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AMC Spirit AMX - strong performance

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Created on May 15, 2019

Reading time 6min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

RM/Sotheby's

19

Archiv

5

RM/Sotheby's

19

Archiv

5

AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - mit kräftigen Kotflügelverbreiterungen und Spoilerwerk

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - auffälliger Aufkleber auf der Motorhaube

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - das Kürzel "AMX" ist legendär

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - breite Heckleuchten lassen den Wagen noch breiter erscheinen

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - kompakt für amerikanische Verhältnisse - keine 4,3 Meter lang

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - der Heckspoiler und die AMX-Kleber waren Serienausstattung

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - breiter Einstieg

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - sportlich aussehendes Cockpit

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - nicht unbedingt Schalensitze

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - Sportlenkrad mit Lederbezug

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - Drehzahlmesser bis 7000 Umdrehungen, rot ab knapp 5000

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - viele AMX wurden mit 3-Gang-Automatik ausgeliefert

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - umfangreich instrumentiert

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - Handschuhfach

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - fünf Liter Hubraum, acht Zylinder in V-Form

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - 127 PS leistete der Fünflitermotor

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - Chassisnummer

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - B.F.Goodrich-Reifen wie bei den 24 Stunden auf dem Nürburgring

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AMC Spirit AMX (1979) - Miura-Heckstore

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AMC Spirit DL (1979) - Werbung - lass dich vom Geist (Spirit) bewegen

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AMC Spirit GT (1979) - Werbung - im ersten Produktionsjahr

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AMC Spirit GT (1979) - Werbung - warum herumalbern?

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AMC Eagle SX-4 (1982) - Werbung - Allrad-Coupé in der Gestalt des Spirit

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AMC Eagle (1983) - Werbung für das Allradcoupé mit der Karosserie des Spirit

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Summary

The AMC Spirit is hardly a well-known name in Europe, although the coupé won the first American class victory in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 1979. The basic version was also equipped with an Audi engine, similar to that used in the Porsche 924. And as an AMX version, the Spirit was actually almost the last "muscle car" of the old generation. This vehicle report tells the story of the AMC Spirit and its links with Europe.

This article contains the following chapters

Compact
Affordable
European genes
Spirit as a harbinger of the future
AMX as a muscle car
Off to the Nürburgring
Short career
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The American Motors Corporation was not doing particularly well in 1978. The energy crisis had hit the manufacturer hard and there was no money for completely new developments. As a result, new models were mostly created by combining proven technology and vehicle parts, with relatively minor design corrections. The Gremlin, produced between 1970 and 1978, provided the basis for the Spirit, which was offered both as a hatchback saloon and as a liftback coupé from model year 1979. By American standards, the Spirit presented in August 1978 was exceptionally compact. The wheelbase was 244 cm, the saloon measured 424 cm in length, the coupé 428 cm. With a width of 182.5 cm and a height of 131 cm, it had a sporty stature.

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