1969 American Motors ME.

[SheepDog]

Yes, There's an AMC Car that's Worth a Million Bucks


Mathieu Heurtault

12/27/2016

[SheepDog]

50 years ago. The modern MEs are an update of the early designs. The basic 1960s ME looks about as exciting as the current productions. The windshield starts a little further back with relationship to the front wheels, by appearance at least.

The C8 is a copy of its modern rivals. The design is based on classics from half a century ago.


Lambo Muria below

[Brian Kissel]

I believe that is the AMX 3. There is someone actually trying to reproduce them. When I lived in Detroit in the early seventies, I actually bought three of the original transaxles for them. They were a Otto Malaro transaxle and very cool for that era. There was a place in Indiana ( Elegent Motors, I think) that bought them from me. I think they had a place in Miami also. Very Cool car.

Regards Brian

[Plasboy]

Good looking car. Thanks.

[Brian Kissel]

Yes, it was Elegant Motors. They were trying to build a Countach Replica. They were most noted for their Auburn speedster replicas. If memory serves me correctly his wife owned several jewelry stores in Indy and surrounding areas. His wife was providing the money until something went South.

http://www.auburnspeedsters.com/elegant_motors.htm

https://www.allcarindex.com/auto-car...na-S--Stealth/

Don't know for sure if it happened, but I contacted the fellow trying to reproduce the AMX3 and gave him the contact info for those three transaxles. They were a 4 speed unit.

Here is a little info on the AMX3

AMX/3




AMC AMX/3 concept car






Mid-engined AMC AMX/3




A third-generation AMX concept car, the AMX/3, debuted at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show. Engine-less and fashioned in fiberglass, the original AMX/3 prototype was a show car only.

American Motors placed an order for 30 operational cars.^[101] The AMX/3 body mold was sent to Italian grand tourer maker Giotto Bizzarrini, whose Turin facility hand made driveable mid-engined, steel bodied cars. Built on a 105.3 in (2,675 mm) wheelbase, the Bizzarrini prototypes used the AMC 390 cu in (6.4 L) V8 and an Italian OTO Melara four-speed transaxle. The AMX/3 is considered one of Bizzarrini's car-masterpieces.^[102]

The steel Italian cars differed from the original AMC design in having fewer but functional rear decklid louvers, louvered hoods, and, in some cases, hood scoops to direct fresh air into the heating-A/C system. Further engineering improvements and road testing was done by BMW, which declared the AMX/3's chassis one of the stiffest having a 50% higher stiffness compared to a benchmark Mercedes-Benz model.^[103] The car's steel semi-monocoque chassis design with its welded on steel body provided a strong overall structure while the top speed was verified to 160 mph (257 km/h), with reports indicating the AMX/3 could go faster if it was not for the tendency for the font end to lift at those speeds, but BMW found the car to be most neutral handling they had ever tested.^[104] The BMW engineers also refined numerous components of the AMX/3 into "a world-class contender among the mid-engined super car elite of its time."^[103] One of the cars became known as the "Monza" after it achieved a top speed of 170 mph (274 km/h) in testing at the famed Italian race track."^[105]

Five completed cars were produced before the US$2,000,000 program was cancelled. The original projection by AMC called for building 5,000 AMX/3s per year, but the estimated retail price kept increasing.^[106] The AMX/3 was "beautiful and sleek, the kind of car that would have made hearts race in the day" and was to be a "flagship or halo car" to lure customers to AMC dealerships, "where they often end up other, more practical models."^[107] However, escalating costs and pending bumper regulations put a stop to the mid-engined AMX/3.^[101]

Some remaining parts from the canceled, second group of five cars were used by erstwhile Bizzarini collaborator Salvatore Diomante to assemble a sixth car, named and marketed as Sciabola.^[101] Additionally, an open two-seat Spider featuring no weather protection was built in the 1990s using an unfinished AMX/3 modified chassis and the 7th AMX/3, on display at the Autoworld Museum in Belgium, were both finished by Giorgio Giordanengo.^[108]




Regards Brian

[JB]

While a beautiful concept car, I remember the idea the amx/3 being a production car was short lived.

The pantera L made it into lincoln dealerships....it was considered very expensive at 10 grand which was almost double the corvette at the time. ($5500 msrp and 30000 corvette units were sold-in 1973)

[bobbytinvab]

AMX/3 and Miura rate up there as a couple of the best looking cars ever. I wish that AMC could have built the mid engine AMX, but it just wasn't meant to be. I remember when you could buy a Miura for a reasonable price (many years ago) ... I missed that boat ... SIGH

[John]

How come of the tens of thousands of businesses that use my last name in theirs, I never get any royalties? Should I not get a penny each time for their every use — so I could get one split window, one 1967 big block convertible with side pipes, yet also a C8 next?

[Mobius]

How come of the tens of thousands of businesses that use my last name in theirs, I never get any royalties? Should I not get a penny each time for their every use — so I could get one split window, one 1967 big block convertible with side pipes, yet also a C8 next?

I agree - it ain't right!

You may want to lawyer-up. Here's one firm that comes highly recommended:

[Klinn]

The AMX-3 was a lovely car. It was hoped to be a mid-engine that actually worked, that didn't have so many quirks i.e. faults. Didn't quite make it though, had wait for the future NSX to get that level of refinement.

An interesting write-up on Hemmings about the supposed design competition between Richard Teague's team and Giugiaro is here. A snippet below:

Much has been written about the genesis of the AMX/3 program and it is widely reported that the car’s design was the result of a competition between **** Teague and Giorgetto Giugiaro, that Giotto Bizzarrini and Salvatore Diomante engineered and built the actual prototypes, and that BMW helped test the cars. Teague’s, Bizzarrini’s and Diomante’s respective contributions are well publicized, but the same is not true for Giugiaro and BMW. So when we started to research the history of the AMX/3 prototype No. 2, the car that was famously tested in Monza in 1970, we wanted to know more about the role of Giorgetto Giugiaro and ItalDesign and about the actual involvement of BMW.

[ZL-1]

Excellent AMX/3 info! AMC’s famous designer **** Teague kept one of the AMX/3 prototypes. It’s now in his daughter’s garage in a suburb north of Chicago. We are hoping it will make an appearance this summer at the monthly cruise night in the same town.

*edit: apparently this site considers Mr Teague’s first name offensive so I will substitute “Richard”

[Maxster]

While a beautiful concept car, I remember the idea the amx/3 being a production car was short lived.

The pantera L made it into lincoln dealerships....it was considered very expensive at 10 grand which was almost double the corvette at the time. ($5500 msrp and 30000 corvette units were sold-in 1973)

It seems that the DeTomaso Mangusta and later the Pantera, would have been their competition

[Fireeagle]

It certainly doesn't look like my old Javelin. This would have been nice to have back then as long as I wasn't constantly repairing something like I did with the Javelin.

[meyerweb]

It seems that the DeTomaso Mangusta and later the Pantera, would have been their competition

It does have a significant resemblance to the Panera, or perhaps the other way around. The Mangusta was, as I recall, much more expensive. But yes, the Pantera would have been very similar in specification and price range, I think.

[Nitrobrother]

Now THAT's a bronze I can get into!