1968
American Motors promoted the mid-model year launch of the AMX to automotive journalists at Daytona to emphasize its sports car performance, as well as with a marketing agreement with Playboy Enterprises. The AMX was introduced to the public on 24 February 1968, five months after the Javelin and other 1968 AMC cars. It was promoted as “the only American sports car that costs less than $3500”. American Motors advertisements also showed "a helmeted race driver revving up at the starting line in one of AMC's sporty AMX models, which it describes as ready to do 125 miles an hour."
The two-seat AMX was "meant for a small, well-defined market niche, and it pulled in young people into AMC dealer showrooms in never before seen numbers". Numerous road tests described the new AMX as a "handsome two-seater with American-style acceleration and European-style handling". Journalists gave it a real run workout on all kinds of terrain and wrote "that the AMX is one of the best-looking cars — if not the best-looking car — made in the U.S.A."
All AMXs came with a 4-barrel carbureted small block AMC V8 engines in several versions: 290 cu in (4.8 L) (225 hp (168 kW), N-code), 343 cu in (5.6 L) (290 hp (220 kW), T-code), as well as the 390 cu in (6.4 L) "AMX" featuring 315 hp (235 kW) with 425 pound-feet (576 N·m) of torque (X-code). All derived from the same external sized block. However, the three engines differed vastly internally, with the smallest engine having small intake and exhaust valves, thin block webbing, and a cast nodular iron crankshaft; the 343 used larger valves with a thicker block webbing; and the 390 moved up to a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, as well as larger rod bearings, 2.250 in (57.15 mm) compared to 2.090 in (53.09 mm) in the smaller two versions.
A BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual transmission was standard, as were special traction bars, dual exhaust system, and fatter tires for better traction. A "Shift-Command" three-speed automatic transmission with the capability of manual shifting (BorgWarner model M-11B or M-12) was optional together with a floor console mounted shifter.
A popular "Go-Package" option came with either the four-barrel 343 or 390 engine, and included power assisted front disk brakes, "Twin-Grip" differential, E70x14 red-stripe performance tires on "Magnum 500" styled-steel wheels, heavy-duty suspension with thicker sway-bars, heavy-duty cooling, and other performance enhancements. A wide range of specialized performance parts were also available through AMC dealers for installation on customer's cars. These were known as "Group 19" parts because of the way AMC organized its parts books.
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