AMC’s entry in the expanding junior muscle car category for 1971 was the Hornet SC 360.
Just as the ’60s muscle car boom was reaching its peak, a pushback began to materialize. While sales were still brisk, many buyers were growing disenchanted with the negative aspects of muscle car ownership, including the ridiculous fuel consumption, astronomical insurance rates, and one-dimensional performance. A new sub-genre arose in the muscle class, offering cars with many of the same appearance features and chassis enhancements, but with a smaller, less powerful engine in the 350 cubic-inch range. Early entries included the Dodge Dart GTS 340, Olds Cutlass W31, and others, and the automotive press, always eager to help, came up with an obvious name for the fast-selling new category: junior muscle cars.
While American Motors had been late in arriving to the ’60s high-performance scene, the company produced two bona-fide contenders: the ’69 Hurst SC/Rambler (see our feature here) and the ’70 Rebel Machine (read about it here). The junior end of the muscle category was an even better fit for the value-driven automaker, and on August 19, 1970, the 1971 Hornet SC 360 package was introduced.
The original AMC print ad below hits all the important selling points of the emerging junior muscle class while listing the key specifications of the SC 360: Rally stripes, styled steel wheels, and a 360 CID two-barrel V8 with 245 hp (Code N) were standard. Meanwhile, the performance options included a 360 CID four-barrel (Code P) with 285 hp, a ram-air package with a flat-black hood scoop, and a Borg-Warner four-speed gearbox with Hurst shifter.
However, the SC 360’s best stats, if we may editorialize, were the bargain-basement price, a mere $2663, and the quarter-mile times, which were comfortably in the 14-second zone. But for a number of reasons, including the boxy Hornet sedan styling and a general lack of promotion, we suppose, the SC 360 was not a hit in the showrooms. In fact, only 784 cars were sold and the package was discontinued at the end of the ’71 model year. Contrast that with today, when most every AMC performance enthusiast would probably love to have an SC 360 in the garage.
