The AMC AMX-GT is a 1968 concept car

Concept car

A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....

 developed by American Motors Corporation (AMC). A rear-wheel drive pillarless coupe

Coupé

A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...

 of monocoque

Monocoque

Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...

 construction with two doors and a truncated rear end treatment, its design was influenced by AMC stylist Richard A. Teague

Richard A. Teague

Richard A. Teague , born in Los Angeles, California, was an industrial designer in the North American automotive industry...

.

Design development

The AMX GT was built by shortening the 4-seat Javelin

AMC Javelin

The Javelin was a production version of one of the AMC AMX prototypes shown during the 1966 AMX project nationwide tour. Intended to rival other pony cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. American Motor's Javelin debuted on 22 August 1967, for the 1968 model year...

 coupé to a 97 inches (246 cm) wheelbase

Wheelbase

In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...

 (the same as the production 2-seat AMX

AMC AMX

The AMC AMX is a two-seat GT in style and approach sports car that was produced by American Motors Corporation for the 1968 through 1970 model years. The AMX was also classified as a muscle car, but "unique among other American cars at the time due its short wheelbase"...

s), lowering, or "chopping"

Chopped and channeled

Chopping and channeling is a form of customization in the "kustom kulture" and among hot rodders. Both procedures are often combined, but can be performed separately.-Chopping:...

, the roof and cutting off the tail.

It appeared in two versions. At the New York International Auto Show

New York International Auto Show

The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in New York City in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Sunday after Easter...

 in April 1968 it was red with a white stripe on the sides that ran across the roof. It also had plain, flush wheel covers, generic all-black tires, a side-mounted exhaust, a ram-air intake

Ram-air intake

A ram-air intake is any intake design which uses the dynamic air pressure created by vehicle motion to increase the static air pressure inside of the intake manifold on an engine, thus allowing a greater massflow through the engine and hence increasing engine power.The ram air intake works by...

 hood, integrated roof spoiler

Spoiler (automotive)

A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often called air dams, because in addition to directing air flow they also reduce the amount of air...

 and fixed rear side windows (quarter glass

Quarter glass

Quarter glass on automobiles and closed carriages may be a side window in the front door or located on each side of the car just forward of the rear window of the vehicle. Only some cars have them. In some cases the fixed quarter glass may set in the corner or "C-pillar" of the vehicle...

) with no support (or "B") pillar.

The wheels were soon replaced by an alloy five-spoke design with Goodyear

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....

 white-letter tires. The hood and roof were repainted a contrasting dark blue. This color scheme, which followed the major character lines of the car, was applied to some of the early factory-sponsored race cars before AMC changed to bands of red, white and blue.

Legacy

The AMX GT provided several clues to future production models and options. The most immediate were the optional side pipes for 1969 Javelins and AMXs. A slightly modified version of the show car's hood scoop

Hood scoop

A bonnet/hood scoop is an upraised component on the hood of an automobile that either allows a flow of air to directly enter the engine compartment, or appears to do so. It has only one opening and is closed on all other sides...

 became part of the factory production 1970 "GO Package" option on Javelins and AMXs in 1970. The flat black "shadow mask" paint also became an option on the 1970 AMXs. The AMX GT's truncated tail treatment reappeared in 1970 on the Gremlin

AMC Gremlin

The AMC Gremlin is a two-door subcompact car produced in the United States and Canada by the American Motors Corporation between 1970 and 1978. AMC reduced its development and manufacturing costs by adapting a shortened Hornet platform with a Kammback-type tail...

 subcompact. The design, an example of Teague's approach to maximizing AMC's limited resources, resulted in a new version from an existing automobile platform

Automobile platform

An automobile platform is a shared set of common design, engineering, and production efforts, as well as major components over a number of outwardly distinct models and even types of automobiles, often from different, but related marques...

.

Stage prop

In AMC's 1969 annual report

Annual report

An annual report is a comprehensive report on a company's activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give shareholders and other interested people information about the company's activities and financial performance...

 to shareholders, various AMX GT design drawings and proposals served as the background for pictures of top AMC executives. For the official photograph of the Board of Directors

Board of directors

A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

, the members posed with the second version of the concept car, this time with its hood and roof painted black.