AMC Javelin

AMC Javelin at a glance

The Javelin belongs to the golden age of our American muscle car guide; its V8 figures are compared with its rivals in the muscle car rankings.

A pony car from Kenosha

The Javelin grew out of the "Project IV" show cars of 1966 and was meant to change AMC's image as a builder of economical family cars. It used the platform of the compact Rambler American. AMC did not have the money for separate fastback and notchback bodies, so Teague's team drew a single two-door hardtop with a smooth semi-fastback roofline. The 1968 car already had padded windscreen pillars, flush door handles and three-point seat belts in front.

The base engine was the 232 cu in six with 108 kW (145 hp) or 116 kW (155 hp). The V8 range began with the 290, rated 168 kW (225 hp), and continued with the 343 at 175 or 209 kW (235 or 280 hp). In the middle of 1968 the 390 arrived with 235 kW (315 hp) and 576 Nm as part of the "Go Package", which also brought front disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension and Magnum 500 wheels. The SST version added reclining seats and wood-grain trim. Motor Trend placed the Javelin first in its "sports-personal" category in its 1968 Car of the Year issue.

For 1970 the 304 and 360 replaced the 290 and the 343, and the 390 received new heads: 242 kW (325 hp) at 5,000 rpm. A Popular Science test of a manual 360 Javelin recorded 0–60 mph in 6.8 seconds.

Trans-Am racing and the special editions

AMC's Trans-Am programme began in 1968 with Kaplan Engineering. Its two Javelins finished third in the over-2-litre class and were the only factory team to finish every race. In 1970 Penske Racing took over, with Mark Donohue as lead driver, and the team finished second.

Two street versions were linked to the racing effort in 1970. The Mark Donohue Javelin homologated his ducktail rear spoiler; the rules required 2,500 cars, and AMC built 2,501 SSTs with his signature on the spoiler. The Trans-Am Javelin, about 100 cars in the red, white and blue racing colours, came with the 390 V8 and front and rear spoilers. At 2,850 lb (1,293 kg) it was lighter than the Camaro and the Mustang. In 1971 and 1972 the Javelin won the Trans-Am championship, with Donohue and George Follmer among its drivers.

The second generation (1971–1974)

The 1971 Javelin was a larger car under Chuck Mashigan: a long bonnet, raised front wing bulges, flared rear wheel arches and a "twin canopy" roof. The wheelbase grew by one inch to 110 in. The wing bulges had been designed for wide racing tyres. The two-seat AMX was gone, and its name now marked the top Javelin with a standard 360 V8, a rear spoiler and a flush stainless-steel mesh grille recommended by Donohue.

The table shows how the switch from gross to net ratings for 1972 lowered the published figures although the engines had not changed. A 1971 Javelin AMX with the 401 ran the quarter mile in the mid-14-second range at 93 mph on low-lead fuel. A 1973 SST with the 401 reached 60 mph in 7.7 seconds and 115.5 mph (186 km/h).

In 1972 and 1973 AMC offered a Pierre Cardin interior with pleated stripes in red, plum, white and silver on black cloth; 4,152 cars were built with it. The Alabama Highway Patrol bought 1971–1972 Javelins and became the first American police force to use pony cars as regular patrol cars. One test car, an AMX with the 401, was called "the most abused police car in the history of Alabama".

Production and the end

AMC built 55,125 Javelins in 1968 and 40,675 in 1969. Later years were smaller: 30,902 in 1973, of which 5,707 were AMXs. For 1974 the source gives 22,556 Javelins and 4,980 AMXs. The oil crisis, the 55 mph speed limit and higher insurance premiums ended the series in late 1974, and AMC needed the assembly line for the new Pacer.

Which Javelin to look for

Collectors value the V8 cars, especially the 390 and the 401, and the Go Package and special editions. A documented Donohue Javelin is hard to verify because AMC gave these cars no special VIN or door tag. The first-generation shape is the cleaner design; the 1971–1974 cars with the 401 are the most powerful. For the two-seat car built from the same parts, see the AMC AMX in our muscle car section, and compare the pony cars of the era in the car rankings.