1970 AMX 390 4-BBL

• Major styling changes in 1970 for the two-seat GT-style muscle car

• “The only American sports car that costs less than $4,000”

• With optional performance “Big Bad” “Go Package”

The AMX is a 2-seater sports car and was designed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) to compete with the Corvette but at a lower price point.  The car was advertised as “the only American sports car that costs less than $4,000”,” which its base price promised to be at $3,395. A total of 4,416 1970 AMX’s were sold during its production run, making it the rarest of the three 2-seat editions offered from 1968 to 1970.

Based on the AMC Javelin of 1968 but with a shorter wheelbase and a deleted back seat, the AMX was available in two power packages in 1970, a 360 cubic inch or 390 cubic inch engine. 

This car, the AMX 4-BBL was produced in 1970. The name, 4-BBL, meant the 4-barrel carburetor came equipped. 1970 was a big year for AMX, as the new model had undergone major styling changes, both outside and inside. The most noticeable change with the 1970 model was two inches extending the front. The hood was complemented by a newly painted bumper and blacked-out grille that blended with the body. Specifically, a Ram-Air induction hood scoop was introduced to allow cool air to enter the engine, in addition to the simulated side exhaust pipes.

Two versions for the 1970 AMX were offered to the public: the standard and the “Big Bad.” The standard had two engine options (a 290 horsepower (hp), 360 cubic inch (ci) or a 326 hp 390 ci engine) and two transmission options (a 4-speed manual and 3-speed automatic). The “Big Bad” was AMX’s higher-performance model for muscle car enthusiasts. Its exterior paint color filled the pallet, which added to the personalization, fun factor, and street racing drive. Both models offered the “Go Package,” which consisted of a 360 ci engine or a 390 ci engine, power front disk brakes, F70-14 raised white letter tires, a handling package heavy-duty cooling system and a functional Ram-Air hood scoop.  

Exterior AMX features worth noting are its “mutant square” parking lamps, circular rally headlights, and a horizontally divided, crosshead grille insert. Inside the AMX were new contoured high-back bucket seats with integral head restraints, a completely redesigned instrument panel, and a standard “four on the floor” transmission with a Hurst shifter.  

AMC contemplated building the AMX in a fiberglass body but its similarity to the Javelin made fiberglass body production impractical as a standalone model from a cost standpoint. Built as a two-seater for only 2 years, the AMX was the only two-seater US-made automobile other than Corvette and the first steel-bodied 2 seat car since the 1957 Ford Thunderbird.

Specifications:

Engine: AMC V-8 289.6 cu in (4.8 L), 4-barrel carburetor

Transmission: 4 -speed manual, rear-wheel drive

Horsepower: 326 hp @ 5000 rpm

Torque: 420 lb ft @ 3200 rpm (570 Nm)