Nine original AMX/3 chassis survive and all current locations and complete provenance since 1968 are now documented.
Seven AMX/3 complete cars, one AMX/2 restored fiberglass Design Concept Push-Mobile, one AMX/K raw shell and one AMX/3 fiberglass Design Concept Push-Mobile unrestored, all survive, and complete provenance is documented.
I created this site in early 2017 for one purpose: share historically accurate information on the AMX/K-AMX/3 project and fully document the entire project including all cars, answering all questions and correcting misreported information.
Input, questions, comments, additions and photos are highly encouraged especially on the history timeline please!
Many thanks and much gratitude to the owners of the AMX/2, Car#0, Car#1, Car#4, Car#6 and AMX/K shell for all their continued input and generosity on this website!
Seven AMX/3 complete cars, one AMX/2 restored fiberglass Design Concept Push-Mobile, one AMX/K raw shell and one AMX/3 fiberglass Design Concept Push-Mobile unrestored, all survive, and complete provenance is documented.
I created this site in early 2017 for one purpose: share historically accurate information on the AMX/K-AMX/3 project and fully document the entire project including all cars, answering all questions and correcting misreported information.
Input, questions, comments, additions and photos are highly encouraged especially on the history timeline please!
Many thanks and much gratitude to the owners of the AMX/2, Car#0, Car#1, Car#4, Car#6 and AMX/K shell for all their continued input and generosity on this website!
•Car #1 •Car #2 •Car #3 •Car #4 •Car #5 •Car #6 •Car #7 •Chassis #8 •Chassis #9 •Design concepts •OTO Melara 4MXPD •Links Bibliography •Email me!
Giotto Bizzarrini: "I would have to say the AMX/3 was the best car I built in terms of mechanical components and roadholding."
Below the Cars are numbered in the order they were built and by their chassis number. The photos are mostly in chronological order for each car. I've attempted to use as many rare time period photos as possible and include at least one photo of each car when each owner had it and every color of each restoration.
The cars were developed as follows: Car #1 was a proof-of-concept protype. Cars #2, #3, & #5 are the "AMX/K" Push-Mobile body style with the refined chassis. Cars #4, #6 and #7 are the new body style like the AMX/3 Push-Mobile and are production prototypes with #6 and #7 is what would have been available to purchase at AMC Dealers if the project continued.
The full chronological order can be seen in detail on the "Design Evolution Timeline" page, but this is the order the project deliverables were initiated: AMX/K concept in clay then in fiberglass, AMX/K in steel now known as Car #1, AMX/2 concept in clay then fiberglass, AMX/3 steel Cars #2, #3 and #5, AMX/3 concept in clay and fiberglass, then finally production prototype Cars #4, #6 and #7.
First Prototype, there is a chassis number VIN stamped, still trying to determine the number. Sent to BMW for testing in June 1969 for static chassis tests, later in '69 finishing the car to road testing condition with upgraded components, but later stripped of parts during the development of the following cars. Known as the Scotty Dawkins, CCCA Gilmore Museum Car. It appears the intent of this car was a test bed for things like brakes and clutch as well as the body shape while the fully developed chassis was under concurrent development at ItalDesign by Giugiaro and Bizzarrini on chassis #2.
Car #1 was imported last, by AMC in 1973, several years after the fully funded project was canceled and hen the project was finally scrapped. The chassis was finished but was imported missing all major components and drivetrain. Was still owned by the Dawkins family in Michigan and the new owners are Michael Chetcuti and Kyle Evans of Northport Michigan and they are family friends of the Dawkins. Follow along with the restoration at https://amx3.org/ and https://amx3.org/chassis-no-01/ and the latest news at https://amx3.org/blog/
Chassis *WTDO 363 2/55/55* Development Prototype #2, built in 1969 with testing by BMW ending in December 1969. Turin road testing, then red paint, then testing at Monza in 1970. Finished to test mule standards, but the engine blown during testing before sold and imported to Werden/Demichieli in 1971.
Car #2 Famous Monza/BMW/ItalDesign/Polytechnic University development test car. Sold by AMC 3/30/71 to Jerry Werden Indianapolis IN who arrange it along woth his #4 Car, imported to William P. DeMichieli 11/26/71, sold to James E. Silvey late '72, sold to Jack Cohen '76, sold to Walter Kirtland '89, sold to Jurgen Wilms of Düsseldorf, Germany 2014 then Wilms sold it on January 23rd 2017 to Rick and David Biafora, Morgantown WV. The 1967 reference and 1967-0001 tag were done to be able to import the cars into the U.S. because Car #4 and #2 didn't pass current DOT import regulations, per Jerry Werden.
VIN *A0M397X631524* designed as the March 23rd 1970 Rome press release car. The first car finished to press release presentation quality during the AMC fully funded project. AMC stated at the Rome press release the car was 80% developed and 4 inches would be added to the rear body which appeared on car #4 finished after car #5 that is the same length as car #3.
Car #3 Press release March 23rd, 1970, Rome Coliseum. The first and only AMX/3 Imported to the U.S. by AMC during the project. The AMX/3 was released to the US press on April 4th, 1970, at the Waldorf in New York and the fiberglass mockup was presented at the April 5th New York auto show. Dick Teague purchased it from AMC in 1978 along with Car #5 and Car #1. Car #3 still owned by Teague’s daughter Lisa and her husband Ray Scarpelli. This is the car that has been at the Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A., the San Diego Automotive Museum and was displayed at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.
Chassis WTDO 363 4/55/55 Turin Show Car, Oct 28 - Nov 8 1970. Remains the original "azzurro" teal blue. The first fully developed AMX/3 produced with the design evolution changes from AMC including longer rear quarters with smooth fender well lips, heavily flared fender wells, full door window glass, semi-concealed wipers by the raised cowling area and new style radiator hood vents. This car was finished to show quality by Bizzarrini and Diomante for the October 1970 Turin show. Only the hood scoop styled on Car #2 remains from the earlier prototypes. Car #4 and #6 received 360ci engines because they were cheaper, and this would have been the "base" engine in the AMX/3 but also likely was the '70 390 production had ended and '71 401 engines were not yet available and/or cash was that tight at AMC. The Pantera received the 351 so the AMX/3 only needed the 360 to compete. The 360 engines supplied to the Italians had both the Machine intake and exhaust manifolds. No doubt the AMC 401 would have been available as the more expensive engine option just as the 390 was in the previous production AMX.
Car #4 Turin Show car Oct-Nov 1970. Purchased from AMC on 03/30/1971 and was imported 11/26/1971 to Indianapolis, IN. Completed after AMC paused the fully funded AMC larger project, but AMC continued funding to finish and show Car #4 at Turin as the AMC AMX/3 with the hope Bizzarrini would finance building 30 cars with AMC supplying parts and committing to purchase and market 10 cars. Bizzarrini declined to continue the project self-funded. AMC sold #4 for $9,000 and #2 for $6,000 to Werden & DeMichelli. Although Car #4 was finished before or around the same time as Car #5 was finished, #5 has the older body style, see below. Car #4 was still owned by Jerry until he passed in 2018 and was sold by the Werden trust in October 2020. The new owner wishes to remain anonymous at this time. More info to come.
VIN A0M397X680492 the last of the older body design like first prototypes Cars #2 & #3. Originally silver-blue with round tail lights, later in '79 painted black then yellow by Teague and installed the upside down '79 Firebird taillights modified by Teague. Car #5 was constructed at the same time as Car #4 and Car #6 but used the earlier design like Car #2 & #3 from before the design changes by AMC, perhaps as a backup to Car #3. Car #5 was most likely finished around July/August 1970, but not imported until 1973 with Car #1 and transaxles, perhaps when Diomante moved his shop from Moncalieri to Nichelino and AMC finally and totally scrapped the project. It never received DOT side marker lights.
Car #5 Sold by AMC to Richard Teague in 1978. Teague sold in '85 to George Doughtie Jr., sold to James Mimbs in '88, sold to Pat Ryan's Prisma collection in '89, sold in '04 to Bernie and Joan Carl of Washington DC. This car was called "the last running prototype" by Teague, yet it has the earlier body design. Per George Doughtie Jr: "the car had about 200 miles on it and was not driveable. Needed lots of work because it was an orphan car and had rough, cobbled-up stuff on it". George Doughtie Jr had the instrumentation built since the car had none when he purchased it from Teague. It appears AMC/Teague imported #5 around '73 and put it in storage untouched until Teague purchased it in '78 then tried painting it black and didn't like it so he painted it "Big Bad Yellow" and installed the modified upside down '79 Firebird tail lights and was working on rebuilding/converting the gauges to MPH like he did on the #3 car, but never finished the gauges so Doughtie had the instrumentation constructed.
AMX/3 chassis *WTDO 363 6/55/55* later restamped as Sciabola *00001*, but Sciabola never happened. Salvatore Diomante's personal car. Diomante was responsible for producing all AMX/3 cars and chassis. The second car with the newer body design changes by AMC, plus the deleted hood scoop returning to the original look of Car 1, 3 and the Push-Mobile and deleted pop-up rear spoiler like on Car 1 and Push-Mobile. Construction primarily during the AMC fully funded project but finish during the period when AMC hoped Bizzarrini would continue the project unfunded but supported with parts by AMC. Teague described this car as "the fairest one of all. It is a real gem" (Automobile Quarterly Q1 1981). Purchased from Diomante by Simon Vels of the Netherlands March 2022. The original 360 was no longer in the car or with Diomante, and for unknown reasons a 290 block was in the car from Diomante. Simon Vels purchased all the spare parts left over from the original project, including a '69 390 engine Simon rebuilt and installed in Car #6.
Car #6 was still owned by Diomante until Dec '21. Finished in late '70 or early '71 after AMC project full funding was canceled (see the above silver-blueish photos published Feb 1971, this is how Car #6 looked during the '70 Turin show when Car #4 was presented by AMC). The now red 1976 Turin show Sciabola marketing brochure car, funding by OTO Melara to make the car show ready. Reported by a 1976 Italian newspaper interviewing Bizzarrini, "Exhibited to make known the changes of OTO-MELARA. Existing for several years at the time of display, the car is built to order, and made entirely by hand: it is expected to cost at least $23,800". Between Dec 2021 and March 2022, Diomante sold Car #6 to Simon Vels of the Netherlands.
Autoworld in Belgium display, Roland D’Ieteren was the owner until passing away in Dec '20, assumed Nicolas D’Ieteren owner. Built on chassis #7 of nine from the original AMC order of AMX/3 cars. AMX/3 #6 and #7 are the best representation of what would have been produced if any sales were generated from the '70 Turin show.
Car #7 chassis and body constructed under the AMC funded project but Bizzarrini and Diomante sold the unfinished car to Giorgio Giordanengo around 1972 who later finished this car in 1998 with the assistance of Diomante and Bizzarrini, selling it to Roland D’Ieteren. Car #7 appears nearly identical to Car #6 and very similar to Car #4, as designed by Teague/AMC. Since Car #7 was finished from a chassis, body and parts from the AMC project, this is an AMX/3, not a Sciabola. No actual Sciabola were ever built per Bizzarrini: "I just didn’t have the courage to proceed."
AMX/3 Chassis #8 including AMX/3 wheels used as the platform to build the 1972 Iso Rivolta Varedo, per Bizzarrini: "that is why the Varedo could turn such good lap times at Monza". Owned by Piero Rivolta, displayed in the Sarasota Classic Car Museum in Florida.
1972 Iso Rivolta Varedo was built by Bizzarrini on AMX/3 chassis #8 constructed during the AMC funded project. The chassis was lightened with Bizzarrini 5300 components in the front, per Diomante. Presented at the 54th Turin Motor Show November 1-12 1972, with unfinished interior so the windows were tinted. 351 Cleveland with ZF 5-speed transaxle.
By the end of 1971, Iso Rivolta adopted Ford Cleveland engines because GM was demanding advance payment for the engines, which had to be purchased in block, so Iso discontinued the use of GM engines.
Sold as "AMX Spyder SP 001". AMX/3 Chassis #9 was used to build the AMX/3 Spider on display at Autoworld in Belgium, owner Roland D’Ieteren until he passed in Dec '20, assumed Nicolas D’Ieteren now owner. Per Bizzarrini: "Design year and prototype construction 1970/71", "the car remained unfinished and was completed by auto-restoration". Per D’Ieteren: "When American Motors decided to stop the project, the Spider was abandoned when it was almost finished". Completed in 1995 by Giordanengo.
Chassis #9 AMX/3 Spyder. Another unfinished AMX/3 chassis from the AMC commissioned and funded project, used by Bizzarrini to create the AMX Spyder as a promotional item for the soon to be abandoned Sciabola project. The Spider was nearly complete and was sold to Giorgio Giordanengo around 1972 but remained unfinished for 20 years when Giordanengo sold it to Roland D’Ieteren in 1992 and the car was finished in '95. Now located at Autoworld in Belgium, Roland D’Ieteren was owner until passing Dec '20, now assumed Nicolas D’Ieteren owner.
Bizzarrini sold with 327 Corvette engine and ZF 5-speed to Giordanengo. Now listed as 6,383cc, AMC 390 560 HP @ 6100 RPM. Appears to be a ZF 5-speed.
AMX/K-AMX/3 early concepts and later "teaser" side-project AMX/2 and in-house shown concepts. AMX/3 fiberglass mockup presented in-house at AMC, then at the April 1970 New York Auto Show.
See the Design evolution timeline photos page for more photos detailing the project chronological development!
The three AMX/K-AMX/3 project non-functional fiberglass mockup styling concepts: the '67-69 AMX/K, '69 AMX/2 and the famous '70 AMX/3 show push-moble car at the April 1970 New York Auto Show. Late Teague/AMC design change photos on fiberglass mockup for DOT side markers and engine airflow. Late June '70 photos using Teague Car #3 for concept of raised cowling to concealed the wipers.
It appears at least five early prototype 4MXPD transaxles were made, units #001 thru #005 for Cars #2 thru #6. Early units #001 and #002 had a non-standard shifting pattern and the shifting feel was vague. This was corrected by early units #004 in Car #4 and #005 in Car #6 because they have a normal shift pattern and improved shifting feel. The late style production units numbering started over with #001 because the late style Kevin Pirtle unit is #002. Car #1 used a ZF transaxle because that was the only available unit at the time, but Car #1 may use late style 4MXPD #016 in its current restoration. Early units 1-4 are numbered on the drivers side and early unit #005 is numbered on the passenger side and all early units have the speedo cable on the drivers side. All late style production units are numbered on the top and all late units have the speedo cable on the passenger side. Cars #2, #3 and #5 now have replacement transaxles. Car #3 may have received an early until borrowed from Car #5 because it is missing from the 1979 storage photo of Car #5. Car #2 and Car #5 now have a late model 4MXPD.
Predecessors of the AMX/3: Nash-Healey, Bizzarrini 5300, P538, Spyder SI5300 and ItalDesign Manta
The 5300 is a front engine car. The P538 and Manta are rear engine, tube frame chassis. Bizzarrini evolved these chassis concepts on a unibody and used the body designed by Teague initially called AMX/K to create the AMX/3. Additional engineering development from Italdesign, input from Polytechnic University, testing and component improvement from BMW and various parts from AMC including the AMC V8 and production by Diomante created a world class supercar. Although the AMX/2 is typically reported as coming before the AMX/3, it was under the AMX/K-AMX/3 project. The AMX/2 came after the AMX/K as a separate "teaser" project, shown in February '69, to create interest in a mid-engine sports car while not giving away the actual design of the AMX/K-AMX/3 cars. The 67-68 Spyder SI5300 Targa is clearly the predecessor to the 70-71 AMX Spyder.
LINKS selected for reference and documentation:
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2017/01/08/the-untold-story-amx3-giugiaro-and-bmw/
https://amx3.weebly.com/AMK-K-Binder-April-July-1969 American Motors binder of 28 Photos of Car #1 April-July 1969
https://www.diomante.com/home/storia/history/
https://www.diomante.com/home/progetti-projects/
http://www.bizzarrinispyder.com/itally_trip.html
https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/5332/Iso-Varedo.html
https://www.motortrend.com/news/c12-0509-american-motors-amx3/
http://www.amx-perience.com/articles/AMX3.php
https://www.fuelcurve.com/amx3/
https://amx3.weebly.com/40-page-scrapbook-of-car-2-restoration-including-10-pages-of-part-numbers-courtesy-jack-koobs-de-hartog.html Much thanks to Jack for sharing much info on Car #2 and the AMX Spyder.
https://amx3.weebly.com/driving-the-bizzarrini-engineered-supercar-by-winston-goodfellow-apr-19-2018.html
https://amx3.weebly.com/donation-of-car-0-to-rippey-museum-aprilmay-1974-bulb-horn-pages-43-44.html
https://amx3.weebly.com/car_magazine_britain_sept_1971.html
http://www.amx390.com/ to build your own AMX/3 fiberglass reproduction and website for Car #0 the AMX/3 fiberglass mockup concept car
https://amx3.org website of the restoration of Car #1 and Car 1 Shown at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Illinois
https://amx3.weebly.com/AMK-K-Binder-April-July-1969 American Motors binder of 28 Photos of Car #1 April-July 1969
https://www.diomante.com/home/storia/history/
https://www.diomante.com/home/progetti-projects/
http://www.bizzarrinispyder.com/itally_trip.html
https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/5332/Iso-Varedo.html
https://www.motortrend.com/news/c12-0509-american-motors-amx3/
http://www.amx-perience.com/articles/AMX3.php
https://www.fuelcurve.com/amx3/
https://amx3.weebly.com/40-page-scrapbook-of-car-2-restoration-including-10-pages-of-part-numbers-courtesy-jack-koobs-de-hartog.html Much thanks to Jack for sharing much info on Car #2 and the AMX Spyder.
https://amx3.weebly.com/driving-the-bizzarrini-engineered-supercar-by-winston-goodfellow-apr-19-2018.html
https://amx3.weebly.com/donation-of-car-0-to-rippey-museum-aprilmay-1974-bulb-horn-pages-43-44.html
https://amx3.weebly.com/car_magazine_britain_sept_1971.html
http://www.amx390.com/ to build your own AMX/3 fiberglass reproduction and website for Car #0 the AMX/3 fiberglass mockup concept car
https://amx3.org website of the restoration of Car #1 and Car 1 Shown at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Illinois
Selected bibliography of the AMX/3 program
- Motortrend No. 6, June 1970: pages 48 – 50, 108, 110, 112
- Road & Track No. 6, June 1970 pages 54 – 56
- MOTOR magazine June 27th 1970 pages 41-42
- Modern Motor magazine August 1970 pages 30-33
- Quattroruote magazine Novembre 1970 Speciale Salone edition
- Quattroruote magazine issue 181 January 1971
- iO magazine February 1971 (Photos only so far. I need the Italian text or original articles please)
- Nash Healey Car Club newsletter July-August 1971
- Car magazine September 1971 p66-67
- Bulb Horn Volume XXXV No. 3 1974 pages 44 – 45
- Automobile Quarterly Volume XIX, No. 1 First Quarter 1981: pages 3 – 13
- Cars and Parts November 1981 pages 14-21
- Collectible Automobile July 1984 pages 35-41
- Muscle Car Review August 1987
- Classic and Sportscar June 1989
- Cars and Parts April 1990
- Guide To Muscle Cars August 1990 pages 54-57
- AMX Photo Archive from concept to reality. C. L. Zinn II, 2002 (EXCELLENT BOOK EVERY AMX FAN SHOULD OWN!)
- AMC Performance Cars 1951-1983 Photo Archive Patrick R. Foster, 2004
* Read the following with caution, lots of errors, miss-quotes, wrongly reported facts, etc: Automobile Quarterly Volume XXXXI, No. 3 Winter 2001: pages 5 – 17.
* Automobile Quarterly No. 3 Winter 2001 is responsible for most errors still being reported today.
- Octane Magazine February 2017 pages 124-132
- Road & Track No. 6, June 1970 pages 54 – 56
- MOTOR magazine June 27th 1970 pages 41-42
- Modern Motor magazine August 1970 pages 30-33
- Quattroruote magazine Novembre 1970 Speciale Salone edition
- Quattroruote magazine issue 181 January 1971
- iO magazine February 1971 (Photos only so far. I need the Italian text or original articles please)
- Nash Healey Car Club newsletter July-August 1971
- Car magazine September 1971 p66-67
- Bulb Horn Volume XXXV No. 3 1974 pages 44 – 45
- Automobile Quarterly Volume XIX, No. 1 First Quarter 1981: pages 3 – 13
- Cars and Parts November 1981 pages 14-21
- Collectible Automobile July 1984 pages 35-41
- Muscle Car Review August 1987
- Classic and Sportscar June 1989
- Cars and Parts April 1990
- Guide To Muscle Cars August 1990 pages 54-57
- AMX Photo Archive from concept to reality. C. L. Zinn II, 2002 (EXCELLENT BOOK EVERY AMX FAN SHOULD OWN!)
- AMC Performance Cars 1951-1983 Photo Archive Patrick R. Foster, 2004
* Read the following with caution, lots of errors, miss-quotes, wrongly reported facts, etc: Automobile Quarterly Volume XXXXI, No. 3 Winter 2001: pages 5 – 17.
* Automobile Quarterly No. 3 Winter 2001 is responsible for most errors still being reported today.
- Octane Magazine February 2017 pages 124-132
© 2024 Curt Hall https://AMX3.weebly.com/ Last modified: 04/19/2024 additions and improvements to most pages.
* All photos borrowed from the internet or selected bibliography items.
TOTAL WEBSITE VISITS: