engines were the only choice with a 325 HP rating. Also, SST models had hood scoops, side pipes, and rear spoilers, which was a big deal in 1969/70.

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AMC AMX 1971

For 1971, AMC redesigned its pony/muscle lineup and combined Javelin and AMX as one model. Gone was the two-seater version, and now AMX was top of a top-of-the-line package for the Javelin model. As you probably know, if you wanted to run with the big boys in the early ’70s, you needed a big engine, and for Javelin AMX, AMC provided its most significant motor – 401 V8. This powerplant produced 335 HP, which was a respectable number.

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AMC Hornet 360

Based on a regular economy car called Hornet, equipped with better suspension, sharper steering, graphics package, and a 360 V8, this hot Hornet turned from an ordinary compact into a proper muscle car. The power was not that big at 245 HP, but those horses could make the Hornet fly with a lightweight body. The rest of the muscle cars offerings in 1971 all had problems with big size and weight and engines that didn’t make power anymore, but the Hornet 360 was one of the fastest cars on sale.

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AMC Gremlin

Introduced in 1970 on the 1st of April, the AMC Gremlin looked like April’s fool joke. The competitors laughed at its compact dimensions, funny rear end, and diminutive engines, but very soon, AMC was smiling to the bank. The Gremlin was a sales success and the first American subcompact car. The Gremlin was also one of the first American hatchbacks since it got an opening rear glass. It wasn’t as practical as later hatchback models, but it was the beginning of hatchback models on the American market.

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AMC Matador Machine

Photo Credit: Hot Rod

The famous AMC Rebel Machine was discontinued in 1971, but the package lived on a Matador coupe. However, there were no signature red-white and blue color schemes, and the Machine package included steel wheels with performance rubber, heavy-duty suspension, dual exhaust, and a 360 or 401 V8 engine with up to 330 HP. Technically, you could order a Machine package for a station wagon, too, but there are no records of somebody doing that. The Matador Machine was a scarce car, with 50 examples known to be produced.

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AMC Javelin AMX 1974

1974 was the last year for the legendary Javelin AMX, and despite all the effort from AMC’s engineers, the power output was down by 20 HP to 235 HP from its optional 401 V8 engine. Even with all the performance goodies, sport suspension, and manual transmission, 0 to 60 mph times were just over 8 seconds, which is not very fast, especially for a muscle car. The Javelin did enjoy some success on Trans Am circuits, but we are sure it didn’t win many street races.

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AMC Pacer

The Pacer is a car that is equally loved and hated but is legendary and widely recognizable. It was AMC’s effort to produce a compact car, but it turned out to be less compact than its competitors and had numerous flaws. However, the design and the legend around its charm make it one of the most quirky and iconic ’70s legends.

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AMC Matador X

When the Javelin AMX was discontinued, AMC was left without any muscle car in their lineup, so they quickly decided to introduce the Matador X. The Matador was redesigned for 1974, featuring a signature coupe body style that was pretty aerodynamic. Hence, the company presented the “X” package, which could be had with 360 V8 or an optional 401 V8 with 235 HP. Regardless of the dress-up kit, big V8, and all performance goodies, Matador X wasn’t any faster than Javelin, and the option was killed after only one year.

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AMC Spirit AMX

Introduced in 1978, the AMC Spirit AMX was an actual compact muscle car due to the fact it had an optional 304 V8 engine and rear-wheel drive, and it could be had with manual transmission. AMC designed it as a performance version of the Spirit compact car. On sale for just two years, the Spirit AMX had some success due to the fact it was inexpensive and cool looking. The AMX package included a body kit, special livery, and wide wheels.

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AMC Eagle

Conceived in the late ’70s, the Eagle was AMC’s answer to the rising popularity of AWD vehicles and SUVs, and AMC decided to combine their compact sedan and wagon lineup with a strict and proven Jeep AWD system. The result was a surprisingly good and capable vehicle with the comfort and luxury of a sedan, compact dimensions, relatively low weight, and excellent off-road characteristics. The Eagle was one of the first, if not the first, crossover models in the world, and only Today can we see how important and influential this car really was.

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