The AMX Story
A Unique American 2-seat High-Performance Car

Change of an image continued at American Motors when the hot AMX was introduced to the public in February 15, 1968. AMC came up with a short wheelbase, performance chassis, and serious power -- a 2-seater in the GT tradition, -- and priced to fit the average wallet: "The Walter Mitty Ferrari."

The original AMX (American Motors eXperimental) concept was developed beginning in October 1965 in AMC's advanced styling studios under the direction of Charles Mashigan. Charles Mashigan. Mashigan was also one of the lead designers for several other legendary automobiles, including the Ford Thunderbird and the Chrysler Turbine. An article, A Quiet Legacy: How Charles Mashigan Left His Mark On the American Road.

Early in 1966 the AMX was folded into "Project IV," a touring show intended to incubate new ideas and generate excitement for AMC. A steel-bodied, working AMX prototype was built by Italian coach builder Vignale in the spring of 1966 and added to the Project IV tour. Meanwhile, the Javelin program was well underway for its production debut as 1967 model

A profile view of the original AMX "pushmobile." Resemblance to the later Javelin-based production model is clear, but show cars do not have to address practical matters such as realistic bumpers.

This car was perhaps the best expression of what designer Dick Teague called the "wet T-shirt" look: smooth, tautly drawn, and compelling to the eye.

Detail differences from a later Vignale-built running model include pull-up instead of pushbutton door handles, silver instead of red taillight lenses -- and, of course, no interior. Tunneled backlight and "flying buttress" roof treatment survived in modified form to the 1968 production AMX.

Favorable public reaction to the Vignale AMX convinced American Motors to translate the concept into reality -- or as close as possible given the company's perennially tight budgets. AMC's designers and engineers were able to approximate the prototype's styling and proportions by making fairly inexpensive modifications to the Javelin, and the 97-inch wheelbase AMX was introduced to the public a mere 4- 1/2 months after the Javelin went on sale.