Nobody expected sleepy little American Motors to offer a factory drag car, but the 1969 AMX Super Stock quickly proved to be a winner.
In the late ’60s, American Motors was still laboring to shed its granny-car image. In an effort to crack the youth-performance market, the automaker formed a partnership with Hurst Performance, then a major marketing force in the hot rod industry. Eventually, a two-pronged approach evolved.
For the street crowd, Hurst helped AMC spec out the ’69 SC/Rambler. (See our feature here.) For the drag strip scene, Hurst built a limited run of specially prepared race cars known, simply enough, as the AMX Super Stock. Hurst had performed a similar task for Chrysler the year before, producing its Dodge Dart LO23 and Plymouth Barracuda BO29 hemi super stockers.
Accomplished racer Shirley Shahan (“The Drag-On Lady”) and her husband and crew chief H.L. Shahan were contracted to build and test a prototype AMX drag car, and they soon had the mule (above) running in the 11-seconds-flat zone at better than 120 mph Proof of concept established, 52 AMX production cars, all Frost White with consecutive serial numbers, were shipped from the AMC plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin to Hurst’s facility in Detroit for conversion into legal racers (a minimum build of 50 cars was required to meet NHRA Super Stock rules).
H.L. Shahan prepared the 390 cubic-inch engines, installing JE pistons with a 12.3:1 compression ratio, Crane-modified cylinder heads, and an Edelbrock cross-ram intake manifold with two Holley 650 cfm four-barrel carbs. A Mallory dual-point distributor and Doug’s tubular exhaust headers completed the package. Cars were shipped out with stock camshafts in place, as AMC and Hurst guessed that racers would want to select their own.
The AMX chassis required suprisingly little work: mainly different shocks, a modified rear suspension link, and 4.44:1 gears and tougher axles for the rear end. With a curb weight of only 3,050 lbs, no lightweight body panels were deemed necessary. Some cars were shipped to dealers with their original Frost White paint jobs, while others got the signature red, white, and blue AMC racing colors, applied by a local Detroit body shop. All were equipped with Borg-Warner 4-speed manual transmissions; no automatic versions were produced. A few racers got special breaks, but the official factory price was $5994, around $2500 more than a standard 390 AMX.
While the engines were reportedly good for 510 to 525 hp on the dyno, AMC presented the package to NHRA with a 340 hp rating, only 25 more than stock, hoping to slot the AMX into the Super Stock/G class. (That’s how the factory drag racing game was played). But the officials weren’t having it and refactored the engine to 420 hp, sending the car into SS/E—and later, SS/D and SS/C.
No worries, as the combination was more than competitive, setting and resetting the SS/E class speed and ET records, while Shirley Shahan won class honors with her AMX in its first trip to the U.S. Nationals at Indy. With their light weight and stubby 97-inch wheelbase providing excellent weight transfer, the AMX drag cars became crowd favorites, entertaining the fans in the stands with their wheelstanding antics and underdog status.
For 1970, AMC produced an update kit with ’70 front sheet metal and improved cylinder heads, but the NHRA rulesmakers didn’t favor the package and most racers quickly switched back to the original ’69 configuration. While AMC’s direct involvement in NHRA Super Stock racing didn’t last long, the cars remained competitive for many years, and they are highly collectible today. Experts say that at least 40 of the original 53 AMX Super Stocks (52 Hurst cars plus the Shahan prototype) are still in existence.
We, in Wisconsin, were very proud of the Shahans, and to be clear, Ms. Shahan was an accomplished driver, no matter what she drove. Still, it helped create an understanding, AMC wasn’t to be taken lightly. Ads like this didn’t hurt sales either. ( later banned because it advocated street racing)
A neighbor had a Rogue (Rambler American) with a 290 V8. Few knew what it was. Owner was always asked: “You mean a 289?” or “You mean a 283?” No. a 290. “Who makes that?”. It was good looking and a potent package, preceding the SC/Rambler, and other AMC muscle.
I always loved the first gen AMX and Javelin, such a clean looking design. I was 13 when they came out and remember getting a Javelin brochure showing wide wale corduroy seats, I thought it was awesome. I ended up learning to drive on my dad’s 67 Rebel 770 with the two barrel 232 six, good for a whopping 165 hp. That motor outlived the body.
Is that not the truth? Clean-looking design for sure. I’d love to own one.
A friend campaigned a Hurst AMX for years in NHRA and IHRA Super Stock eliminator. He said it was the most fun-to-drive race car he owned.
I had a ‘68 black 4speed with 390, headers, traction bars, 3:91 positrac rear gears. Drove it on the street for years. It smoked many Corvettes on the street. I still cry at night because I sold it, and I am 76 years old !
Animal
Always loved the AMX, I am building a AMC 360 ” 2 Door ” Jeep Cherokee S / Station Wagon for my Son he will be 14 this year & Getting his Drivers Permit in 2024. I am setting it up for for the Street W/ Old School Chrome Side Pipes. No Dirt for this one, I was raised up at the Dragstrip and am now 64 years old . I believe in saving these old 2 Door Wagons/ Sedan Deliveries & Nomads . I can’t afford to race, But your never to Old to build a Street Rod.