The stunning AMX/3 Concept Car had all the right stuff, except the brand!
Arguably American Motors had all the right stuff in 1969 when they attempted to raise the bar for American sports/GT cars. They had the two-plus-two Javelin to complete with Ponycars from Chevrolet (Camaro), Pontiac (Firebird), Dodge (Challenger), Plymouth (Barracuda), Ford (Mustang) and Mercury (Cougar). And their lineup included a two-place AMX for those who didn’t need a backseat. But they weren’t getting a helluva lot of respect in the enthusiast community.
While their 343-inch engine was nothing to write home about, the 390-inch version was quite competitive. AMC dealers offered a laundry list of over-the-counter race parts for both engines and the speed equipment aftermarket offered intake, exhaust and internal components. While Javelin styling was acceptable and the AMX a notch above, quality was lacking. And if they wanted to give the Corvette a run for the money they needed a halo car. The beautifully styled AMX/3 had Giotto Bizzarrini’s imprint on it and the potential to kick ass and take names! It was just what they needed.
Even with the Italian connection, the AMX/3 remained a Concept. Check out what Mike Gulett has to say about the AMX/3 on his My Car Quest blog, http://mycarquest.blogspot.com/2011/04/amx3-american-motors-and-bizzarrini.html