The true pinnacle of Malaise might be about 1980, but 1977 wasn’t that great, either. Pontiac fans were doing well enough, the Z28 Camaro had returned after a two-year hiatus, and if you knew your way around an options sheet, you could build up a Dodge Warlock that still packed a big-block punch and had some of the Li’l Red Express’s style without the red truck’s campy theme. Even AMC was trying to stay in a game that had died at least five years prior, and to their credit, they did make a pretty solid attempt. The Hornet AMX had the right size, right visual cues and the right colors going for it, but once you opened the hood you became immediately sad and you couldn’t forget that the chassis was already seven years old at this point…there was nothing really “new” about it. 
That doesn’t mean that the Hornet AMX couldn’t be something, and what we found while cruising eBay serves up that promise nicely. With minimal striping and the maximum punch of Big Bad Green, we’d already be prepared to give this one a new home. The 1970 AMX hoodscoop is a nice touch, too. But you need to read into the engine to understand why we’re truly nuts for this AMX: An AMC 360 punched .030 over, with 1970 heads that have been ported out, a 1970 intake that’s been port-matched, 11:1 compression, cam and all…any memories of mid-1970s acceleration can be promptly forgotten. The best thing about most of the wannabe 1970s machines is that they just need a little tweak or to underhood to be worthy. And this Hornet AMX is certainly worthy.
eBay Link: 1977 American Motors Hornet AMX
Always was a fan of Hornets. For the price, it seems a bargain to me.
Imagine how much better it could have been with a 401.
Actually I prefer the later malaisier Concord-ish AMXs. Like little dune buggies from hell.
It urgently needs a respray and to lose the hideous louvers over the rear window!
All I can say is this thing should have died along with disco music. What a Fugly POS!
I had a red ’77 . I bought it in 1982 my senior year in high school. I loved that car!