By Greg Zyla —
Q: Greg, I’m seeing lots of Javelin and AMX spots on YouTube saying that they were the hottest thing in 1969 and 1970 with a 315 horse 390-V8 that could outrun any Camaro SS or Ford Boss Mustang. These AMC propaganda videos even say the full-size 1970 AMC Rebel Muscle Machine was the fastest thing on wheels. What’ your opinion? Thanks L.D., Lancaster, Pa.
A: L.D., let me just say that these AMC Muscle Cars” were a long way from being the really hot ones on the street scene. Additionally, my ’68 Camaro SS 396/375 would eat these AMC muscle cars for lunch. Not even close, period.
However, there was one AMC “hot one” called the 1969 AMC “SC/Rambler” American, a lightweight 390 powered entry that, in the right hands, did earn respect on the street racing scene.
However, regardless of how capable AMC was in building a real muscle car, the company’s ideology was not to take part in the muscle car craze. Further, it was AMC that fought tooth and nail to prevent the muscle car madness from ever coming to fruition. This turned out to be a big mistake and hurt AMC’s profitability.
Although late to the party, the 1969 AMC SC/Rambler is impressive enough to be our pick in our recent Top 10 Muscle Cars of All Time column. Powered by a 390-inch V8 developing 315 horsepower, it was the lightest of that year’s class of muscle cars at just 3,160 pounds, making up for what it lacked in pure horsepower. (Former AMC)
With the SC/Rambler arrival, I must give the history to better explain why AMC belongs on a “Top 10 Muscle Cars” list I created a few years ago.
When Hudson and Nash-Kelvinator merged in 1954 to form American Motors, their main goal was affordability, fuel economy, and “smaller is better” company philosophy. This new AMC company neglected to cash in on the fact that the early “Fabulous Hudson Hornets,” featured in the three Disney “Cars” movies, dominated the early NASCAR races in spectacular fashion. Further, the Nash brand just happened to be NASCAR’s first-ever corporate car sponsor when it supplied NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and co-driver Curtis Turner with brand new Nash vehicles to compete in the 1950 Mexican Road Race event. Turner then competed for Nash on the NASCAR circuit, scoring Nash’s only win on April 1, 1951, at the Charlotte 150 dirt track. Turner drove a 1950 Nash Ambassador owned by Bill France Sr., leading 136 of the 150 laps.
AMC then dropped the ball yet again back in 1957 when muscle car success was staring them directly in the eye. While Chevy, Ford, and MOPAR were building powerful V8 engines, a Rambler “muscle car” slipped through again. It turns out AMC was sitting on a true high-performance performer with its 1957 Rambler Rebel 327-V8 that produced 255-horses with a four-barrel and 288-horses with Bendix fuel injection.
AMC finally hit the big time with its winning Trans Am Javelins, an operation run by Roger Penske. Mark Donohue brought AMC the overall championship in 1971, proving AMC was indeed capable in the racing world. (Former AMC)
Regrettably, the status as a performance car instead of a family car went against the company doctrine. AMC clearly had one of the fastest cars on the highway, but the corporate bigwigs would have none of it. In a move to protect its family economy car image, AMC quickly announced that the 1957 Rebel fuel injection option was canceled in favor of the four-barrel carburetor instead.
Things at corporate got so negative against performance, and to offset any muscle car talk at board meetings, AMC released a newspaper advertisement in 1964 that heralded the only “race” AMC was interested in was the “human race.”
For 1965 and 1966, AMC had zero muscle cars available while the competitors couldn’t fill the orders fast enough, ala Chevelle SS396, Buick GS400, Olds 442, Mustang GT/Shelby, Plymouth Satellite GTX/Road Runner Hemi, and 440 Dodge Charger/Super Bee. AMC knew then it missed the entire muscle car craze and especially the profits the “Big Three” were enjoying.
AMC Corporate finally “gave in,” realizing the company was losing potential sales and market share to the “muscle” demographic solely because of non-support. AMC tried initially in 1967 to reverse its family car reputation with the introduction of the first Rambler Rebel SST “muscle car,” featuring a 343-inch V8 and some high-performance options like a Carter 4-barrel carburetor, better camshaft, and even a 4:44 rear end gear. Still, a 343-V8 in 1967 against a 440-V8 Dodge R/T or a 427 SS Impala just didn’t cut it. (Not even close.)
A year later, AMC got serious. The 1968 through 1972 Javelin/AMX models powered by the 390 Go-Pak and 401 engines are notable, as is this week’s “real deal” AMC muscle car, our aforementioned ‘69 Rambler Hurst SC/Rambler. Based on the lightweight compact American body and powered by the 390 backed by lots of high-performance pieces, it ran very well as high 12-second and low 13-second quarter-mile runs were easy to attain with a few bolt-on additions and a good pair of slicks.
In 1964, AMC advertised that it was against competing in organized auto racing, which turned out to be a big mistake as the muscle car craze began its spectacular boom years in ‘64. (Former AMC)
Production numbers for the Hurst Scrambler came in at 1,512 units. Designed for both street and strip, SC/Ramblers featured a Borg Warner T-10 four-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter, a working ram air hood scoop, and a patriotic paint job featuring a white body with red stripes and blue accents. The hood, trunk lid, and roof were painted in a matte black finish. The car also featured the word AIR on the hood scoop and an SC/Rambler badge on the front fender. The SC/Rambler was a collaboration between AMC and Hurst Performance and was one of the quickest and most affordable cars of its time. One negative was the rear gear ratio, as only a 3:54 posi was available on the factory SC/Rambler. Fortunately, aftermarket companies offered gear ratios as low as 4:88 for Scrambler’s Code M20 heavy duty rear, which really pepped up the quarter-mile performance.
With an original list price of just $2,998, the Scramblers were attractive buys for those seeking high performance coupled with a budget sized wallet. As for current market value, a ’69 AMC Scrambler sold for $64,613 at a Mecum 2021 auction, and because of its low production number, collector experts feel the car will be worth more in the future. Unfortunately, it will never match the six and seven-figure top muscle car auction sales ala a Hemi Cuda or a Mustang GT350, but at least AMC has garnered respectability.
Additionally, AMC made many performance upgrades for these 390 powered Rambler Americans, as many of the camshafts were produced by Crane with corresponding AMC part numbers that made them official for NHRA competition. Sitting in the dealership showroom, the SC/Rambler came in at 315 horsepower with a whopping 425 lb. ft. of torque. The secret to the car’s quarter mile drag racing success was its lightweight build at just 3,160 pounds.
Unfortunately, I never got a chance to drive a Scrambler in any of our big drag racing grudge or big money events. Where I grew up in South Jersey’s car crazy city of Vineland, N.J., I can’t remember even one Scrambler being around. I do remember an acquaintance who owned one from a nearby city, and I saw the car run in the high 12-second range at the recently closed Atco Dragway near Berlin, N.J. A close friend had a ’67 Marlin with a 290-V8, but it was vastly different from a real muscle car.
The 1970 AMC Rebel Machine was promoted as the most underrated muscle car of all time. That’s simply not true. (Zyla collection)
Another reason I gave AMC respect is what occurred when AMC decided to go factory racing on a national scale. Its road racing Trans Am AMC Javelins deserve praise and began with a corporate okay in 1968 to field two Javelins. These Javelins ran against the Mustangs, Camaros, ‘Cudas, and Challengers of the day. With Roger Penske assuming control of the effort in 1970, his AMC Javelin, with Mark Donohue behind the wheel, won seven races and the 1971 overall Trans Am Championship. This proved AMC was fully capable of putting a winning factory-backed race car on the track. These Javelins used Keith Black 305-inch AMC V8s with remarkable success.
NASCAR, meanwhile, was next as AMC initiated a Penske factory campaign that began with research and development in 1971. The result was a winning AMC Matador that competed in the 1973 to 1975 NASCAR Cup seasons. The Penske Matador initially won with Mark Donohue at the Riverside road course in 1973 and then, following Donohue’s untimely death after a Formula 1 accident, Bobby Allison won four more NASCAR Cup races, including the 1975 Darlington Southern 500.
Finally, two factory AMC Hornets joined the touring NHRA Pro Stock drag racing scene in 1974. Richard “Dick” Maskin and Dick Aarons headed up the effort, building AMC engines from scratch for the two Hornets. One of them, driven by Wally Booth, won six races overall during an extremely popular period of Pro Stock racing from 1974 to 1976. Booth won the U.S. Nationals in 1976 and then defeated teammate Dave Kanners in the final round of the 1976 NHRA World Finals.
That’s it for this week on AMC’s delving into high performance.
Better late than never.
(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes reader input on collector cars, auto nostalgia, and motorsports at extramile_2000@yahoo.com or via snail mail to Greg Zyla, Roosevelt Street, Sayre, Pa. 18840.)
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