Thursday, February 27, 2014

Alameda Street Sighting - 1969 AMC Javelin SST

My friends know that in addition to being a big Ford fan, I love American Motors products. And one of my favorite AMCs ever is the 1969 Javelin. The Javelin was AMC's entry in the pony car market in the 1960s and '70s, with flavors ranging from six-banger economy coupe to tire-smoking muscle car. If that formula sounds familiar, it should. AMC was late to the party but the Javelin - particularly the short-wheelbase AMX - could party as hard as most of its competitors.


An SST version was also available as seen here, with a combination of luxurious and sporty touches like a 3-spoke sport steering wheel and woodgrain interior trim pieces. Safety was a big concern at AMC so interiors came thick on padding and short on shiny metal trim. AMC has long been known as an independent manufacturer operating on a shoestring budget, so only one semi-fastback hardtop coupe bodystyle was available unlike the Mustang and GM F-body cars and even the Plymouth Barracuda. The AMX was a cut-down Javelin with two seats and a completely reshaped rear quarter panel and fastback roofline.

This Javelin is the SST trim with the 290 cubic inch small block V8. The 290 was the base V8 and good for a solid 100 mph top speed. This one appears to be Beal Street Blue with the optional C-stripe and Magnum 500 wheels which have since lost their stainless trim rings. The body is still straight and intact, although missing the grille. It's still a solid car and likely a very good restoration candidate if the owner feels so inclined.

1 comment:

  1. Yes Jay, but do you feel so inclined to buy it? ;) I too appreciate the AMC brand that was so sadly sort lived. Was it the Pacer that killed the company? Bad management? Unions? All of the above? What ever the case they were a company that I wish could have stuck around a bit longer. You may think this odd, but I liked the Gremlin model even though most thought it was stupid looking. For it's time, it got very good gas mileage with a six cylinder power plant. But I would like to see one of those little stinkers set up like a Mad Max type survivalist vehicle. ;p

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