The great AMX-2 concept is once ended tragically......

Unique ONES It seems as a car manufacturer AMC quickly understood the importance of the youth market following the success of the Ford Mustang in the 1960s. So at the time, the manufacturer's design team produced a series of "Think Young" concept cars to reach a younger audience as well as exciting new showroom offerings like as the Mustang-inspired Javelin, the unique two-seat AMX and the outlandish SC/Rambler.

The AMC AMX/2 Concept is designed by the Dick Teague lead' AMC styling studio designer team and subtly influenced by the exotic styling of European cars. (Picture from: Mad4Wheels)

At that time the AMC styling studio was under the leadership of Richard "Dick" Teague (from 1961 until his retirement in 1986). As we already know that he was a brilliant automotive designer oriented to beautiful European car style, so it is not surprising that the resulted concept car such the AMC AMX/2 is subtly influenced by the exotic styling of European cars such as the Lamborghini Miura, Lotus Europa, and Porsche 914 as well as the trans-Atlantic Ford GT40.

The far left is probably the AMC AMX I model, the one in the middle is the AMC AMX/K and the one on the right is the AMC AMX/2 Concept.. (Picture from: 2040Parts)

Although in this case, it can be said that the realization of the AMX/2 concept design was due to the enthusiasm of AMC group vice president Gerald C. Meyers and chairman Roy Chapin, Jr. after seeing its design sketch made by Dick Teague. Its appearance in a two-seater fastback style with what designers call an 'airfoil' shape is eye-catching and that what the AMC's board of directors likes.

The eventual non-running fiberglass mockup sported a 'fast' windshield, shapely down-curving nose with functional hood vents and flip-up headlights, and a raised rear deck 'spine', which provided pivot points for twin tillable spoilers, while its outboard ends were flared neatly into the rear fenders.

From the side of the AMC AMX/2 Concept, the clean and linear body is only punctuated by the rear flared arches to enhance the impression of power. (Picture from: UltimateHotWheels)

The dorsal 'spine' floated above a flat, ribbed engine cover-cum-deck coupled with central twin exhausts implies a V-8 engine is attached, although in reality the engine has not been installed yet in the purely speculative exercise mockup. Teague supervised all of the process and other details, but the actual design was executed by Bob Nixon and Fred Hudson.

Compared to the scale and spirit of American automotive design at the time, the perfectly controlled proportions and understated design of the AMX/2 should be admired. The sloping front is made possible by the mid-engine design, blends seamlessly with a severely raked windshield and roofline to form a very elegant and simple silhouette.

The AMC AMX/2 Concept featured with the sloping front is made possible by the mid-engine design, blends seamlessly with a severely raked windshield and roofline to form a very elegant and simple silhouette. (Picture from: UltimateHotWheels)

From the side, the clean and linear body is only punctuated by the rear flared arches to enhance the impression of power. The twin hood vents are reverberated at the rear with a recessed louvered deck and movable twin spoilers split in half by a raised center spine. The perforated tail lights embossed in a clean black rectangular graphic finish beautifully the sharply truncated tail.

The AMX/2 never made it passed the fiberglass model stage and did not have an engine, although already has the chosen drivetrian, ie an AMC V8. However, the 1969 AMX/2 was something else besides being AMC's boldest concept model but also one of Detroit's first acknowledgments that mid-engine design was 'The Coming Thing' in the future sports car production.

The AMC AMX/2 Concept has also with the perforated tail lights embossed in a clean black rectangular graphic finish beautifully the sharply truncated tail. (Picture from: UltimateHotWheels)

Finished in iridescent copper orange, the model was shown around auto shows in 1969 and created quite a stir, as the 1969 AMX/2 concept car was greeted with enthusiasm. While it may seem like a dream, turn out it helped to crystallize the public's new image of AMC as a performance-oriented progressive automaker.

Even though at the Chicago Auto Show 1969, many people promised to buy if AMC would produce the AMX/2, Meyers and Chapin decided to take the next remarkable step by commissioning a fully engineered version that could be built for sale as at least the limited edition models.

The AMC AMX/2 Concept with a fake engine with 7 spark plugs attached to the bottom of the car was used for years on a pole in front of the Twin Pine Auto Sales used car lot in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. (Picture from: UltimateHotWheels)

Of the two rolling prototypes of the AMC AMX/2 ever made, surprisingly one turned out to be one that was used for years on a pole in front of the Twin Pine Auto Sales used car lot owned by Norm Kurtz in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.😭 It's really tragic.. Eventually the car was brought down and restored by Pat Ryan (Prisma Collection), and then sold to Steven Juliano. But since then it never been seen again by public.😌

The AMX model development continued until it became a fully driveable prototype, namely the AMC AMX/3 which reportedly involved the Italian famous designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro and many other parties in the design process. *** [EKA [28072021] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | 2040-PARTS | ULTIMATEHOTWHEELS | CARSTYLING.RU | AMX3.ORG | HUM3D ]

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