Although The Amc javelin has only been used for a few years, it has had an impact on the small carriage market and the thinking of many car buyers. In 1964, Ford introduced a car that could change the car market. This car will meet many customer criteria: compact, affordable and completely cool. These cars will change the American car market and have an impact in the next few years


AMC Javelin

 There are currently some models available. This is the birth of the "pony market", which began with Ford's Mustang in 1965. The effect of the Ford Mustang is immediate. In the first year, Ford sold 400,000 cars. Only 100,000 cars are expected to be sold. One million copies have been sold before the end of the second year 

Fastest Cars in the World

Within a few years of launching Mustang, many car companies are trying to replace it, or at least cut into its market. AMC is one of the aforementioned companies. Although the javelin has only been used for a few years, it has had an impact on the small carriage market and the thinking of many car buyers. Nowadays, car enthusiasts and the public can find javelins in exquisite restorations of museums or javelin owners marked for sale 

AMC invade The Pony Car Market

In order to clearly understand the origin of the Javelin, we must start with the brief history of AMC in the 1960s. Frankly speaking, it struggled before the javelin game. Some experts even believe that the company is destined to leave the automotive manufacturing market. The problem is simple: AMC's economic car series has a stiff and clumsy image. It's not sexy, it's certainly not cool, and it's easy to lose the battle of young American car buyers. So, how did AMC become the manufacturer of the Javelin and its sister AMX? According to Ate Up With Motor, it all started with investor Robert Beverly Evans

 Evans is the son of a wealthy businessman. At AMC, he saw an opportunity. He believes that AMC is underestimated and only needs fresh energy and direction. After becoming the company's largest investor, he occupied a seat on the board of directors 

The Start of change at Amc javelin 

Evans is worried about the image of AMC-a hard-shelled, clumsy image. Soon, under his leadership, AMC will get rid of its old, obsolete brand, which is not very attractive to the market, and begin to build a pair of sexy and powerful cars. This will mark AMC's foray into the pony market and the establishment of its two direct competitors with Mustang. Those two competitors? AMX and Javelin

Both made their debut as model cars in 1968, designed to attract young Americans, especially baby boomers, and to steal market share from Ford. In the end, AMC will mark the Javelin as a more spacious and comfortable pony car than its competitors. It has many safety innovations, including fiberglass safety pads, three-point safety belts, headrests, and the lack of bright decorations inside the car to reduce glare. The initial price is $2,743. Soon, AMC will take the pony carriage battle out of the exhibition hall and to a dilapidated battlefield: the Trans-Am series 

The Amc Javelin's Introduction To Racing And The Trans-Am 

The Trans-Am series (originally called the Trans-American Sedan Championship) began in 1966 as a competition between pony car manufacturers (most notably the V8 coupe). The car list (and now the famous driver list) has a wide variety: Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, and of course Javelin

 The Javelin did not participate in the competition until 1968, which marked the beginning of the golden age of cross-morning racing. Although industry insiders and racing fans do not expect the Javelin to have a big impact in the first year, its performance in the first season surprisingly won third place, surpassing most predictors


The AMC Javelin
Soon, this became the advertising point of AMC. The company used the success of Javelin on the track to position it as a major competitor with Mustang in the market. The run did not end there. Nearly a year later in 1969, AMC and Penske signed an agreement to lead the Javelin Straddle Team. Soon, Penske's influence became apparent

Javelin robbed all three Trans-Am series titles, which is impossible for a company that only produced a sports car before Javelin, or even outsourced the racing. AMC's success in the Javelin and its sister model AMX has brought a series of victories to the track and the market. However, AMC will soon cease production in 1974. Why is this, so where did all the success go? As almost always, it changes with the American public’s car tastes 

The End Of The Amc javelin Pony Market ( Why did AMC fail? ) 

The tide turns and the United States enters the 1970s, it seems that the pony car may still be a viable option for Americans in the latter part of a decade. Trans-Am is still running, manufacturers are still supplying cars, and racing enthusiasts are still excited. However, all this will change. If the 1970s are famous all over the world, in addition to the brilliant decade of music, it also lies in its fuel cost. For many Americans, the text written on the wall in the early 1970s: Fuel costs are rising, and with the advent of the recession, buying gasoline-consuming cars is not the wisest financial move

Soon, the pony car market began to dry up. Manufacturers began to withdraw their pony cars from the Trans-Am series of competitions, and AMC became the last manufacturer in the competition. Other competitors are related to promoting sponsors, not to specific companies. However, AMC has been playing. Some people speculate that the determination to keep the game is based more on the bottom line. AMC is injured and needs publicity. But even in the end, this is far from enough. In 1974, AMC stopped producing javelins. American taste has shifted to more economical cars instead of the sexy, powerful appeal of sports cars or V8 coupes. This is a remarkable change for a company that not only created the first real pony car, but also challenged market leaders and dominated the racetrack. This also heralds the decline of AMC and future death


AMC Javelin

 From 1975 to 1977, AMC lost $74 million and had to establish a partnership with French car manufacturer Renault to inject cash.​​​ But, in the end, this is not enough. Banks refused to provide credit lines to unprofitable AMC in the early 1980s, paving the way for its decline in market share and its eventual acquisition by Chrysler
The Javelin is still one of its halls of fame. As a powerful pony car with three Trans-Am champions, even if AMC no longer exists, there are few doubts about its legacy

Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post