GOODGUYS 2019 Muscle Car of the Year FINALIST - 1970 Mark Donahue Javelin

GOODGUYS 2019 Muscle Car of the Year FINALIST

Austin Hosterman's 1970 AMC Javelin SST Mark Donahue

PHOTOS from the 4 Seasons Rambler AMC Show Boxborough MA - 7/27/19

4 Seasons Rambler/AMC Show 

Boxborough, MA

7/27/19

New 1/43 Scale Model AMC Eagle from NEO

NEO now has a1:43 scale AMC Eagle in addition to their Pacer

AMC Javelin AMX Side Pinstripe Reference Images

Most of what I know about AMCs I learned from a small handful of people older than myselves, all of which have dealt with the cars for many years.  Today I had the ability to photograph two Javelin/AMX fenders with original paint and pinstripes on them, and decided to share them with younger folks who may not have ever seen this detail when the cars were new or unrestored.

I'm told they came in gold, white, red, and black.

These photos show their placement on two different front fenders (the red one is off a 1973 AMX).

 

1974 AMC Hornet James Bond Stunt Car at Auction August 2017

From the Auctions America website: 

1974 AMC Hornet Hatchback "Astro Spiral" - James Bond Stunt Car

To be offered on August 31-September 3 2017

Estimate: $250,000 - $350,000, Offered Without Reserve 

• The stunt car used in The Man with the Golden Gun
• Center steering
• Upgraded suspension and roll cage
• Specially balanced for “Astro-Spiral” jumps
• Operable and in as-jumped condition

• The Man With The Golden Gun - Shipping Invoice

When the phrase “Bond Car” is used, it typically brings to mind a gleaming silver Aston Martin DB5 bristling with gadgets, machine guns, and mysterious red buttons that may or may not eject your passenger. To those of a different generation, it might suggest a white Lotus Esprit that Q Branch had converted into a submarine, or perhaps a silver BMW Z8 convertible. For some, though, there is no more noteworthy “Bond Car” than this, the 1974 AMC Hornet X “Astro-Spiral” stunt car from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).

The famous stunt saw James Bond, played by Sir Roger Moore, drive the Hornet over the remains of a collapsed bridge, corkscrewing over a river to continue his pursuit of the villains. In today’s CGI world this seems a minor undertaking; in 1974 it was awe-inspiring. The corkscrew stunt itself was conceived by famed racing and stunt driver Jay Milligan and was performed by Mr. Milligan publicly as early as 1972. Following his successful execution of the trick at Houston’s Astrodome, Milligan contacted the producers of the Bond series and offered it to them for the next installment of the franchise. The producers secured the right to use the trick and ultimately filed a patent on it to ensure that no one else could perform it on film.

Performing the trick in a controlled setting is one thing; to safely execute the stunt on location in Thailand under the limitations of a movie set is quite another. To produce a film-worthy stunt while ensuring the safety of the driver and film crew, extensive computer modeling was in order. At the time the science of automotive computer modeling was still in its infancy and not yet able to produce useful results for the film. It took the groundbreaking work of Calspan Corporation and engineer Raymond R. McHenry to create the system that ultimately enabled the trick to be successful for the film. Following extensive research, engineering, and programming, the trick was exhaustively planned before the first ramp was built. So successful was this planning that the car, bravely piloted by stunt driver Loren “Bumps” Willard, landed exactly where the simulation predicted after hitting the ramp at the suggested speed of 40 mph. Reportedly the trick only required one take, an amazing testament to both the skill of the programmers and that of “Bumps” Willard.

Due to the pioneering systems created by Calspan and Mr. McHenry, the Hornet survived the jump without incident. In a further indication of the skill of the programmers, the basic technology they created for the stunt still influences computer simulations including today’s most popular racing video games.

Offered from the Jay Milligan collection, This 1974 AMC Hornet Hatchback is the actual stunt car used in The Man with the Golden Gun. The car is operable and remains in as-jumped condition, having suffered no damage during the stunt’s one-take execution. The engine and chassis numbers of this car match those on the shipping invoice created when the car was sent from the filming location in Thailand back to Jay Milligan’s JM Productions in New York.

The sale represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a truly significant piece of automotive, technological and film history.

Addendum

Please note this vehicle is being sold on bill of sale only

News From The Patent Office: Chrysler Registers "Rebel" Trademark

(SOURCE:  Ignitionist)

This just in from the US Patent and Trademark Office: On April 16th, Chrysler Group LLC filed for a new trademark, "Rebel."

The patent filing states that the trademark is meant to be used on goods and services that include "motor vehicles, namely automobiles, trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles and structural parts therefor." 

In other words, Chrysler isn't just protecting an old asset it acquired in 1987 after purchasing American Motors, the last automaker to build a car in the US wearing the Rebel name. It seems they intend on using it in the near future.

How could Chrysler use its new trademark? Well, let's make a guess or two here. An imaginative but still likely possibility is that it could very well be the name of the rumored rear-drive Avenger replacement. It technically wouldn't be the first time Chrysler used the Rebel name on one of their cars (see the Australian Valiant Rebel above). A less optimistic guess would be that Chrysler might build a special edition of one its existing cars using the name (Dodge Charger Rebel does have an interesting ring to it).

Original source included this patent info

Chrysler Trademarks ‘Rebel’ Nameplate, Stirring the Ghost of AMC

(SOURCE:  Fox News)

Long before the official announcements and appearance of shiny concept cars, carmakers sometimes drop hints about their future product plans.

According to Ignitionist Chrysler has trademarked the name Rebel, meaning this name from the U.S. auto industry’s distant past could grace a new car (or truck) once again.

The Rebel was most notably used by American Motors Corporation (AMC) on its mainstream midsize model from 1967 to 1970. The Rebel was available in a variety of body styles, and there was even a performance version known simply as The Machine.

There’s some continuity here. Chrysler bought AMC in 1987, but scrapped everything except the Jeep and Eagle divisions.

The Rebel was long gone by then. It was replaced by the Matador in 1970, and things only got worse for AMC from there. An unfortunate alliance with Renault produced an unfortunate car named Alliance, the failure of which was among the factors that led to Chrysler’s takeover.

So while the original Rebel is now an American classic, invoking the sordid history of its maker may not be the intention here.

Rather, Rebel may just be a cool name that Chrysler wants to exploit. It’s thematically similar to Renegade, the name bestowed upon Jeep’s hot new small crossover, so the next Rebel may not be a car at all.

It’s also possible that Chrysler trademarked the name preemptively, either to prevent others from using it, or to reserve it for an undetermined future use.

Either way, in an age of alphanumeric German and Japanese luxury cars, it’s always nice to see a name on the tailgate, and Rebel has a nice ring to it.

Vintage AMC Gremlin Postcard

So the French loved the AMC Pacer… | Hemmings Daily

Into Pacers?  Got a tip on this article & video:  So the French loved the AMC Pacer… | Hemmings Daily