The combination sport and muscle car look wasn’t just for show; it also performed on the road. Craig Breedlove, holder of the world's land speed record, was enlisted by American Motors to design a racing version of the AMX with a team of engineers. The AMX racing model reached speeds up to 200 mph, setting 106 national and international speed records in its wake.
As part of an optional "Go Package", racing stripes, leather upholstery, disk brakes, and twin grip differential were offered. Playboy magazine’s 1969 playmate of the year Angela Dorian had a special pink AMX model in "Playmate Pink".
The AMX received numerous awards for its use of thinner and lighter laminated glass. The glass had a chemically hardened layer designed to give under impact and crumble into small granules to reduce injuries among passengers. This innovation is now industry standard. Along with other safety features such as the injection molded dashboard, The American Society of Automobile Engineers named the AMX as the best engineered car of the year in 1969 and 1970. Because the production run was limited to three years, the AMX models that were produced by American Motors are scarce; making them very collectible today.
A special thanks to Robert Tate, Automotive Historian and Researcher, for donating the story to the MotorCities Story of the Week program. Photographs courtesy of Bob Tate’s personal collection. Please do not use any photographs without the permission of MotorCities. For further information contact Robert Tate at btate@motorcities.org
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