Tag Archives: Classic Cars

This 1979 AMC AMX Was Never Registered

admin • October 2, 2021

Back in 1979, Bowen-Fischer Motors (est. 1938) – a dealership in Muskegon, Michigan – brought two AMC AMX cars. Both of them were the Sprint version, which was only offered in 1979 and 1980. They stood out with body-colored flared fenders and wild graphics and featured “Rallye-Tuned” suspension, three-way adjustable shocks, 274mm (10.7-inch) front disc brakes, and "Turbocast II" 14-inch alloy wheels, wrapped in Goodyear "Flexten" GT radial RWL (raised white letter) tires, to name a few.

Eventually, one of the two Sprint AMX – finished in Classic Black – sold. The other one was finished in the least common color - Wedgwood Blue. To this day, the car remains unsold, with its certificate of origin, from American Motors Corporation (AMC). The car was eventually stashed away and forgotten in one of the barns at the dealership.

A very rare spec of a rare car

This 1979 AMC AMX Was Never Registered Exterior
- image 1022111 — **This 1979 Sprint AMX has sat in the same showroom for 42 years**

Now, it’s finally ready to meet its first owner

AMC never kept official records of how many were finished in certain colors, but in 1979, just 3,657 AMX were produced. Another 865 units were built in 1980, but it is unknown how many were finished in Wedgwood Blue.

The car eventually started being used by the showroom, as a demonstrator, and for errands, by the showroom owners. It also attended a prom. By 1987, the AMC Sprint AMX has done 30,000 easy miles. There’s also a service record, still attached to the dashboard, which confirms it.

This 1979 AMC AMX Was Never Registered Interior
- image 1022109 — **After 42 years, the AMX is still like new**

Thanks to the dealership’s love for the car, it has been well-preserved and maintained

The only thing that needed to be replaced over the years was the battery. Even the original Goodyear tires are still there, which probably isn’t a good thing. The engine (more on that in a bit) has been thoroughly maintained over the years and never needed to be opened. The exterior and interior, to this day, remain brand new.

Not fast, but ready for engine swaps

This 1979 AMC AMX Was Never Registered Drivetrain
- image 1022120 — **These came with 2 engine options - a 304 V-8 and a 258 inline-6**

This one features the lesser, 4.2-liter mill and makes 110 hp and 209 lb/ft at very low RPMs

If power is what you are after, the AMC Sprint AMX will disappoint. Although it’s known as one of the best-handling American cars of that period, the Sprint AMX came with either a 4.2-liter (258 ci) inline-six or a 5.0-liter (304 ci) V-8. This one, in particular, has the 4.2-liter inline-six unit, which makes 110 horsepower at 3,200 RPM and 209 pound-feet (284 Nm) at 1,800 RPM. Don’t worry, there’s more than enough room for an LS engine, in there.

1979 AMC AMX specifications
Engine	4.2-liter inline-six
Power	110 HP @ 3,200 RPM
Torque	209 LB-FT @ 1,800 RPM

Finally, ready to meet its first owner

This 1979 AMC AMX Was Never Registered Exterior
- image 1022114 — **Sold by Bowen-Fischer Motors, it was one of 2 delivered in 1979**

While the black exampel was sold, the Wedgwood Blue car stuck around and was eventually forgotten

Greg - the current owner of the dealership – still runs the showroom, located at Airline Road. It’s now a Chrysler dealership, although it still retains its license to sell both new and used cars. Because he’s not as attached to the classic collection of unsold and bought-back vehicles, Greg has slowly started getting rid of them and the AMX is ready to meet its new owner. "We’d talked about selling the AMX for the last few years, and now it’s just time to let somebody else enjoy it," Greg said.

The car will finally have to be titled, after over 42 years of waiting for its first owner. It will certainly be one of the most memorable sales, in the history of the showroom.

Source: Hemmings

Rare Rides: A 1971 Maserati Quattroporte Prototype, the King’s Sedan

admin • September 27, 2021

<img data-attachment-id="1774900" data-permalink="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/09/rare-rides-a-1971-maserati-quattroporte-prototype-the-kings-sedan/1971-maserati-quattroporte-3/" data-orig-file="https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/1971-Maserati-Quattroporte-3.png" data-orig-size="1920,1080" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="1971 Maserati Quattroporte 3" data-image-description="