In January 1966, American Motors Corp. unveiled its first prototype featuring a “Ramble Seat,” the company’s updated version of the prewar rumble seat placed where the trunk compartment would be. Although the production 1968 AMX two-seater did not include the Ramble Seat, the concept remained influential.

James “Jim” Jeffords, former Milwaukee-area racer and manager of AMC’s 1968 Javelin Trans Am campaign, partnered with designer Brooks Stevens, also of Milwaukee, to design the custom AMX-R featuring a Ramble Seat. The feature would have added open-air riding for rear-seat passengers of the two-seat AMX, which was a shortened version of the four-passenger AMC Javelin fastback coupe. 

Constructed on Dec. 11, 1967, the featured AMX-R prototype was assembled two months prior to the public release of the AMX in February 1968. It was sent to Dave Puhl’s House of Kustoms in Palatine, Ill., for modification, as House of Kustoms had worked on other AMC prototypes. In six weeks time, Puhl extensively modified the AMX, preserving its original concept. He replaced the fastback rear window with a vertical, removable Plexiglas panel, rebuilt the deck for fold-open seating and created an air dam designed to channel airflow over the roof and rumble seat occupants. The AMX-R also featured rear suspension upgrades to accommodate the extra weight. Puhl lowered the car and stiffened the rear springs, and also swapped the 14-in. wheels for 15-in. Spyder wheels. Additionally, the hood was modified, the car was sprayed with custom paint and the AMX-R was given unique and more plush upholstery with more seat padding and upgraded carpet. The exterior was also dressed with unique “AMX-R” and “Jeffords” scripts.

The AMX-R’s custom paint was an eye-catching Candy Apple Red complemented by flat-black paint on the ram air-type hood that came to be called a “Shadow Mask” hood treatment.

Jeffords and Stevens intended to manufacture a limited number of AMX-R cars and distribute them via AMC dealerships. To attract attention, they showcased the AMX-R as a pace car at several Trans Am races. Ultimately, however, AMC did not support the initiative, resulting in only one prototype — the Puhl-built model — ever being produced. Jeffords’ and Stevens’ plan had been to offer the Ramble seat on 500 production AMXes, making the AMX-R a distinctive and unique prototype. In the end, AMC decided that if performance junkies wanted to seat four people, the four-passenger Javelin upon which the production AMX was based satisfied any need.

Additionally, there were several other significant obstacles that prevented the AMX-R prototype from reaching serial production. These challenges included safety and product liability concerns, AMC’s refusal to sell vehicles for modification, and a strong negative reaction from consumer advocate Ralph Nader regarding the exposed exterior seating concept.

Although the AMX-R never entered full production, its special blacked-out hood treatment later appeared as the “Shadow Mask” option on the 1970 AMX models, leaving a lasting influence on subsequent designs.

Landing the AMX-R

While the AMX-R was making its PR rounds back in 1968, Darryl A. Salisbury, of Vicksburg, Mich., had just returned from five years of overseas service with the U.S. Air Force. Soon after his return, his father showed him an article on the AMX-R in the October issue of Rod & Custom that ended with, “How would you like to have one sitting in your driveway?” Little did Salisbury know one day it would be parked in his driveway.

In 1984, Salisbury was president of the American Motors Owners Association when the AMX-R was displayed at the club’s annual convention. By that time, the car was owned by the Brooks Stevens Museum, and it was for sale. Darryl Salisbury inquired about buying the car and six months later, the museum curator called to say that Bob Stevens, the late editor of Cars & Parts magazine, designer Dick Teague, and the late Duane Mackie, then the editor at Collectible Automobile magazine, believed that Salisbury would be a great caretaker for the AMX-R.

After sitting neglected for a decade, Salisbury and his brother-in-law Brian Moyer began restoring the car. The AMX-R was complete and despite its very low mileage, it was in poor condition from years of basement storage before Stevens owned it. Even today, the former show car shows just 5,200 miles.

The restoration took 10 years, but the award-winning outcome justified the effort. Salisbury said the car drives like his other AMXes, although the Ramble Seat is uncomfortable with its single long seat belt for both passengers.

Launching the AMX

AMC orchestrated the mid-model-year debut of the AMX with a strong emphasis on its sports car capabilities. To highlight its performance credentials, AMC invited automotive journalists to Daytona, creating an environment that showcased the car’s strengths on a renowned racing stage. AMC also entered into a marketing partnership with Playboy Enterprises to broaden the AMX’s appeal among a youthful, trend-conscious audience. The introduction to AMC dealers was equally distinctive, with meetings held at nine different Playboy Clubs, ensuring dealer engagement and enthusiasm for the new model.

The AMX was officially unveiled to the public on Feb. 24, 1968, strategically timed five months after the release of the four-passenger Javelin and the other AMC vehicles for the 1968 model year. AMC positioned the AMX as “the only American sports car that costs less than $3,500,” appealing to buyers seeking performance more affordable than a Corvette. Advertisements depicted a helmeted race driver at the starting line in a sporty AMX, reinforcing the car’s readiness to reach speeds of up to 125 mph, underlining its competitive spirit.

Designed as a two-seater, the sporty AMX targeted a specific, well-defined niche in the market. Its unique attributes succeeded in attracting younger customers to AMC showrooms in unprecedented numbers. Automotive journalists responded enthusiastically, frequently describing the AMX as a “handsome two-seater with American-style acceleration and European-style handling.” Extensive road tests across varied terrains confirmed these impressions, with reviewers often declaring the AMX to be among the best-looking cars produced in the United States.

AMC optimistically advertised it would limit production of the AMX to 10,000 units for 1968, but only 6,725 of this “halo model” were built that model year. 

All 1968 AMX models were equipped with four-barrel carbureted AMC small-block V-8 engines, available in three versions: a 290-cid V-8 engine producing 225 hp (N-code); a 343-cid V-8 engine delivering 290 hp (T-code); and the 390-cid V-8 “AMX” engine, which was introduced with the AMX model and generated 315 hp and 425 lb.-ft. of torque (X-code). While these engines shared external dimensions, their internal construction varied. The 290 featured smaller intake and exhaust valves, thinner block webbing and a nodular iron crankshaft. The 343 received larger valves and thicker webbing, whereas the 390 was distinguished by a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods instead of cast iron, along with larger 2.250-inch rod bearings compared to the 2.090-inch bearings in the smaller engines.

A BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual transmission came standard on the AMX, complemented by specialized traction bars, a dual exhaust system and wider tires to enhance traction. As an alternative, buyers could opt for the “Shift-Command” three-speed automatic transmission (BorgWarner model M-11B or M-12) with manual shifting capability and a floor console-mounted shifter.

The popular “Go-Package” was available for models equipped with the four-barrel 343 or 390 engines. This package added power-assisted front disc brakes, a “Twin-Grip” differential, E70x14 red-stripe performance tires on 6-inch-wide steel road wheels, heavy-duty suspension with thicker sway bars, an upgraded cooling system and other performance enhancements. Additionally, AMC dealers offered a broad selection of specialized performance parts, organized under the “Group 19” catalog heading, which allowed customers to further tailor their AMX to their performance preferences.

Despite its performance prowess, good looks and rave reviews, the 1968 AMX was never a top-selling muscle car and today, they are rare. But none
is as rare as the AMX-R.

AMC’s your thing? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1971-amc-hornet-sc-360

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1965-amc-ambassador-990

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1970-amc-rebel-machine

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The post Car of the Week: 1968 AMX-R prototype appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

American Motors Corp. became the go-to car builder for quirky, colorful and — in some cases — low-production muscle cars in the late 1960s and early ’70s. AMC muscle machines typically had loud, Type A personalities. There was the patriotic SC/Rambler and Rebel Machine; hairy little two-seat AMX; Javelin SST; Matador X; and eventually even a Gremlin X. It was an interesting cast of characters for sure.

Certainly one of the oddest ducks on the AMC farm, and perhaps the least understood and most overlooked as a legit pavement eater, was the one-year-only 1971 Hornet SC/360.  Just 784 of the hyper Hornets were built, and only a relative handful remain. Most car guys probably don’t remember them at all, or at least haven’t seen one in years.

For some guys, like Greg Piecynski of Plover, Wis., SC/360s are Holy Grail-type cars. They aren’t nearly as uber-expensive as the Hemis and Shelbys of the world, but they are almost as hard to find. Pieczynski knew for a long time that he had to have one, and he was willing to wait as long as it took. His patience was rewarded when he landed his impressive green-on-green SC/360 about four years ago.

“I looked for about 30 years. I did find some for sale, but they needed a lot of work, and to try to find those parts is really tough,” says Piecynzki. “So I tried to buy the most complete car I could… They’ve got a registry for these cars, and they are estimating there are probably about 100 left in the world, and that includes automatics, four-speeds and three-speeds. When I got this one, yeah, it was the nicest one I had ever seen.”

It’s hard to believe by looking at the nearly flawless green AMC today, but it was driven into the ground and then left for dead in its first life. Fortunately, Pieczynski isn’t the only guy around who covets the SC/360s and will go to great lengths to have one.

“I came across this one about four years ago in Alabama. The guy that restored it was a guy named Bill Smith. He lived in Kansas and this car came to a dealership in Osage City, Kansas,” Pieczynski notes. “He owned another SC/360 at the time and he drag raced it. He was looking for another one to drive, and this dealership got this green one in. He saw it on the lot and called them up and said he was interested in buying it. The dealer told him it was sold already, so he told them if it ever came back in a trade or whatever, to let him know. What I heard is that a guy bought it for his wife, because she was a mail carrier. So apparently this car spent 100,000 miles carrying mail! …The guy that restored it said when he got it, there was so much mud in the right rear quarter panel, he said, ‘I believe the story.’ This car had to have been a mail car.”

The dealership that sold the car originally did eventually get the car back in trade, but it was so far gone they junked it. 

“It was in a local junkyard, because it was in such bad shape and had so many miles on it. So he went to the salvage yard and bought the car and restored it.”

AMC Kept Its Foot On The Gas

American Motors thought that it was “introducing a sensible alternative to the money-squeezing, insurance-strangling muscle cars of America” when it advertised the all-new Hornet SC/360 in the December 1970 issue of Motor Trend magazine. Little did the company realize that it was also bringing out a rarity. Although it expected to make 4,000 of the cars and optimistically suggested that 10,000 sales might be possible, only 784 were ever built. That’s what makes the SC/360 an especially interesting car. The model was never offered again, although a fairly mild version of the 360-cid V-8 was offered in other Hornets for a while.

“They had a signature muscle car for ’69, ’70 and ’71. In ’69, they had the Rambler-SC/Rambler; then, for 1970, they came out with the Machine Rebel. Then, in 1971, they decided to come out with these, but by then, the insurance companies were already getting wise and clamping down on muscle cars,” says Piecynski, who also owns a stellar 1968 AMX. “So AMC thought, ‘We’ll do one last hurrah. We’ll take Grandma’s Hornet, stuff a V-8 in it, with Ram Air, and a Hurst four-speed in it.’ But the insurance companies weren’t quite that naïve and they figured it out. If they knew it was an SC/360, you were going to pay for it.”

The compact Hornet replaced the Rambler (formerly Rambler American) for 1970. It was efficiently sized with a 108-inch wheelbase and short 179.6-inch overall length. It was only 70.6 inches wide, despite having wheel wells that looked large enough to stuff in racing slicks. The largest engine at first was a 304-cid V-8, but that changed when the 1971 SC/360 was introduced.

A 360-cid V-8 with 245 hp was standard for the base price of $2,663 along with a “three on the floor” all-synchromesh transmission, a heavy-duty clutch, D70 x 14 Polyglas tires, 14×6 mag-style wheels, a Space Saver spare, rally stripes and individually reclining seats. For $199 more, you got the Go-Package with an AM 4300 Model 1RA4 four-barrel carburetor, the 285-hp power plant with dual exhaust, a functional flat-black Ram Air hood scoop, a handling package, raised white-letter tires and a big tachometer. A four-speed manual gear box with Hurst shifter or a Borg-Warner Shift-Command automatic (for $237.85) and a choice of 3.15:1 (with automatic) or 3.54:1 and 3.91:1 rear axles with a Dana Twin-Grip differential were other options

A Hot Rod road test of the SC/360 was printed in the December 1970 issue of the magazine. The virtually out-of-the-box car, fitted with the automatic, was put through its paces five times and turned in a top performance of 94.63 mph in the quarter-mile with a 14.80-second elapsed time. Can Am driver Steve Diulo then wrung it out on a road racing course and summed it up as a great little car with slow steering that was “really a lotta car for the money!” Two other advantages were that it avoided a 25 percent surcharge insurance companies were levying on other muscle cars, and that it got fuel economy as high as 17 mpg in freeway driving.

Apparently not many of the fiery 360 versions of the Hornet came in Meadow Green. “Supposedly only four were made this color … Most of them were blue or mustard yellow; once in a while red,” Piecyznski says. “It’s a lot of green. You gotta like green!” he laughs. “I didn’t have too much choice in it, but I like the color.”

Creating A Buzz

Pieczynski says his green Hornet was pretty well known in AMC circles after the previous owner began showing it and collecting trophies after he finally restored it. Collecting hardware wasn’t really what Pieczynski had in mind, however. He was mostly fixated on winning the chase to finally find one and be able to own and enjoy a car that he had pursued for many years.

“I’m not into the trophies that much, I’m just into the uniqueness of the car,” he says. “Mostly, if I take it to car shows, people say, ‘Oh, it’s a Hornet, we had a Hornet. I remember those!’ But what they don’t realize is how rare these particular ones are and they only had 784 of these built. But once in a while, you get a guy that really knows what these are, or who worked at the Kenosha [Wis.] AMC plant and they can’t believe their eyes, because you never see these anymore. A lot of people don’t know they were ever even produced.”

As far as he knows, Piecyznski’s Hornet was restored back to its original factory configuration: automatic with the Go-Pack, AM radio and optional Magnum 500s. “And, of course, the famous Rambler seats that fold down!” And was the luggage rack ever used to carry bags of mail? We’ll never know. “Maybe! I never thought of that! It’s funny to think somebody would have used a car like this to deliver mail, but back then, they were nothing special. They were just a car.”

Nothing special, perhaps, but definitely a wolf dressed as a green sheep when it came to performance. With its V-8 and short wheelbase, SC/360s just flat-out feel and sound fast, even when rolling at slow speeds. 

“Yeah, It wants to go. It’s built to go,” Pieczynski adds. “And being a lightweight car, it can go. When I first got it, I tried a couple runs with her. I think it would do well against the AMX. You had the SST package, and if you got the Go-Pack, you got the Ram Air hood, and Hurst four-speed in them with a special suspension. And a lot of performance upgrades, but they only had one ad in Motor Trend magazine. That’s it. That’s all the advertising they did for them. A lot of people never even knew about them.”

But was it worth the 30-year wait? The grin on Piecyznski’s face leaves no doubt about the answer.

“Absolutely! Absolutely it was worth it. I love it!”

AMCs your thing? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week-1965-amc-ambassador-990

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1970-amx

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/old-cars-out-and-about-1967-amc-marlin

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

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The post Car of the Week: 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360 appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

It’s not an everyday occurrence to come across an original, unrestored 1965 AMC Rambler Ambassador 990 in pristine condition, but there’s always a first. In the summer of 2024, I received a lead on an original ’65 Rambler Ambassador 990 that had recently shown up in Avon, Ind. — and it turned out to be one of the nicest unrestored examples of any 60-year-old vehicle I’d ever seen and photographed. 

On Sept. 30, 1964, Raymond Kramer, of Kenosha, Wis., ordered a new 1965 AMC Rambler Ambassador 990 four-door sedan from Johnson & Sons Co., Inc., in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., and while doing so checked off just about every factory option available including the 327-cid V-8, Flash-O-Matic Transmission, air conditioning, power steering and Montego Rose and Taupe two-tone paint. Leaving little to spare, Kramer ordered the optional individually adjustable seats, light and visibility groups, vinyl trim, AM-FM radio with Vibra-Tone rear seat speakers and front seat retractable seatbelts. 

It’s not clear as to why Kramer ordered the car in Wisconsin Rapids and then had it delivered to him in Kenosha, where AMCs were built. When Kramer passed away, he left the car to his nephew, who never titled it. In 1994, Kramer’s nephew sold the car to longtime American Motors Owners Association member Jim Webb, who also owns an AMC parts business. When Webb purchased the car from Kramer’s nephew, the nephew didn’t elaborate on the car’s history, so Webb doesn’t know why the AMC went halfway across Wisconsin and back before Kramer originally took delivery. 

Webb continued to keep the AMC in pristine condition for the next 30 years. By 2024, he was in the early stages of retiring from his AMC parts business and decided it was time to start downsizing his now-sizable collection. During a recent phone conversation, Webb said the ’65 AMC Ambassador 990 wasn’t getting much use and, “It was time to pass it on to someone who could enjoy it.” Webb went on to say he still has a decent inventory of NOS AMC parts, but the formal business no longer exists. 

Mark Preis purchased the AMC from Webb in May 2024. For Preis, the AMC reminded him of a part of his youth.

“When I was younger, my father owned a 1965 AMC Rambler Ambassador 990 four-door sedan, and about five years ago, I decided to see if I could find an identical one,” Preis said. “I discovered this car on Facebook Marketplace and decided to buy it. My father’s ’65 AMC Rambler Ambassador 990 was similar, but his was built with the 232-cid six with a three-speed transmission and bucket seats. When I was a kid, the console with the two slots that held the seatbelts in place stuck with me. Unfortunately, during my search, I couldn’t find one with the exact factory items like my father’s car. This one is as close as I could find, and the way it had been well cared for over the years was the deal breaker. I had to have it.” 

Preis drives his ’65 Ambassador Rambler 990 when Mother Nature cooperates and displays it at local car shows near his home in Avon.

Building a bigger Rambler

In February 1962, George Romney resigned as president and CEO of American Motors Corp. to successfully run for governor of Michigan. AMC’s board of directors elected him vice-chairman and granted him a leave of absence, and Roy Abernethy, a former Packard sales manager, became president.

Whereas Romney concentrated on building AMC’s successful compacts, Abernethy’s ultimate goal was for AMC to meet the Big Three head to head, matching AMC’s much larger rivals model-for-model by producing large cars in addition to its small cars. By 1969, the Ambassador’s wheelbase would grow to 122 inches, an inch longer than that of the Ford LTD! Overall length would expand to 208 inches, up from 189.3 inches in 1963, and its weight would increase by some 350 lbs.

But it would take several years for the larger cars to come on line. In the interim, Abernethy and AMC styling chief Dick Teague undertook to draw as sharp a distinction as possible between the 1965 Ambassador and the less-prestigious but more mainstream Rambler Classic. They began by extending the wheelbase of AMC’s luxury line from 112 to 116 inches. Body shells continued to be shared with the Classic series, with the four-inch difference appearing in the length of the Ambassador’s impressive-looking hood.

A number of styling studies were prepared for the 1965 Ambassador. One of these bore some resemblance to Chrysler’s 1963 experimental Turbine Car. Another featured a flat grille with seven or eight horizontal ribs. Yet another sported bridgework that might have been inspired by a giant waffle iron. In keeping with AMC’s conservative image, none could be considered radical in any sense.

In the end, Teague settled on a bold-yet-pleasing, extruded-aluminum grille design with a number of horizontal ribs V-shaped slightly forward and bordered by stacked, quad headlamps. Full-length trim capped the crown of the side and fender panels, extending from the V-shaped profile of the front fenders to the full-height vertical taillamps, silhouetting the car’s striking new profile. The roofline was crisp, and the mildly sculptured side panels served to further accentuate the appearance of length. Chrome trim around the wheel openings were standard on hardtop and convertible models. AMC, obviously pleased with the results, talked up the 1965 Ambassador’s “impressive new long-lived styling.” Motor Trend agreed, calling it a “strikingly handsome automobile.”

But there was more to this new Ambassador than just a pretty face. Consider, for example, the power teams. For the first time, a Rambler Ambassador was available with six-cylinder power. This was a brand-new engine, although it would not be totally inaccurate to think of it as an updated version of the overhead-valve six that had been used for many years by the Nash Ambassador. Of modern short-stroke design, and featuring a seven-main-bearing crankshaft with eight counterweights, it had a displacement of 232 cubic inches. With a two-barrel carburetor, it developed 155 hp. AMC proudly referred to this engine as “the world’s most advanced Six.”

Far more popular in the Ambassador, however, were the two V-8s, with displacements of 287 and 327 cubic inches. Their respective horsepower ratings were 198 and a “zestful” 270, both at 4,700 rpm, while the torque figures came in at 280 and 360 lb-ft at 2,600 rpm, respectively. Differing only in their bore, compression ratio and carburetion (two barrels versus four), the V-8s traced their origins to the original AMC-developed V-8 introduced in mid 1956.

Several transmission choices were offered. Standard was the usual three-speed manual with column-mounted lever, but not many Rambler Ambassadors were so equipped. Options included a Borg-Warner overdrive, controlled by means of a knob mounted below the dash; “Twin-Stick,” which provided two shift levers on the console (one for the three-speed gearbox and the other for the overdrive); and Flash-O-Matic, a three-speed automatic supplied by Borg-Warner. The last could be purchased with either the traditional column control or, for cars fitted with bucket seats, the console-mounted “Shift-Command.” And at mid year, yet another exciting option joined the list: a fully synchronized Warner T-l0 four-speed manual gearbox. 

Other options included All-Season air conditioning, competitively priced at $327.65; power brakes, either drum/drum or disc/drum (the latter a brand-new feature); tachometer; speed control; Adjust-O-Tilt steering wheel; Duo-Acoustic or Vibra-Tone rear-seat speakers; and the usual array of power equipment, plus the famous (or infamous) reclining seat/twin bed conversion that had been a Nash feature for many years. In addition, the new station wagon could be purchased with a side-hinged rear door, and two extra passengers could be accommodated if the optional third seat was ordered.

AMC’s decision to upgrade the Ambassador and make it larger for 1965 paid off — output more than tripled from a meager 18,647 units in 1964 to 64,145 in 1965. It certainly seemed that President Abernethy’s strategy was right on target, so the Ambassador cruised into 1966 offering more of the same.

Two trim levels were offered in 1965. The Ambassador 990 and 880 were priced to compete with the Chevrolet Impala and Bel Air; the Ambassador 990 proved more popular than the less-expensive 880 and outsold it three to one. The 990 was offered in four-door sedan, two-door hardtop, Cross Country station wagon and convertible body styles, plus an additional upscale hardtop, the 990-H, which featured bucket seats and special interior appointments. The 880, priced about $90 lower, came in two- or four-door sedan and station wagon configurations.

AMC billed its entire 1965 Rambler line the “Sensible Spectaculars,” with the Ambassador hyped as “the longest, the most luxurious, the top performer of the three great new Ramblers.” Motor Trend, which road-tested a Twin-Stick overdrive-equipped Ambassador convertible, found it sensible enough, but not particularly spectacular. To Technical Editor Bob McVay, the car was commendably economical, averaging 16.4 mpg over a 1,000-mile test run. “Traveling comfort was the Ambassador’s biggest selling point, along with its exceptionally powerful Bendix duo-servo drum brakes,” he wrote. “With the thin bucket seats that recline, driver and passengers can enjoy a high degree of riding comfort…. Ride and handling cater to comfort rather than control…. Many passers-by commented on the car’s good looks,” McVay recalled, adding, “Our summary: a nice, comfortable, quiet, well-built family automobile that rather neglects the performance market.”

Sales of the reformulated 1965 Ambassador reflected the car’s more important status in the AMC hierarchy. One ad during the 1965 model year boasted, “You’ll soon see why we’ve had to increase Ambassador production by four times to meet demand!” And indeed, output soared from 18,647 units in 1964 to 64,145 in the 1965 model year. That was a Rambler Ambassador record (the previous being 37,811 in 1963), only to be broken the next year when 71,692 Ambassadors were sold in 1966. It would be the Ambassador’s high-water mark.

For 1967, the Ambassador (no longer billed as a Rambler) continued to grow. The wheelbase was increased by another 2 inches, overall length by 3-1/2 inches. Weight increased by nearly 300 lbs, and even the styling looked more massive. Abernethy was about to resign as AMC president, but his influence was just really commencing to be felt. As he had intended, the Ambassador continued to grow until it eventually rivaled the full-sized models from the Big Three. In retrospect, the handsome midsized 1965-1966 models were “interim Ambassadors” en route to becoming as big as the Big Three’s full-size cars.

Love AMC rides? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1970-amx

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1974-amc-matador-x

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

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The post Car of the Week: 1965 AMC Ambassador 990 appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

I do not know how many times I have heard or read that cars of the 1950s and 1960s were unsafe, and that the auto manufacturers did not care about safety then. These claims are not based upon the realities of the times. Auto manufacturers did, indeed, give thought to safety during this period, as explained in the following article.

Even as far back as the 1930s, the matter of safety was considered; hydraulic brakes and safety glass, as just two examples. Of course, what was safety-orientated several decades ago is much less sophisticated than what we have today. One must take into account the available technology and the attitude of drivers during that era, rather than to make the claim that safety was of no interest to auto manufacturers.

Still, the belief manufacturers were not interested in safety persists, and the reason for this may be a point made by a reader of an article published in Car & Driver in 2017 about cars of 60 years ago being unsafe. His response to the story was, “America has a habit of using modern experience, knowledge, and technology to judge yesterday.” One of the arguments made by the writer of the story was that narrow windshield posts used on cars with a wraparound windshield did not provide any serious protection in a roll-over accident. In other words, the posts would collapse. However, the idea behind thin roof pillars was to minimize blind spots for the driver for the sake of safety.

General Motors’ Vice President of Styling Harley Earl brought forth the wraparound windshield. He was very interested in finding ways of increasing glass area and minimizing obstructions to viewing traffic.

The seat belt stigma

Another aspect of safety in automobiles was car buyers’ attitudes as well as understanding of the value of safety devices such as seat belts. Promoting safety simply did not boost auto sales. Ford Motor Co. tried promoting its “Lifeguard” option (seat belts and padded dash), which made its debut for the 1956 model year. Also that year, Chevrolet made seat belts and a padded dash available as separate options, but without particularly heavy promotion.

Indeed, some executives at the time felt offering seat belts suggested to the public their company’s cars and trucks were not safe. And there were some drivers who were not convinced of their value in protecting occupants of automobiles. They noted the device could be the source of injuries, and that an unconscious person in a vehicle that caught fire after an accident could be more difficult to extract by rescue personnel. There was also the belief by some that seat belts in convertibles were dangerous—that an occupant had a better chance if thrown clear of the car. Even European auto manufacturers supported that view. Despite what seems to be an obviously foolish thought, the idea was based upon instances of people surviving accidents, because they were thrown clear of a tumbling car. The flaw in the evidence was that those instances were not typical outcomes. Others pointed to relatively minor accidents in which the front seat occupants were killed because they struck the dash and windshield, as well as accidents in which the doors popped open during a crash, causing passengers to be thrown out of the vehicle with fatal results. A research group at Cornell University found that passengers thrown from an automobile were, indeed, more likely to receive greater injury, or be killed, than those who stayed inside. In the end, the conclusion from all the discussion and research was that seat belts, when properly designed and used, either mitigate or prevent injuries and prevent deaths in some types of accidents, yet they were absolutely useless in other accidents. Some experts estimated that seat belts would save somewhere between 62 and 84 of every 100 motorists who would otherwise be killed.

While the seat belt looks simplistic, it required considerable research to design one for the automobile. To do what it was intended to do, the seatbelt had to be properly designed. Everything involved had to be carefully considered—matters such as the belt material, the anchoring bracket, anchoring points, the buckles, etc.—and developed. Examples of the design criteria include the anchoring bracket through which the seat belt webbing was laced. It had to have slots free of sharp edges and burrs to prevent cutting of the webbing under high-load conditions. Belts attached to the vehicle flooring required at least 5/16-inch, heat-treated mounting bolts along with 2-1/2–inch washers to spread the load over a large area to prevent the mounting bolts from pulling through the flooring. Furthermore, the seat belt release was required to be easily operated with a light pull from one hand, even with the occupant suspended upside down.

Beginning in 1950, Nash became the first auto manufacturer to offer seat belts. (Surprisingly, seat belts were recommended for cars in the 1930s by several U.S. physicians who equipped their cars with lap belts and begin urging manufacturers to provide them in all new cars according to the website, autosafety.org.) Lap belts were introduced as extra-cost equipment for 1956 not only by Ford, but also by Chrysler Corp. and GM.

GM spent two years developing seat belts before offering them as an option in 1956. At the time, automobile safety was quickly becoming a subject of interest of the federal government. In fact, the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill in mid-1955 which would have required seat belts to be mandatory in vehicles used for interstate commerce, but it failed to pass. The state of California passed a law requiring seat belts to conform to aircraft standards set by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (now the FAA). Furthermore, numerous aftermarket seat belts were available through a variety of sources. Additionally, 23 states had passed a law that became effective on Jan. 1, 1964, requiring lap belt anchors to be provided for autos. Seat belts became mandatory equipment for all automobiles (except buses) starting Jan. 1, 1968, though auto makers began making them standard prior to the 1968 model year. Still, car owners were not especially likely to use them. A typical excuse for not wearing them was the fear of being somehow trapped by them after a crash resulting in a fire.

The collapsible column

Introduced for 1967 was the collapsible steering column. In a major head-on or near-head-on crash, the collapsible steering column could no longer be driven into the driver’s body. The feature became mandatory the following year, so auto manufacturers were a year ahead of the mandate. Incidentally, though the collapsible steering column was newly introduced, it had actually been invented in 1934. However, auto makers did not soon adopt them, because they were complex to manufacture, were more prone to mechanical failure, and were more costly to replace in the event of damage. In the depression-plagued 1930s, anything that added to the cost of the car was undesirable to manufacturers, because it was undesirable to the buyer.

Ford’s ‘Lifeguard’ equipment

For the 1956 model year, Robert McNamara, Ford’s general manager, decided to emphasize safety features under the banner “Lifeguard Design.” Some of the Lifeguard features were standard and others composed an option group. The Lifeguard equipment resulted from a two-year study conducted by Ford Motor Co. in cooperation with Cornell Medical College, the American College of Surgeons, the National Safety Council and other groups. Test crashes were conducted with crash-test dummies, and instrumentation and cameras recorded the reactions of the “occupants” and the behavior of the test car. As a result of these tests, the steering post was recessed from the steering wheel a little more than 3 inches and the steering wheel itself was designed to bend away from the driver. Furthermore, the door latches were redesigned to reduce the possibility of doors opening during a collision. The double-grip door latch employed an interlocking striker plate made of high-tensile chrome-molybdenum steel to overlap the door latch rotor. The inside rear-view mirror was given a special backing to prevent the glass from shattering, too. Optional safety equipment was composed of webbed nylon seat belts plus a padded dash and sunvisors.

Part of the promotion included showing the test films of crash test dummies slamming into the windshield with the implication being that Ford’s safety equipment could prevent drivers and passengers from being killed or seriously injured. The effort was futile. Despite the improved safety offered, few people ordered the Lifeguard package. Even so, Ford continued to offer the optional safety equipment all the way up to the point when the federal government made the equipment mandatory.

More safety features for 1967 Fords

Though Ford Motor Co. had met the federal safety regulations for 1967, it went beyond them with additional safety features that year. These included shoulder belts and front seat headrests as dealer-installed accessories. Incidentally, the shoulder harnesses required the purchase of the extra-cost deluxe belts, which had a central push-button buckle release rather than the lift-up design of the standard units.

In addition to mandatory seat belts for front and rear seat occupants and the padded dash, new safety items also included a dual-reservoir master cylinder that featured separate reservoirs between the front and rear brake systems. Therefore, a loss of hydraulic fluid would likely be limited to one brake system and not both, preventing total brake failure as could happen with the previous single reservoir design. Incidentally, this brake system had originated as standard equipment on Cadillacs in 1962, but was not featured on all GM products.

GM safety options

FoMoCo’s Lifeguard option is much more well-known to collectors of 1950s Fords, but lesser known is that, at the same time, Chevrolet not only offered lap belts, but also shoulder harnesses for the front and rear passengers in addition to a padded dash. At least one 1956 Chevrolet—a Bel Air two-door hardtop with the special-order, dual-quad 225-hp Corvette engine—was equipped with the optional front shoulder harnesses. (This car still exists.) Despite their availability, even Chevrolet’s deluxe prestige brochure did not mention this optional equipment. Though seat belts remained an option on Chevys until mandated as standard equipment by the federal government, they became standard for the Corvette sports car beginning with the 1959 model.

Additionally, in the next decade, the adjustable headrest was introduced. Headrests had been an option for various GM cars as far back as 1966 before becoming standard equipment on passenger cars by federal mandate beginning on Feb. 1, 1968.

Chrysler Corp. safety options

Chrysler Corp. began offering a padded dash for 1949 and lap belts for 1956. The latter, though, was not noted in its dealer sales brochures, probably because of the common fear of implying its cars were unsafe. Unlike the seat belts, a padded steering wheel was advertised as an option in dealer brochures starting with the 1959 Chrysler models (except for the Windsor).

AMC safety options

American Motors Corp. offered at extra-cost child safety locks for the rear doors of its four-door models (an option later adopted by other manufacturers), seat belts (dealer-installed) and a padded dash in the latter 1950s. Headrests were added as an option beginning with AMC’s 1966 cars.

Concluding remarks

Safety is a relative matter. Auto accidents simply cannot be totally safe due to an infinite number of variables. Safe driving habits are highly effective at preventing them, and no high-tech gadget can force drivers to drive safely. Many advancements, though, have been made over the past several decades, such as anti-lock brakes, air bags, back-up cameras, the lane keeper, etc. There is a downside to some of this, and that is that drivers can get the impression they do not have to pay as much attention to their driving because of these features, something that is simply not true.

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After nearly eight years of work, a new documentary detailing the rise and fall of American Motors Corporation will air this May on Public Television stations across the country.

The team responsible for creating the documentary includes longtime Old Cars columnist historian/author Patrick Foster, filmmaker Joe Ligo, formerly with the PBS program, MotorWeek, and creative consultant Jimm Needle. Ligo is the head producer while Foster and Needle are co-producers.

The effort involved conducting more than 50 lengthy interviews with former AMC employees from Detroit and Kenosha, plus interviews with two former American Motors CEO’s, along with an interview with Mitt Romney, who discussed his father’s years at the helm, and film clips taken from more than 100 hours of historic videos archived at the Kenosha History Center, Interviewees also include MotorWeek’s John Davis and The Autopian’s David Tracy. Patrick Foster appears on camera as well, explaining what happened and sharing details of decades-old conversations with the many AMC executives he knew personally.

Titled ‘The Last Independent Automaker’, the film is heavily based on Foster’s multiple-decades of AMC research, along with hundreds of historical photos from his massive AMC archive, which includes more than 20,000 press photos. The documentary will consist of six half-hour episodes. It covers the entire history of American Motors from its formation in 1954 until it was bought by Chrysler in 1987. Foster’s latest book ‘The Complete Book of American Motors’ is a tie-in with the film series.

The series is presented by Maryland Public Television (which also produces MotorWeek), and is distributed nationally via American Public Television. The Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn provided production assistance.

The documentary is funded in part by a sponsorship from Visit Detroit, a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and a grant from MotorCities National Heritage Area. Additional support came from private donations and a crowdfunding campaign via GoFundMe.

The Last Independent Automaker will debut nationally on public TV stations and the PBS streaming app in May of 2025. To learn about the new documentary go to www.americanmotorsmovie.com. Those wishing to contribute to the effort can make donations at the site.

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Story by Darryl Salisbury; Photos Al Rogers

It was May 1968, and I had just gotten out of the U.S. Air Force plus a year in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). I had been gone from the United States basically for about five years, and while I was gone, the “pony car” era had begun and was well underway. Coming home to the Kalamazoo, Mich., area was like arriving in a foreign country as far as the cars were concerned, as I had missed the introduction of all of the cars over the past half decade.

Anxious to get a car and a job to ready myself for continuation in college, Dad took me over to our local AMC dealer. Dad had been a Hudson man in his earlier years, and had transitioned over to AMC when that change was made. As I looked over what AMC had come up with in my absence, I became fascinated with both the new Javelin and the new AMX. Being somewhat practical (the AMX lacked a back seat), I opted for the 1968 Javelin upon which the AMX was based. My Javelin was equipped with a 343-cid V-8, a four-speed manual transmission and Scarab Gold paint with a black vinyl top.

As I headed back to finish my degree, I found that I could buy a used car, clean it up, put new tires on it and sell it for a slight profit. So, this is what I did for the next two years of college. The AMC dealer wanted me to work for him, but it was a bit too far away. He just sat back and watched as I worked with used cars to supplement my income for college.

In September 1970, I took delivery of my new 1971 Hornet SC/360. What a car! Somehow, the clutch had failed that fall, and while it was being repaired, the dealer, Zantello Ramber in Allegan, Mich., gave me a new 1970 AMX to drive. Wow! Another exciting car! When the Hornet was ready to go, he called and asked about the AMX. I wanted it! I did the necessary paperwork and kept the car. Based on my past practices of buying and selling cars almost monthly, he asked, “And how long do you think you’ll keep this car?” My immediate response was, “Forever!”

And here we are, in early 2024, 53 years later and well into that “forever” statement. While the AMX is basically original, I did some things to it over its earlier years. The original carpet went bad early on and that was replaced. Both the headliner and the dash crash pad deteriorated and were replaced.

The AMX was originally optioned with the 390-cid V-8 (a 290-hp 360-cid V-8 was standard); a fully synchronized four-speed transmission; power steering; tinted glass; and the light group. It was painted Big-Bad Green, and green is my favorite color! The AMX’s base price in 1970 was $3,395, and with my car’s $600.20 in options and the $28 transportation charge, the sticker price was $4,023.20.

Eventually I added some factory options which I would have opted for had I ordered the car: tilt wheel; passenger-side rearview mirror; remote-control driver’s side mirror; center armrest; AM/FM radio with rear speakers and a fader switch; heated rear window; clock; an ultra-rare rally pak; and an AMC Group 19 Performance part: a stainless-steel front underbody spoiler.

I redid the engine compartment at about seven years, and the car still has its original Goodyear raised white-letter E70x14 tires, which are in excellent shape. The odometer reads just over 12,600 miles. While the AMX was driven to shows early on, it is now trailered.

This special AMX is proudly on exhibit at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, Mich., in two-year increments. It is then rotated with my 1969 blue/white/red factory promotional AMX.

Much to the chagrin of AMC Vice President of Styling Richard A. Teague, a 1971 AMX was not to be, even though he had designed and built a prototype to show how one could be done with minimal expense. As a late-June build, this became one of the very last AMXes to be built, thus making it more desirable.

I have carefully kept a record of this car’s history in a three-ring binder, which accompanies it wherever it goes. This AMX has been such a pleasure to own. It is definitely my favorite AMX of all time, and I have owned more than 30. I look forward to sharing it at various car shows in the future, letting people know about the car and why it is so special to me.

An Introduction to the AMO

“American Motors Owners Association, Inc., (AMO), is a Wisconsin chartered, non-profit organization, which exists expressly for the purpose of aiding and encouraging the use, enjoyment, preservation, and restoration of vehicles built by American Motors Corporation between the 1958 and 1988 model years. Ownership of an AMC vehicle is not required for membership in the club.” So states American Motoring, the AMO’s publication, in its opening remarks.

In May 1968, and I had just returned home to the Kalamazoo, Mich., area after having served five years in the United States Air Force (the last three of which were in Germany), and spending one year in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where I traveled and worked for Rhodesian Railways. As the dates suggest, I had totally missed the introduction of the new breed of automobile — the muscle car. Having been a car enthusiast all my life, I was anxious to get to know all about this new class of car. And having grown up in a Hudson family, my likely move forward would be in the AMC realm (Nash Kelvinator Corp. merged with Hudson Motor Car Co. to form AMC on May 1, 1954).

That idea came to fruition with my purchase of a new 1968 Javelin SST. Over the next two years, I bought and sold a variety of AMC muscle cars, ending up purchasing one of the very last AMXes produced for the 1970 model year, which I still own. As time passed, I went through a variety of AMC cars and many part-time jobs in an effort to pay for my college education. It was during the mid ’70s that I met some fellow AMC enthusiasts and struck up some cherished friendships.

As we moved forward, we began searching for an AMC car club. We finally found an AMX club (now defunct) in Wisconsin. We immediately joined and avidly followed the club activities through its periodic newsletter. It was early 1977, and we had found information on an upcoming car show wherein the AMX club and the Nash club were combining resources in an effort to entice owners of these cars to come to Kenosha, Wis., to participate. The event took place that August in Kenosha, the birth place of our beloved AMC cars.

Time couldn’t pass quickly enough and before we knew it, we were on our way on a four-hour trek which took us through Chicago. Once at the event, we quickly learned of a fledgling AMC car club (AMO), which had also been invited there to participate. Again, we quickly joined this organization as well. We had finally found not only one but two AMC car clubs through which to interact and participate.

AMO came about as a result of the dwindling status of the American Motors Owners Association based in southern California and another AMC car club, American Motors Car Club of Chicago. A couple of individuals in the southeast Wisconsin area learned of this and combined efforts, resulting in the rebirth of AMO. This was the likely place to begin such an organization as the cars were being produced there. And, for the first decade or so, the annual AMO International Conventions were held there. This location allowed for factory tours and support from the upper echelon of people who were responsible for the ideas, development and production of the many unique vehicles from AMC.

As a result of my enthusiasm for things in which I get involved, I was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of directors. This took place during my first year of membership (1978). Shortly thereafter, the AMO president, Don Loper, opted to retire from that position. The vice-president, Jim Krueger, took over the presidency and I was voted in as the new vice-president. Officers were elected for two-year terms and at the regular election the following year, I was elected president.

It was at this point that I really started my intense involvement. When I first joined AMO, its membership base was just short of 500. This just didn’t seem right to me. There had to be more AMC enthusiasts out there who would be excited to join a unique AMC car club. My first step was to contact our AMC vendors, such as Kennedy American, and ask to be supplied with names and addresses of their parts purchasers. All were very open to my idea and happily supplied me with the needed data. I immediately set out to accomplish my goal of greatly increasing the membership. I wrote personal letters on my typewriter (no computers then) to each individual on each list. Within two years, we were approaching the magic number of 2,000 members. What a challenge that was! But it did contribute to a much larger organization, and it grew as a result.

During this time period, I noticed that AMO did not have an official constitution. I began writing one and it was approved and put into effect in 1979. Since then, it has been updated to meet the needs of the growing organization.

Parallel to all of this, we were officially sponsoring an annual car show. As such, we needed classes and judging guidelines. 1978 saw AMO’s first sponsorship of an AMC car show. Three awards were presented. 1979 brought about more participation and the presentation of six awards. By 1980, the show had really taken off and six individual classes were formed, resulting in the presentation of 12 awards. As time passed, the event rapidly grew, with new additions to meet the needs of the event. Bronze-, Silver- and Gold-level awards were created to make the competition more equitable. That meant a car was judged on a scale on its own merit, not in competition with other cars in the same class. Car classes expanded to accommodate the cars which participated. Eventually, both Junior and Senior Divisions were created. The next step was to create Best of Show awards for each individual class. Once that level was achieved, the car would move into what was called the American Cup Class—a competitive class which placed car against car for the top award. Another step in this class creation was where “stock” versus “non- stock” divisions were created to respect the type of vehicle an owner wanted to have and to compete. During the building era of this aspect of the club—probably the first decade or so of the event—I was instrumental in writing and revising the AMO Concours Rules.

During the mid ’80s, we lost our newsletter editor. Not finding one within a reasonable amount of time, I volunteered to take over this responsibility as well. Again, in a pre-computer world, I typed out each article and glued the articles together on a larger sheet of paper, which our printer photographed, reduced to standard size and printed. This project ended up lasting six years, until we could locate another editor.

My presidency lasted for 28 years (we could not find anyone who wanted to replace me). Once we did find that individual, I was voted into the position of chairman of the board of directors for another six years. Finally, in 2013, I was able to retire from all of those positions and other responsibilities of the club. Shortly thereafter, I was presented with an honorary life membership in recognition of my extensive contributions to AMO.

What are my connections to the AMC hobby and AMO personally? I own six AMC cars, two of which are prototypes, two of which are one-of-a kind, and two of which were built at the end of their runs (one of which, my 1970 AMX, is featured here). I have a model car collection, including promotional models and all other model company-produced AMC models; I have an extensive AMC literature collection, both from the factory and the showroom floor; I have a library full of AMC reference materials; and I have a large collection of factory-produced publications detailing parts, repair, replacement, etc.

I now participate in local and international events when possible. Additionally, I support the current newsletter editor, Ian Webb, through editing and writing various articles. And, after 46 years in the AMC hobby and participating in AMO, it has been a great honor to be a part of the growth and development of AMO, the world’s foremost AMC hobby organization. 

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J.W. Magner sent us this awesome tribute to AMC history. The Tarpon was originally a styling exercise of AMC.

In 1964 American Motors VP of styling created a Tarpon concept car. The Tarpon was created from the American platform to compete with the new Mustang pony car. The Tarpon made a splash at the New York Auto-show. The Tarpon never went into production for two main reasons. AMC president decided he wanted the car bigger & the current AMC’s V-8’s would not fit under the hood. AMC brass decided to build the Marlin instead on the bigger Classic platform. The Tarpon show car was destroyed.

Two brothers in New York area created a tribute of the original 1964 Tarpon concept car from a 1966 American Rogue convertible and a 1965 Marlin parts cars. The 1966 American was chosen due to the current AMC V-8 would fit. This 1966 Tarpon Concept is equipped with a 343, 4 barrel engine and a 4-speed manual transmission and painted in the same red/black combination as the original Tarpon Concept.

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AMC fanatics are a tight-knit crowd. We dig the underdog AMCs too. To our delight we spotted this fine example of one of AMCs finest, a 1967 Marlin.

Check it out below…

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We love AMCs, we also love station wagons. Frank Polito is the lucky guy who checked off all of our boxes with his ridiculously clean AMC Concord station wagon sporting a bit more power than Kenosha had planned.

We’ll let Frank give you the low down…

“I bought this new in Feb. 1982. It was used as family car till 1998. I decided it wasn’t fast enough with the 4-cyl engine. My nephew had a 1989 Mustang 5.0 fuel-injected roller engine in his garage. He helped me install it along with the computer along with some modifications along the way. It’s actually the 4th engine in it now (2005 install). It has 23,000 miles on the engine. I had the car painted in 2000 along with reupholstering the seats. The car still looks new. Not very many people kept these cars, so I think I have a unique car. This station wagon sports a 1989 Mustang 5.0 FIE engine, T5 trans, E-cam, .30 over pistons, 70mm Mass Air Meter, 8-8 rear end with  3:73 posi gear. It looks great and is fast as hell.”

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