Things at AMC weren’t all that bad in 1981. The company was still rolling out new models like the 4×4 Eagle models that really invented what we now call a “crossover SUV”, Jeeps were selling , and while the company was not going to be challenging GM for the top spot in the world, they were rolling along and things in Kenosha were looking up. Of course a few years later the company was all but gone. The point of this exercise though is to give you a little perspective as to why AMC was chosen as one of the five manufacturers to design a custom pace car for the 1981 IndyCar World Series. PPG sponsored these cars and apparently paid for their construction.
The car that’s recently come up for sale began life as an AMC Spirit AMX that is custom from the front to the back. The car was designed by legendary AMC stylist Dick Teague and features some very aggressive and angular lines when looking at the body. Ditching al of the factory steel, the body is a fiberglass shell. With big flared rear quarters, the dramatic nose, the custom wheels, and the aggressive rear window and molded in wing it is all very racy and all very 1981. This car absolutely oozes retro-cool to us and obviously the AMC collectors in the world are probably going nuts trying to get their hands on this one-off piece of the company’s performance heritage.
While the body is cool the motor is a totally awesome mish-mash of old-fashioned hot rodding and cutting edge 1981 engineering. Teague tasked his engineers with making the company’s widely used 258ci inline six into a fire breather. They responded by going through the engine and adding both a turbocharger and a fuel injection setup. We believe the fuel injection was a mechanical injection system. While the ad says that it is Porsche injection we’re thinking that it is Bosch injection. Long story short the engine made 450hp and probably sounded all kinds of magnificent.
We’re stopping here so you can see photos and the ad link. The ad has a TON of photos an info on the car, check the link below!
eBay ad link: 1981 Spirit AMX IndyCar series pace car — 10% custom and one of one
I LOVE this car. I would absolutely rock that thing. And it is NOT ugly. Box flares are cool!
The front end makes it look like pontiac designed it.
Love The I6! Turbocharged AND Port Fuel INJECTED! BTW, looks like someone is getting a Ferrari for Christmas.
They should have used a 401 ci AMC V8, physically the same size as a 304 & they used to put those in Grelimlin X’s back in the 70’s.
Definately a Bosch K or KE-Jetronic system. By guess is Turbo 911 (i.e. a 930) system recalibrated for the 4.2L vs. the original 3.0/3.2L engine. Guys coax 500hp out of them with minor mods so I don’t doubt it would work.
Wow 31k and reserve not met. It is a cool look at a tough time in U.S. auto history. Dick teague made some beauties in his carreer. Not sure this is one of them, but I do like it. I see a Firebird, a Porsche, a RX 7 and a Mustang all kinda rolled together. It sure looks like a blast, and is a important part of AMC and US history