by Seth
5. March 2009 05:39
A single line in one of those coffee table type books I was recently reading intrigued me. "About 50 AMX SS models were built strictly for drag racing; they put out more than 350 horsepower" I decided to find out more.
The AMC AMX was a very unusual car in its day, being the first steel bodied two seat car produced in the USA for over a decade. Introduced in 1968 it was essentially an AMC Javelin with a much shorter wheelbase. Various engine options were available from a basic 290ci V8 up to a performance 390ci engine with over 300bhp which could do a mid 14 second 1/4mile time straight off the showroom floor.
There was always room for more though. In 1969 AMC decided to enter the NRHA Super Stock fray, sending 52 manual box, 390ci examples off to Hurst to be further modified. The compression ratio went up to 12.3:1 and a cross ram, dual-quad intake manifold fitted. The result was an eventual NHRA rating of 420hp and timing slips dropped into the 10s
The survival rate seems to be very good considering the potential for old race cars to get neglected or changed beyond recognition. The fantastic SS/AMX website lists 39 of the 52 with their current whereabouts and many period and recent photos. There are also documents and descriptions of the modifications made to the factory cars.
There is also a very good website dedicated to the range at AMX Files
See/hear a couple on you tube!
While this might not be one of the original SS cars it’s a great launch!
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