10 Classic Muscle Cars We’d Gladly Choose As A Daily Driver Over A New Hellcat – SlashGear

Always the underfunded underdog, AMC used tight budgets and clever innovation to come up with desirable cars that offered spry performance and, occasionally, stunning good looks. Its Javelin coupe is the quintessential American muscle car powered by a big AMC 401 V8 spinning the wheels through a 3-speed automatic. Power was only 255 horsepower, but with 345 ft-lb of torque, it can still be a tire squealer. Besides, this one has bona fide French fashion styling.

By 1972, AMC had to detune its engines due to new EPA emissions regulations. No longer able to sell cars on raw performance, management hired famous fashion designer Pierre Cardin to give its cars a special touch, not an unusual practice as other cars with Gucci, Cartier, Givenchy, and Bill Blass treatments were then found in dealerships. Cardin worked in France and, as one of the most prolific fashion designers of the 20th Century, held a large cache with the buying public in 1972.

The Javelin came with custom nylon upholstery incorporating a then-new stain-resistant silicone-based finish with minimalist stripes complemented by exclusive paint colors on the exterior. Despite being a gimmick, the look has aged well and remains fashionable and appropriate. AMC sold about 4,000 of these cars, and they are hard to find today. One sold at Mecum Auctions in 2022 with a closing bid of $104,000. This car won’t win many street races today. However, it will generate conversations every time you fill it up.