For more than a decade, Chevrolet proudly marketed the Corvette as America’s sports car. Then little American Motors joined in with the two-place ’68 AMX—America’s other sports car.

When American Motors introduced the AMX in 1968, the motoring press was more than happy to call the racy two-place coupe “America’s other sports car.” It wasn’t really a jape at the Chevrolet Corvette, billed for years as America’s only true sports car. The writers were simply glad to have another high-performance two-seater to talk about. Was the AMX a “real” sports car, whatever that is? We don’t know. But it was a fun and spirited two-seater, and it has plenty of fans to this day.

While the two-seat AMX was based on AMC’s four-seat Javelin pony car, the two-seater actually came first—in the fall of 1965 as a 3/8-scale concept by Charles Mashigan, head of the American Motors advanced styling studios. A 2+2 version evolved from this project and due to its far greater sales potential, it was introduced to the public on September 26, 1967 as the 1968 Javelin. The two-place AMX officially joined the lineup five months later on February 15, 1968.

The two-seater rolled on a 97-inch wheelbase with an overall length of just 177 inches, hacking nearly one foot and more than a hundred lbs from the Javelin package via the simple expedient of eliminating the rear seat area. Front fenders, doors, bumpers and black metal (inner structure) were shared with the Javelin, and the simple cabin furnishings were mostly Javelin as well. An elongated sail panel (see photo above) stretched out the stubby roofline to create a longer, sleeker profile, and a unique hood pressing with twin power bulges provided a bit more differentiation. By borrowing so many Javelin pieces, American Motors was able to introduce the AMX with a list price of just $3,245, compared to the pricey $4,636 Corvette coupe, that other sports car.

While the AMX and the Corvette were very different products, obviously, the AMX offered respectable, even impressive performance, thanks to its low curb weight and sound engineering. Three engines were offered at launch: a 290 CID V8 with 225 hp, a 343 CID job with 280 hp, and the big 390 CID V8 boasting 315 hp. All three V8s sported dual exhausts and a single four-barrel carb, and a Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed transmission was standard (three-speed automatic optional). The sporty power/weight ratio produced 0-60 mph times of 6.5 seconds and quarter-miles in the mid 14-second range with the big V8.

The automotive press of the era raved about the AMC two-seater. At Mechanix Illustrated, Tom McCahill wrote that the AMX was “hairier than a Borneo gorilla,” while Car and Driver said, “If AMC had done something as bright as the AMX five years ago, they’d be in a lot better shape today.” Well, maybe. AMC did actually turn a profit in 1968, but given the AMX production total of only 6,725 units that year, the two-seater contributed little to the bottom line. The company produced another 8,293 cars in 1969 and in 1970, the final model year for the original two-seat AMX, just 4,116 examples were built—and every single one, we note, is highly prized by AMC enthusiasts today. The AMX badge would be a applied to a number of other American Motors vehicles, but those are stories for another day.